Newly rescued chin - worried about past nutritional problems

[TMJW]

Hello all -

Just rescued my first chinchilla this evening - a 2 year old male, very handsome! I was unpacking the supplies and belongings that were sent with him and as I checked the bag of food to see what brand he was eating I was horrified to see it read 'RABBIT FOOD'. I also don't think that he's ever been given hay.

I've been involved with guinea pig rescue for years, and if this were a pig I would have immediate concerns, particularly long term effects of vitamin C deficiency. Do I need to be worried about similar problems with a chinchilla? Should I be concerned he may have liver damage? Is there anything I can do to compensate for any nutritional deficiencies?

As of right now, he seems to be in good health. He's alert and exploring his new living situation while chowing down on some timothy. He barked at everyone earlier, but begrudgingly accepted a snack and even let me give him a quick stroke behind the ear later. In the morning I'm going to contact the previous owner to see exactly what she's been feeding him the past two years. I'm just afraid I'm looking at a shortened future with this lovely chin because he hasn't been given proper nutrition.

 

[tunes]

I feed rabbit food. So do a lot of people. There is nothing wrong with feeding rabbit feeds as long as it's a decent one. What is it?

 

[Bosco Lam]

it depends on what type of rabbit food, there are a lot of posts on this site discussing rabbit food. I would just gradually switch back to chinchilla food to be on the safe side, you don't know what brand the previous owner's been feeding him. goodluck!

 

[Riven]

Rabbit food is not a death sentence. Many top ranchers do/have feed it. I was getting ready to switch my whole herd back to a rabbit feed because I wasn't seeing a lot of difference and when the price jumped up on the feed I have been feeeding... yea.

Anyway, good for rescuing, was it a I want a chin rescue or a chin in need rescue? What kind of treats? Treats alone can be a lot worse than any sort of rabbit feed.

Look around and feel free to ask all kinds of questions!

 

[Godofgods]

Iv feed my chins this rabbit food the last several years. It was suggested to me by a former breeder i was talking with at the time. (Chins came with a little chin bag food, with all kinds of so called 'treats' in it that weren't to healthy)

I was actually amazed when i started to switch their food over. Usually animals iv had don't like change in food. So you have to ween them over to it slowly. So i started doing just that. The very first day i gave it to them, they ate all the new food and wouldn't touch the old stuff. 0.0 I was in complete amazement.

And at $8.00 for a 25lb bag, its a good deal. My 5 chins love it.

You just have to check and make sure a certain type of rabbit food has all the nutrients that the chin needs.