Water issues?

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EMSChins

Hendryx Chinchillas
Joined
Jun 12, 2010
Messages
1,243
Location
Cincinnati Area
I am wondering if anyone can tell me how you would know for sure if you are having water issues with your chinchillas? I am on city water and use a filter but am having problems with some of my animals going off of their feed with ensuing weight loss for no apparent reason. So far it has only been males and they do not share a common area. I have gone over my animal husbandry practices with several ranchers and cannot pinpoint a specific issue. Thanks for any information/advice.
 
What kind of filter do you use? I don't have much to offer, but I know some filters don't filter out everything.
 
No, the males in question are not in breeding. They are either being grown out for show or pets only. Range in age from 2 years down to 7 months. The first time it happened I questioned depression but then it started with a second chin. I have those two back on feed and now there are 2 more starting to go off their feed.

What symptoms does a chin show when there is a water problem Is it only going off feed or are there other symptoms?
 
Just throwing in my 2 cents as a bad chin mommy.

Since I have had the baby, I sometimes forget to check Buddy's water. When he is out of water, he also stops eating. So it could be a water problem... but what do I know. We use a Pur water filter. Good enough for the baby is good enough for Buddy. Are they not drinking their water anymore?
 
Tiffany - not 100% sure it is not feed but have changed bags (from a different mill date) in case and since then have had two more cycle into the habit of not eating. I only feed Shoots chinchilla pellets, loose timothy hay, alfalfa hay cubes and rarely a pinch of oats or shredded wheat. I haven't heard of anyone else having problems with that feed and it is all I have ever used. I have run it by the Shoots and they haven't had anyone else report problems and we went over everything that I was doing froma husbandry standpoint, from storage of the feed and hay to cleaning and water practices.

I have't heard anyone dicuss wht type of symptoms their chins have when it is a water issue so was just curious as to how you know when it is water related.

The two chins that initially started with going off feed have been hand fed for 3 weeks now and seemingly for no reason after 3 weeks, overnight they started eating their pellets again...that has been about a week and now I have two more dropping weight and not eating as much - still eating, just not as much. I can't figure it out.
 
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