Hi there how can i knpw the age of my chin besides bringing him for a check at the vet? And he has plenty of wood to chew but i rearely see him chew them as he is always sleeping is that normal? He has been trusting me more these few days. Still doesnt really like me to carry him but once i carry him he lets me pet him for a while. Thats a good improvement. He has raisins,apple wood sticks which he only chews the bark of it.. Is that norm? And what oats is good? And what kinda of treats can be given to him more as i wanna use it for his daily training sessions? Thks ppl..
Age of my chin???
- Thread starter Linganne
- Start date
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You can't know, and neither can your vet. The only way to know the age of your chin is by having the pedigree in hand or having the breeder tell you.
You've been told before, I believe, to stop the raisins, but I'll say it again - NO raisins. The apple sticks are fine, and yes they eat the bark. They don't usually eat the entire stick. Old fashioned oats are good, like Quaker oatmeal old fashioned oats.
If you read through the nutrition section, which again I have advised you before, you will find the answers to these questions, specifically the one on safe treats. There are about a bazillion threads on this. If you up to the top of the forum and use the search function you will find lots of answers to your questions.
Safe treats are bite sized, nonsugared shredded wheats, old fashioned oats, dried rosehips, organic rosebuds, the occasional cheerio, and wood chews.
You've been told before, I believe, to stop the raisins, but I'll say it again - NO raisins. The apple sticks are fine, and yes they eat the bark. They don't usually eat the entire stick. Old fashioned oats are good, like Quaker oatmeal old fashioned oats.
If you read through the nutrition section, which again I have advised you before, you will find the answers to these questions, specifically the one on safe treats. There are about a bazillion threads on this. If you up to the top of the forum and use the search function you will find lots of answers to your questions.
Safe treats are bite sized, nonsugared shredded wheats, old fashioned oats, dried rosehips, organic rosebuds, the occasional cheerio, and wood chews.
lauralynne
Chinnie Maid
There isn't a way to tell the age of a chin (not even by a vet).
Chinchillas are crepescular, being most active at dawn and dusk. When you're awake, it is perfectly normal for him to be sleeping. Is he eating/peeing/pooing normally?
Most people will not advocate the use of raisins because of the sugar content. Safe treats are rosehips, old-fashioned oats (not instant), safe wood chews, plain shredded wheat. Every chin is different. I have some who will only chew the bark off of wood, and others who chew like beavers completely through.
Personally, any treat that would have a "calorie count" should be limited, imo. Meaning something that would be considered a food item, and is not pellets or hay.
Chinchillas are crepescular, being most active at dawn and dusk. When you're awake, it is perfectly normal for him to be sleeping. Is he eating/peeing/pooing normally?
Most people will not advocate the use of raisins because of the sugar content. Safe treats are rosehips, old-fashioned oats (not instant), safe wood chews, plain shredded wheat. Every chin is different. I have some who will only chew the bark off of wood, and others who chew like beavers completely through.
Personally, any treat that would have a "calorie count" should be limited, imo. Meaning something that would be considered a food item, and is not pellets or hay.
Tunes- well i rarely give him raisins. And rose hips is totally difficult to find here on singapore compared to where you live. Alot of singaporeans haven even heard of it. Cheerios from my research and asking ppl around not that iam awAre cheerios is diff to find here in singapore esp the non sweetened not the instant ones.
Lauralynne - got it thanks a lot
Lauralynne - got it thanks a lot
RDZCRanch
RavenousDeadlyZombieChins
I've said this in another thread you posted and I will say it again. STOP giving the raisins...period. It doesn't matter if you give them once a week, once a month, once a year or every other day...they can and DO cause bloat. Bloat leads to death or GI stasis and then death. We are telling you not to give raisins because they are NOT a safe treat to give to your chinchilla. The chin WILL die. Their gut is not designed to digest excessive sugars, especially fruits and they don't get fruits in the wild. They evolved to digest grasses...not fruits.
If you can't find a suitable treat in your area for your chinchilla, then don't give treats. They don't need them and it's better for their longevity if they do not get treats regularly. Use wood bites or something of that sort to "train" the chin, though I don't understand what you mean by training sessions. Chinchillas learn more from repetitive behavior than they do from being rewarded with a treat. They aren't dogs.
ETA: You can't tell the age of a chin unless you have the DOB directly from the breeder. Otherwise you can say the chin is an adult or a baby. Vets cannot tell the age of a chinchilla either. I asked my vet to guess on a chin and he said "anywhere from 1 to 12!"
If you can't find a suitable treat in your area for your chinchilla, then don't give treats. They don't need them and it's better for their longevity if they do not get treats regularly. Use wood bites or something of that sort to "train" the chin, though I don't understand what you mean by training sessions. Chinchillas learn more from repetitive behavior than they do from being rewarded with a treat. They aren't dogs.
ETA: You can't tell the age of a chin unless you have the DOB directly from the breeder. Otherwise you can say the chin is an adult or a baby. Vets cannot tell the age of a chinchilla either. I asked my vet to guess on a chin and he said "anywhere from 1 to 12!"
Bostongirl'sChin75
Stephanie: Zoo Poo Gal!
If you are having trouble finding the right treats for his "training sessions" try using a pellet or a piece of wood instead of a food item. I have found that with all of my chins, that anything that comes out of MY hands is considered a treat because they do not have to forage for it themselves. And this makes it a lot simpler to diagnose a problem should one arise. I do, however, feed other treats such as the rose hips and the cheerios, but I switch it up from month to month or every couple of weeks, again making it easier to diagnose any problems with digestive issues. Chins do not necessarily need treats, other than the pellets and the wood. We, as humans, need to give them to make us feel better.
But you really do need to stop the raisins, as there was an article recently posted on here, that said foods high in sugars could lead to cavities in chins teeth. Not to mention the stomach issues they could cause.
Try using a pellet or a piece of wood instead! I am sure your chinny will love it!
But you really do need to stop the raisins, as there was an article recently posted on here, that said foods high in sugars could lead to cavities in chins teeth. Not to mention the stomach issues they could cause.
Try using a pellet or a piece of wood instead! I am sure your chinny will love it!
Linganne - You can order things on line to replace raisins. Giving raisins because there's nothing better is like giving a kid a candy bar because you ran out of broccoli. You know it's not good for them, but you do it anyway?
You need to get in touch with wktam on here. He's an owner/admin of this forum and he lives on Singapore. He can steer you to where you can get good food, hay, and treats. I talked with him in chat yesterday and he said he would be glad to help guide you.
You need to get in touch with wktam on here. He's an owner/admin of this forum and he lives on Singapore. He can steer you to where you can get good food, hay, and treats. I talked with him in chat yesterday and he said he would be glad to help guide you.
Pm him through here. His user name is Wktam.
sheltiefan
Well-known member
Linganne- I don't know if you find these where your from but I buy Hay cubes. They are kinda big and I smash them to small bite size pieces. my chinny loves it
starleomach
Dawnna's Keeper
why smash them? chewing them and breaking them down is great for the chinchillas teeth.
ticklechin
Well-known member
Not only do raisins cause digestive issues, they also cause cavities of the teeth. This will lead to teeth rotting and falling out, then malocclusion can happen.
sheltiefan
Well-known member
I smash them to about the size of a nickle just so i can give her more treats during the day and its good for her. She also has a constant supply of loose hay. She just thinks the smashed cubes are treats
