Food switch

[CJR]

Hey everyone.

My chinchilla came with a bucket of food, which she was quite happy with. A few weeks ago I learned that it was full of bugs and had to pitch it. I asked her owners what the food was, and they did not know. So I bought Mazuri pellets and hoped for the best.

Well, she didn't like them very much. She'd eat about a third of them nightly. I tried making a sachet of Essentia's flower salad and putting it in her food to let the pellets "marinate" in the smell.

It has been a week or so and she still won't really eat the pellets. I don't know what to do... she's not eating very well, and she has reduced the amount of hay she eats nightly. It's very concerning, and she has lost about 40g.

What should I do?

 

[Parkerspetchins]

I would try another brand of pellets and hay. Chinchillas are very picky sometimes. I wanted mine to love Oxbow because I know it is a really good feed but of course they would not touch it lol. Perhaps someone who feeds it could ship you some to try to be sure she will eat it before you attempt another switch. I feed the Purina Rabbit Chow Show and would be happy to send you a sample if you want to try it.

 

[Ash]

Just be sure that it has nothing to do with pain from her healing hip that has decreased her appetite. Is she still getting the metacam? You may need to start supplementing her diet with CC and/or Lifeline to keep her weight up and increase her appetite.

 

[CJR]

Before I switched her food, she was eating heartily - chowing down on all of her pellets and hay every night. She is still on the metacam, one-tenth of a mL once a day (or alternatively, one-twentieth of a mL twice a day) and doesn't show any signs of pain anymore. She just races around in her cage all the time... I guess I can try getting her a different food, but I don't think she'll like that any better. ; I can try though...

 

[mishellyshel]

I'm with JM, some chins are very picky and i TOO wanted them to like the Oxbow!! Wouldnt touch it...........I finally got them all on the PANR and then Purina switched it but they are all on the PRSC (purina rabbit show chow). at first it was slow going, but now they seem to have accepted that if they dont eat that, they pretty much wont eat!
ash--i also use an herbal mix (one i made myself) and i put a pinch on my one guys food cause he is a PITA. The rest of them understand their food bowl.

 

[CJR]

This is going to sound insane... but I came home yesterday... and she had eaten all of her pellets. I guess she gave up protesting? We'll see if she eats them tonight also...

 

[CJR]

Well she has on days and off days with Mazuri, so I ordered some PANR. Last night I mixed 3 parts Mazuri with 1 part PANR... I woke up this morning and ALL the PANR is gone, but about half of the Mazuri is still there!

So I guess I know what her verdict is!

 

[mishellyshel]

it also could be that it is new, so dont be surprised if she starts pulling her little princess shenanigans again with the PANR. but hopefully she wont!!