help new to chins,theyre food looks more like bird seed mix

[ode2god]

the old owner said she forgot the name of the food .im afraid to completely change the food but the food she had looked like alot of seeds incl sunflower what should we do?

 

[starleomach]

I would honestly do a cold switch. Pull the food, then for 2 days just hay, lots of hay. then give them lots of hay and a better feed.

 

[alli713]

Many rescues do a cold switch when they get in a new chin that they don't have any of the old food. Like was said, just make sure and provide lots of hay for her to eat and a good new food (like Mazuri or Oxbow which you can find at the pet store)

 

[Millie'sMum]

I am a new owner, and when I rescued my Chin about 3 weeks ago, the HSPCA didn't send any food home with her, so I just picked up Oxbow pellets and also some Oxbow Botanical Hay ( has Timothy hay in it) and distilled water. She never had any problems, regular stool and appetite.

The posts before me probably had similar encounters and know what they are talking about Good luck!

 

[alli713]

I am a new owner, and when I rescued my Chin about 3 weeks ago, the HSPCA didn't send any food home with her, so I just picked up Oxbow pellets and also some Oxbow Botanical Hay ( has Timothy hay in it) and distilled water. She never had any problems, regular stool and appetite.

The posts before me probably had similar encounters and know what they are talking about Good luck!

Just as an fyi, distilled water is not one of the best options for chins. If you're buying water look for water purified by reverse osmosis. Otherwise, you can filter your own water at home using a filter that specifically says it filters out giardia. I believe the PUR ones do this and not Brita. Or you can also boil your water.

 

[Stackie]

Or you can also boil your water.

Not to start up a big water debate but boiling the water actually does not get rid of all the microbial cysts, and it can also concentrate hard metals. ) The other options though are great- I use a PUR 2 stage system which is certified to filter out 99.9% of microbial cysts. I bought a pitcher for around $20, and the filters are replaced every 2 months or so. They run around $8 I believe.

As to the OP- like it has been suggested, I would go ahead and do a cold switch. I received a rescue a couple years ago that actually was being fed bird seed. I switched her straight over to the pellet I was feeding and she did fine.

 

[Isabella Whateva]

Shoot, Brita doesn't filter it out??? Looks like I'm going to have to switch filters

 

[Ash]

I believe the brita faucet filter does, but the pitcher doesn't. I could be wrong, though.

 

[Isabella Whateva]

Crap, you're right!

Brita® Pitchers/Dispensers reduce copper, chlorine (taste and odor) and mercury — all of which may be found in tap water. Brita® Faucet Filtration Systems reduce lead, benzene, TTHMs and microbial cysts.

This is from Brita.com's FAQ
Ugggggh, now I need to figure out a different water situation. I can't believe I was ignorant of this for all this time.

 

[monarch]

http://www.ehow.com/about_5588394_pur-vs_-brita.html


"The Pur filter boasts a 98 to 99 percent ability to filter out lead, where Brita comes in at a rate of 94 percent. Pur reduces chlorine by about 95 percent, over Brita's 91 percent. Additionally, Pur reduces copper, methyl tertiary-butyl ether, and 2-4D among its touted 21 contaminant reduction agents. Brita is only targeted to chlorine, lead, mercury, and benzene.

One of the major downfalls of a Brita filter compared to a Pur water filter, is that only Pur is certified to remove cryptosporidium and giardia from water. This is true whether the filter used is one that is directly attached to the tap or a filtered pitcher. Cryptosporidium and giardia are both considered cysts that pollute water and, when ingested, can make you very sick. Giardia in particular is a stomach ailment that is similar to that of the flu, causing nausea, diarrhea and overall fatigue. "

 

[Isabella Whateva]

Thanks, Monarch! That was really helpful
One thing I noticed on the Pur website (Brita might do the same, I didn't check) was that Pur filters are specially designed NOT to remove fluoride from the water for dental health. Is this a problem for chins?

 

[monarch]

Interesting point.

Actually, I wonder how a filter can specially NOT filter out a specific molecule. How does it know?

 

[Isabella Whateva]

No idea. I guess when they manufacture it they use different methods and then test the water and figure out which way gives the optimal results?
Just guessing though. Totally made that up haha

 

[Chin_Up_Sunshine]

You know, I had just automatically been using my filter pitcher without even thinking about the differences, and this thread made me go check which one I have. Thanks for all the info! I'm glad to know I have been using a chin approved system.

 

[Dusty Foot Prints]

I think the filters work by eliminating a certain particle size of contaminants. I think they usually say things like "removes blah blah blah pp/b or pp/m - parts per billion or parts per million. If I'm remembering correctly.

 

[AZChins]

I agree with the cold switch on the food. The seeds and other junk are not good for the chins at all.

As for water - I just use R/O water for the chins. I've never used the filters here at home because I don't think they would remove the toxic stuff that is in the ground water around here. I have heard that they work pretty well for cleaning up the water but aren't as good as reverse osmosis.

 

[Tennyson]

I have yet to take in a rescue that was being fed a proper feed-and I've done cold switches on every single one-never had a problem Keep an eye on them though, watch for those squishy poops, keep the hay plentiful, and he should be fine.

ETA: Some people pull the food for a day or two and go straight hay-I've done both ways, 2 day wait and same day switch. Haven't ever noticed a difference except perhaps in the chin's willingness to take the new pellet...maybe some others have more advice on that?

 

[Takuraktty]

As everyone else said do a cold switch, make sure to get good quality though like Mazuri, Oxbow, or Tradition. The Ryersons sell Tradition for a great price, pet stores sell cheap food and over charge for it, so if you can't find a feed store nearby I'd go with that. Those would be much healthier. I also noticed you said that the original had sunflower seeds in it, that is bad news. Chins should not have treated included in their feed, only as treats. Putting it in their food bowl can also leave to digging and even some may refuse their pellets if they think you'll refill their bowl with more treats.