Weight gain for chins?

[JennyBug]

So our newest girl, Trousers, came home on Thursday. We have her all set up in a quarantine cage with food, water, and chew toys, but I'm concerned about her weight. You can feel all of her ribs and her vertebrae. She's eating fine here, but I think I remember that chins being underweight for a long time can really affect them later on in life (she's 1.5 years old now). Is there a safe and healthy way to help her gain weight a little quicker than pellets and hay? I understand if there isn't, but I do worry about being able to feel every bone in her chinnie body!

 

[tunes]

Doing what you're doing is the best thing for her. A slow, gradual, healthy weight gain is the best gain. You can try adding some Lifeline or critical care to her diet, but a lot of times just having them on a good pellet, good hay, and fresh water is enough.

There are also various supplements out there, but be careful who you buy from. I (personally) wouldn't buy any with calf manna in it (pink pellets resembling feed) and I wouldn't buy from anybody who hasn't had a great success rate with testing theirs. Too many people throw the grocery cart into a bowl and call it "chin safe supplement" without really knowing that. Ryerson's is very tested, and I believe Shoots has a supplement as well that you could trust, but other than that, be wary.

 

[Classic Chinchillas]

I agree with tunes, let her have as much good pellets and hay as she will eat and she'll fill out eventually. On another forum a woman had posted pictures of an incredibly thin rescue and then how much better she looked after good food.

 

[Stackie]

When I first got Felix he was all skin and bones. I could feel every vertebrae. I was worried he had some underlying issue and brought him to the vet for testing but everything came out normal.

All I have been doing is giving him plently of Oxbow pellets, APD hay, and sprinkling Life Line over his pellets twice a week. He has gained 100 grams since I got him and hovers around 500-ish grams now. I don't think he is going to get much bigger but he looks sooo much different (for the better) from when I first got him.

 

[jessica]

Marble is small for his age (he's only 560 grams and will be one year next month) but I feed him oxbow and only the freshest hay I can buy. Despite his small stature he's the picture of a healthy chinchilla. His eyes are bright, his fur is full and plush and he is very active and playful at night. So I do not worry about him he's just petite. Maybe that is the case for your darling Trousers (and she is really a cutie pie). Just keep good food available for her at all times and watch her as long as she isn't acting sick she's fine.

 

[rcr]

I started adding a special mix of groats, barley, flaxseed ect. to some of my chins a few months ago and its made a big difference. *Just to note: I feed it VERY sparingly because oats can cause bloating*. Here's a pic of Bax from 6 months ago a the second and third were taken a couple of days ago.
Bax last August

Bax today

 

[HedgeMom]

How old was he in the first photo vs the followup photos? Looks to me like he just grew up. It's called maturing. Happens with the passage of time. Immature animals mature.

 

[JennyBug]

I don't think it's maturing for Trousers, she just wasn't fed a good diet. She's over a year old and we can feel all of her vertebrae and ribs. She's eating (she absolutely DEVOURS hay, I don't know that she has ever seen it before). I don't think it's a matter of maturing, she just needs a good diet. I was just wondering if there was any supplement she needed to help her with weight gain, but from what I see here, she just needs to keep eating and she will get better on her own! Thanks everyone!

 

[rcr]

Bax is 2 years old. DOB 1/30/07