Weird question about weight...

[ariana077]

So I have a bit of a strange question. My chinchilla is about 6 months old and I'm starting to notice he's filling out a bit more. Is it possible that now I'm just getting used to picking him up so he feels more normal to me, or is it very strange for him to be "packing on pounds" (i'm in the process of switching his food, he only eats the treats out, but he eats TONS of hay everyday and drinks lots of water with less than one raisin per day as a treat)

 

[GorillaJTA]

He could be hitting a growth spurt. But he could also be overweight from too many treats. If he is on a treat-heavy food, a cold switch could be in order. What brand are you switching him to?
Also, lose the raisins completely-- they are unnecessary and possibly dangerous sugars.

 

[jbcstratton]

I agree switching from a treat heavy food is good, instead of a cold switch you could pick out most of the treats so the switch is still gradual. But at 6 months he is probably still growing.

 

[danilinn]

i'm for rosebuds as a treat. even the smell of rosewater gets Jonesy all excited. i can't wait for her 6 month bday (she's 4 months today). i'm pretty sure Ronda sells them (rondaschins.com). Jones' breeder said only to use raisins if she gets constipated.
lots of people advocate not mixing and switching right off of a "junk" food, and some chins get really excited about the taste of the healthier food. just speculation, but maybe he's eating more because he likes it better? Jones nearly doubled her hay intake when we switched from the regular bagged timothy to the organic mix from fuzzies kingdom.

 

[dcfluegel]

Our kids seem really fond of the rosehips - not only a safe treat but a great source of vitamin C! We have also given unfrosted mini wheats (broken in half) and plain cheerios - the key with treats is to keep them occasional - many sources recommend treats only several times a week, not necessarily daily. For daily treats, we use apple twigs - our kids go bonkers for Ronda's apple twigs... lol, but it is tough sometimes when they are such cute little beggars but the last thing I want to do is literally kill my furkids with kindness by over-treating, especially with young ones

 

[Godofgods]

i was very lucky with switching my chins food. When my bother showed up at my door asking my to take care of his chin (now mine ) he used a treat heavy food as well. When i eventuly got a new type of food i started mixing them. First 25-75. with the entended increase over time. But my chin actuly ate all the new food and wouldnt touch the old kind. 0.0 I was amazed!

As for the chin weight, its hard to say for me. It could be either. But my last two girls between roughly 6-8 month have grown a lot! They almost look as big as their mommy. (getting impossible to tell them apart to since one is a look a like)

 

[Cuddlebug]

I would switch cold turkey from the old food to a new healthier food. What brand are you thinking of switching to? If you let us know, we can tell you if it is a good feed or not. To help with the switch, you can sprinkle acidophilus over the new food. As far as treats go. Chins should only have one or two treats per week. Good treats include plain cheerios, plain shred ed wheat, a pinch of old fashioned oats (not the quick cook or instant kind) and rose hips. By one or two treats a week we mean one cheerios or one shredded wheat, etc, not one of each or several of one kind.