Kit losing weight

[SRSimpson]

I recently got a new kit and noticed she has been losing weight. When I got her at 8 weeks she was 298g. I weighed her at home a few days ago and it was 228g, I figured it might be a different scale, mine is old and might not be calibrated. Today it was 208g so I know it's going down. She is still acting like a kit, jumping around in her cage. I see her eat hay and have seen her sniff at and eat pellets. Her tail is not curly at the moment like my other chins. She is pooping and peeing normally and her cagemate whom I adopted her with is doing fine.

Any ideas? I am worried about her. As I said she is acting fine, besides the tail being long and flat ( curled sometimes) and the weight loss. I am also giving her supplement I got from the Ryersons.

 

[SRSimpson]

Correction she was 9 weeks when I got her and had been weaned for a week. So from week 8-9 she was being weaned. She is on mazuri pellets, and oxbow Timothy and bottled water as well as a teaspoon of Ryerson supplement a day.

 

[Kansas City Chinchillas]

Her cage mate could be dominating the food bowl. I would put 2 food bowls and 2 water bottles in the cage and see if that helps.

 

[SRSimpson]

Should I call my vet and ask about Oxbow critical care? The exotic vet I use carries it, I checked before when I was researching vets in the area and what they offered for chins.

 

[SRSimpson]

I think I figured it out....I need a new scale. Today it read 258grams. Every day it flucuates. I do not think she lost 28 grams one day then gained 52 grams the next. Each day I have weighted her at the same time, same method.

 

[becky12883]

Critical care is not a supplement for chins that need to gain weight, it's for animals that can't eat on their own. It shouldn't be used unless medically necessary. I would put another food bowl in the cage like Cathy suggested. You might just need new batteries in your scale too. Hopefully it was just a malfunctioning scale and not significant weight loss.

 

[Dreamlite]

How large is your cage? most breeders wean in small cages to encourage growth. If yours is a bit bigger she may be getting more exercise which can explain part of the weight loss. I would put in a 2nd bowl like suggested. Some chins can be very greedy with their food and water. Are you weighing at the same time every day? Weight fluctuates through out the day. Critical care is great to have on hand but its not something to be used for weight gain. Its more of an emergency food type thing. Low batteries can give weird readings so i would check them as well. Has the other kit has gains?