Small poops - should I be concerned?

[jess32247]

I am sorry you feel stressed about the situation. Chinchillas are a lot of work. I had a little guy for 5 years. He was fed awful food before I got him, mishandled, and who knows what else. I got him from the local humane society so I did not know anything about his prior living conditions. I watched him die. That, is stressful. I put thousands of dollars into him. To get him the best vet care possible, the best food, etc. I do want you to feel welcome but at the same time it hurts me and others here too when we see people who just will not listen to good advice. I have never called you a bad owner. You are here which is better than many. Your chin isn't in a tiny hamster cage. You don't have her living outside, etc. Those are bad owners.

However, I've explained several times why the food you are feeding is dangerous. You say you tried for weeks to change your chinchilla over... yet in the other thread you say her first day on 100% new food was the 21st. That is only a week as of today. Even when you switch from one good food, to another good food, as people often have to do, a chinchilla might snub it for several days choosing to only eat hay.

I am not trying to upset you and I do hope you are able to find good supplies for your chinchilla. I only bring things up because I care about you and your chin. It is heartbreaking to lose a chinchilla. Even with my girls, I cry all the time for my little guy.

I'm very sorry that happened, it sounds like you gave him the best life he had in his short time with you. I am listening to your advice, please don't doubt I am. I really have no backround history on my chin, no idea where she came from or anything, I want to give her the best I can. Which I am doing, but not exactly the best, yet. I just need time to get those things, I'm kind of forced to take things slowly because of things holding me back.

Yes, I've tried for weeks getting her to eat the new food. I switched it over slowly for two weeks at least, then her first night she didn't eat any. Second night she didn't eat any and started acting pissed off and I hate to see her like that, so I just switched it back to her old food since I still had some left. Then I just bought a new bag of her old food a few days ago. LIe I said, I have a lot of other things on my mind and the last thing I want to see is her being upset too, so I just gave her her old food back and she was fine. The zu preem has veg in it, so it's probably worse then what I'm feeding her now. But hoenstly, I've been feeding it to her for months and she's been fine, I don't see the problem with it. I just want her to be happy as she can be, beacuse it makes me happy to see her happy, if that makes any sense.

It's really not your fault for making me upset, please don't think it is. I will be getting her that oxbow soon ehough, if she ate her old food for months with no problem, I'm sure she can go another two months at most eatting it. I'm really sorry again that you lost your little chin boy, I can't imagine loosing a beloved pet like that

 

[jess32247]

Awww....Jess!! Your post makes me sad. I hope that you aren't too sad and stressed. Don't worry...everything will be fine!

If you pay for the shipping, I'll send you some food for your chin. Zupreem isn't really all that awesome...so I'd be happy to send you some Mazuri to try out.

I hate that you have to drive 45 minutes to get food. I know that feeling, since I am about that far from anywhere where where I live. PM me if you need help with supplies. Most of the time I can make it cheaper to get good food even if it has to be shipped in...

Just don't be stressed and sad! I want you to be happy and enthusiastic about your chinchilla!!

I'm sorry my last post made you sad things have been rough for me the past few years, espiecally last year. This year isn't turning out to great either, but whatever.

Thank you so much for the offer, but no thanks, I would feel so guilty that you would have to go through the trouble of getting it then shipping it out! I'm sure I can get my mom to order the food online, she just takes a long time to think things out I guess.

I know how you feel, I hate living so far away. I can't go anywhere because it's such a far drive from everything, so if things like this happen I'm left having to wait at least a few days until we will be in the area to get it, wich really stinks. Thank you so much again for the offer, but I would feel really guilty accepting!

 

[AZChins]

Blah...don't feel guilty! I'm happy to help (ask anyone!! My job is to be just happy to help.) The chins are my life!!

 

[smhluvsmh]

Jess, where are you located? Maybe there is someone close to you that could help you and your fur baby out. I know how you feel when you say seeing her happy makes you happy. That's how I feel too! Even on the worse days, my girls can make me smile! Everyone here is just trying to help sweetie, don't take offense! Have a good day!

 

[jess32247]

Jess, where are you located? Maybe there is someone close to you that could help you and your fur baby out. I know how you feel when you say seeing her happy makes you happy. That's how I feel too! Even on the worse days, my girls can make me smile! Everyone here is just trying to help sweetie, don't take offense! Have a good day!

I'm in the Easton / Martins Creek area of Pennsylvania. The only petsmarts are in Philly or quakertown, pretty far away. I would feel really guilty if someone helped! there's a petsmart being built not to far away that we will go to too get the food, even though it'll be much more expensive, but that's the only thing my mom is agreeing too ugh. Thank you for understanding, I'm glad your little fuzzies do the same to you! Even on the worse days my fuzzy still make me smile!

I regret those lasts posts I made, I feel like I"m causing more trouble then fixing it. But I much better today, thank you everyone (again!) for helping!

 

[smhluvsmh]

No reason for guilt! I know it's frustrating because you are trying so hard to do the best for your baby. You are at the mercy of what your mom is willing to do. We all have moments that circumstance and frustration gets the better of us. Focus on the positive and doing the best you can for your chin. That's all any of us can do. My girls send whisker kisses to your girl!

 

[Cuddlebug]

Jess, you keep saying that you can't see any harm that the seeds are doing to her. That is because seeds are full of fat. Chinchillas cannot process fat properly, causing it to build up in their livers. It is a slow process and can take a few years before you actually see any symptoms and by then it will be too late to help your little chin. Try asking your mom to read this thread. Maybe then she will understand what we are talking about and be more willing to get something different for your chinchilla to eat.

 

[jess32247]

I can't really do anything about it since my mom is being so stubborn. She won't change her mind, I'll just have to wait until the new store opens to get it there. Like I said before, it's really not a lot of seeds, barely any to be honest.

 

[Lillybabe]

With a food with seeds it doesn't really matter if it's 50% seeds or 10% seeds. The chinchilla is going to pick out the fatty bad for them parts and ignore the pellets or not eat enough of the pellets. She needs to be on a pellet only diet as soon as possible. Others in another thread are talking about chinchillas with stasis and bloat. Food like what you're feeding can cause stasis and bloat. If you live so far from everywhere I assume your mother isn't going to want to drive an hour or more to an emergency vet in the middle of the night. Or help you handfeed a sick chinchilla around the clock. Bad diets lead to unhealthy chinchillas overtime. When my little guy had stasis I had to wake up in the middle of the night to feed him every 3-4 hours. When I was at college I had to get a family member to feed him. I spent thousands in vet bills and I was lucky enough to have a good vet only across town. Driving or ordering online... can save you a lot of issues down the road. If your mom won't take you ask another family member or friend. Don't you have your license?

 

[jess32247]

With a food with seeds it doesn't really matter if it's 50% seeds or 10% seeds. The chinchilla is going to pick out the fatty bad for them parts and ignore the pellets or not eat enough of the pellets. She needs to be on a pellet only diet as soon as possible. Others in another thread are talking about chinchillas with stasis and bloat. Food like what you're feeding can cause stasis and bloat. If you live so far from everywhere I assume your mother isn't going to want to drive an hour or more to an emergency vet in the middle of the night. Or help you handfeed a sick chinchilla around the clock. Bad diets lead to unhealthy chinchillas overtime. When my little guy had stasis I had to wake up in the middle of the night to feed him every 3-4 hours. When I was at college I had to get a family member to feed him. I spent thousands in vet bills and I was lucky enough to have a good vet only across town. Driving or ordering online... can save you a lot of issues down the road. If your mom won't take you ask another family member or friend. Don't you have your license?

I can't get my family to get it for me, most live a hour away. Friends is out of the question too, unfortunalty. It will seriosuly have to wait until that store opens, or until I can get my mom to agree to buy it offline. I have no idea why she has be so stubborn all the sudden, but she did agree to buy it at the store itself once it opens. I'm still asking to order it online, so maybe she will chang her mind sooner then the store opens. I'm only 16, I don't even have my permit. Even if I did have a permit, she would still have to come with me, and it would be another few years until I got a license.

 

[Lillybabe]

Ahhh.. didn't realize you wouldn't have your permit. Here people get their permit at 15 and get their license at 16. Hopefully she'll agree before the store opens as who knows how quickly that will happen. It can take a long time for a building to be built and then actually open. Have you talked to someone at the store you get the food now? It is possible they might be able to order you Mazuri or Oxbow... or maybe one of the good rabbit ones? Have you checked for Manna Pro Sho? It's a rabbit pellet that is recommended for chinchillas.

 

[Lillybabe]

Did some hunting for you... how close is this location:

Name: Pet Supplies Plus
Address: 4403 Southmont Way Suite 4
Easton, PA 18045
Phone: +1 (610) 258-5945
Website: http://www.petsuppliesplus.com

Or any of these locations....
http://www.purinamills.com/DealerLocator/Default.aspx?state=pa&SearchType=MR

If one of those is close you may have to call and see if they carry Mazuri for chinchillas. If you can get ahold of this brand it's one of the cheapest decent pellets.

Or either of these locations:

NORTHAMPTON FARM BUREAU COOP
300 BUSHKILL STREET
TATAMY, PA 18085

Tractor Supply Co.
4037 JANDY BLVD
NAZARETH, PA 18064

I found these ones by searching the MannaPro site which offers MannaPro Sho Rabbit food which is fine for chinchillas. Here's the link: http://www.mannapro.com/where-to-buy/

Again you would need to call each of these places and make sure they really had it. However, if they have other MannaPro products but not rabbit food they may be able to special order it. Same with the places with Mazuri. I got a local feedstore to special order me a 10lb bag of Oxbow because I knew they could get it for me the cheapest. $14.99 is a steal for Oxbow. Other places want around $18.99 for just the 5lb bag.

Hopefully one of these locations helps. They all said they were quite close to Easton, PA.

Oh, found these as well....

Allentown
2180 MacArthur Rd
Whitehall, PA 18052
610-437-7197
14.49 miles

Quakertown - Richland
620 North West End Boulevard
Quakertown, PA 18951-41
215-538-2843
15.78 miles

These are from Petsmart.com and they say they are quite close to where you are. Even with traffic I can't imagine 15 miles or so takes more than 30 minutes to drive.