Which wheel for heavier chin?

[scrapwave]

My daughter's chin is a big boy..he has a wheel but it's a 15" wire mesh wheel that he mostly just sits in..because he's kinda chunky so it sags when he's on it since it only has a center connection screw to mount to the cage. He doesn't get a lot of treats and junk...mostly just pellets and hay and she rations that so he doesn't get too much..he's just a big boy. LOL! Looking to get him a better wheel so he will get more exercise...my question is..which is better for heavier chins? The metal saucer or a chinspin?

 

[ChinnyMom]

first, i would remove the mesh wheel right away. they are not safe for chins due to the wire mesh being just the right size to catch chin toes in. he will be fine without a wheel until you can get a new safe one. the wheel is sagging because it is not appropriate for chins and is of low quality. it has nothing to do with how big this chin is.

as for rationing food, i wouldn't. some chins are just bigger than others. as long as the pellet is a quality one (what brand are you feeding?) and the hay is timothy or another grass hay, i would allow him all he wants, free fed. with-holding food from a chin can cause some serious digestive issues, as their system requires an almost constant food in/poop out to keep them healthy. google 'hind gut fermenter', and read up on it.

i would recommend the chin spin. i myself am saving up for this wheel for my boys.

 

[scrapwave]

We are feeding timothy hay and I don't recall the brand of the pellets...and I didn't mean to sound that she's withholding food...he gets plenty to eat...she's just trying to make sure he's not overeating and she's not feeding him treats (except on rare occassions).

 

[Shooper]

I have a saucer and a couple silver surfers. My big boy has the Silver Surfer and does just fine with it. I think you would be happy with either. I have 3 boys and all of them will run on the surfer or saucer!

 

[Cuddlebug]

I would recommend the 15 inch Chin Spin. It is well worth the money. As far as feeding the little guy goes. Chinchillas rarely overeat. Limiting food can cause digestive problems as mentioned. Chinchillas should be free fed both pellets and hay. If the feed you are using contains dried veggies, dried fruit, nuts and/or seeds, he is probably pigging out on the junk in it. It should be a pellet only feed. Otherwise, he is just meant to be a big boy.

 

[3CsMommy]

Flying Saucer. He might be comfortable on the Chin Spin, but the company has had some problems with their powder coating flaking off the wheels. The Flying Saucer is galvanized without special request, so you'd save yourself the worry about the coating, plus know he'll have plenty of space to run. The Saucer is also less noisy if the cage is in a part of the house where people sleep or want to hear the TV, etc.

 

[Encantadora]

I second or third (?) the flying saucer. It's a great investment.

 

[Jenn]

I'm a huge flying saucer fan!

 

[scrapwave]

thanks for the input...I ended up ordering the Flying Saucer one....should be in sometime this week I hope! I hope he likes it!

 

[kellylynnmarie]

My chins LOVE their Ed Wheel and would have nothing else! Plus it's a nice, COOL place for them to nap after out of cage playtime. I had a chubby guys for awhile and as far as food portions go or trying to help him lose weight... honestly, I let it happen on it's own. For some reason, I think he was just eating a little extra for whatever reason and now he's back to healthy all on his own!! (Maybe they need comfort food sometimes if something is a bit off for them.)

 

[scrapwave]

Got the saucer yesterday and got it installed! He had to check it out..first thing was the bite test (guess he wanted to see what it tasted like! LOL!) then he's hoped on and off it a couple of times. Figure it will take him a little bit to actually start running on it..but at least he's checking it out now!