Switching feed

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Nidchenko

Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2015
Messages
6
Hello guys

I was hoping to get some comments on experiences with switching foods cold turkey.

My chinchilla recently decided to stop eating pellets. We ran her through the vet, got her teeth checked out, stomach x-rayed and so on. Turns out the sneaky rat was just protesting her current food (had it for 3 years) and the vet said she just seemed plain bored of it, as weird as it may sound.

I got her a new brand (very similar in nutritional value) and she immediately attacked the food as if she has not eaten in months. (it was pellets and no treats mixed in)

I tried to mix in just a few with her regular feed but she just picked the new bits out and is completely ignoring the old food, trying not to starve by eating hay all the time.

I wanted to know what could go wrong if I just go for a switch. Maybe as she is still eating hay, trying to keep her on mostly hay and an increasing amount of pellets could be better? I am really not sure but I know she will not touch her old food.

Any information or advice is welcome.
 
The biggest issue with switching cold turkey is digestive upset, which can cause diarrhea. Since she wont eat the old food I would just feed the new stuff and make sure she is eating lots of hay, the fiber in the hay should help prevent issues.

A chinchilla actually can survive on hay alone, and hay should actually be the primary food, about 70-75% of the diet. The pellets are there to add extra nutrients to the diet that the hay may be lacking. So she should be eating about a handful worth of hay (or as much as she will eat, it should always be available) and about 2 tbs of pellets per day.
 
The biggest issue with switching cold turkey is digestive upset, which can cause diarrhea. Since she wont eat the old food I would just feed the new stuff and make sure she is eating lots of hay, the fiber in the hay should help prevent issues.

A chinchilla actually can survive on hay alone, and hay should actually be the primary food, about 70-75% of the diet. The pellets are there to add extra nutrients to the diet that the hay may be lacking. So she should be eating about a handful worth of hay (or as much as she will eat, it should always be available) and about 2 tbs of pellets per day.

Thank you so much. Will be trying that and I will still leave some of her old food in so she can decide if she wants it or not. She has gone through a cold switch before (from junk to healthy) and taken it very well. I am hoping for the same now as I don't see much of another option. Hopefully she keeps esting tons of hay as per usual.
 
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