Fat Chin...

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andreya

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Sep 2, 2009
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In December I got Kallel, who could be a poster child for McDonald's. I weighed him today and he is 960 grams. He is by far my biggest chin. I had someone see him recently who informed me that he could have a heart attack so now I keep worrying that he will. He is only 4 years old. I'm not sure how to get some of the weight off of him. He is on Oxbow pellets and hay, about once a week he gets a rosehip and some acidophilus. His most frequent "treat" is apple wood.

He is the only one of my chins I have never seen use a wheel and I'm not sure if he knows how. I just got all of the chins new Grape Escapes (Silver Surfer wheels) and am hoping that he will learn. I let him have play time and he likes running around so hopefully that will start helping, but I don't want him to keel over. Any suggestions?
 
I have a big girl as well, who does not like to use the wheel at all. She is my diva and likes to lounge around and lay on her sides like she is posing for a picture. From what I have read chins can get to be a good size and still be healthy. If your chin is acting normal and no signs of sickness I would say that you have a big and happy/healthy chin.
 
I have a male that is about 960. He is 3 years old. I never heard that being large they can have a heart attack. He is caged with 2 other males and he uses his wheel. His dad is about 860+ and mom 900+.
 
Chins come in all shapes and sizes. Some are naturally bigger, some are naturally smaller. I wouldn't worry as long as he acts and seems healthy and is on a good, healthy diet of pellets, hay, and water with minimal treats.
 
Thanks Chinnie. I just wasn't sure. He acts just fine and other than being a little too fat to struggle much when I hold him, he is quite active. =) Kallel doesn't sleep on his side, I have a feeling that if he did he would resemble a walrus.

Snickers: Really? I know Kallel's mom and sister are both big and I think quite a bit older and fine but now that I have him I've been paranoid.
 
If he's on a healthy chinchilla pellet and hay for his food, and like you said, the occasional rosehip, he isn't overweight. That's just the way he is supposed to be. Some are chunky, some are more streamlined. If he starts to use the wheel he may lose a small amount of weight, but I don't expect him to lose much. I have never heard of a larger chin having a heart attack.

I, personally, love me some chunky chins. <3
 
I did have one chin who did not have a heart murmur, who was on a hay and pellet only diet, got exercise and was 890gms and died of a heart attack at 10 years old, confirmed by a necropsy, it can happen and does happen. The problem is that people do not have necropsies done on chinchillas, so we do not know how many or how often it happens.
 
I was told by someone who has been breeding for many years, that chins have heart failure a lot more than people realize. They just don't have the necropsy to confirm it.

There is a difference between a chin being big and a chin being fat. If a chin has rolls under their arms and along their torso, they are fat. When there is that much fat on the body, there is going to be extra fat around the heart which will cause more stress on the heart.

Obese chins can live a long time, that does not change the fact that the extra weight is unhealthy for them. I have rescued many chins that have been fat and once they are put on a healthy diet and the junkie treats they had been given are stopped, they always loose some weight.

I'm sure Kallel will start to loose weight now that he is on a healthy diet and gets play time. He will most likely always be a big boy, but should trim down some.
 
Essentia - I just got Kallel in December and he hasn't always been on Oxbow. As Andrea said, he totally has little chin boobs and he is a male. lol

I don't care if he's a little chunky, I have a fat cat, I just don't want him to be a blob. =)
 
Got it. I'm sorry I missed that he was on a crappy diet previous to what you are feeding him now. If that's the case he will probably drop a decent amount of weight now that he's on a healthy pellet and hay.
 
Essentia - I won't say what he was on because I don't want to start a debate but a lot of people on here feed it. I do feel that the diet change is for the better. He also has a constant supply of hay and a wheel which he didn't before so hopefully all of those and the play time are enough for him to drop the "moobs". lol He was a breeder prior to my buying him and was in a little breeder cage and wasn't getting any exercise.
 
I'm curious to see these chin moobs, they sound kinda cute... Anyone has pics?
 
Here is my 1100 gram chin with his moobs drooping on the ledge.

pix.jpg
 
Wow Dawn, I think you win! Kallel's moobs aren't quite that obvious, he likes to hide them.
 
Moobs and multiple chins on chins! I love it. But Ticklechin, is this one of the "before" pics of the rescues that you mentioned that eventually get into shape with the right exercise and diet?
 
So, just an update on fatty. Today he was 943 grams, he has lost 18 grams. I noticed that he started using his new wheel a few weeks ago and now loves it. I noticed when I was cleaning his cage and he jumped over my hand to get into it.

Ironically, my fattest chin makes the -least- amount of noise in the wheel. The others are heavy runners but he, is a really light runner. Go figure. =)
 
Out of curiousity, what color is your chin Andreya? As long as he's on a healthy diet and has a wheel now, he should be ok. I've seen some HUGE BVs, both male and female, that are 900-1000g+ that are very healthy.

Dawn, that is a monster! A cute, chubby monster at that! :D
 
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