My 9 months old male chinchilla is really light weighted. Is this normal?

[Brenny]

Hi, I am seeking help about my newly adopted boy chinchilla. He is almost 9 months old but weighs only 383g. He does eat normally (mainly 1st cut Timothy hay and a small scoop of Mazuri pellets each day). He drinks normally too (I give him boiled water that cooled overnight). I give him dust baths (PUIK Chinchilla Dust Bath) about 2-3 times a week. We live in Singapore. I keep A/C on for him 24/7 so he is in temperature around 21-25 degree C with humidity around 50%-70%. I want to take him for a vet checkup but still need to wait till Singapore's lockdown is over (any recommended Singapore vet is more than welcome). In the main time, any advice for his small size, please?

Some other info about my little guy. He is a violet imported from the Netherlands (as informed by his seller). I adopted him just over a month ago. I noticed he has pearl white teeth just a few days ago and has since fed him a small amount of alfafa (about half a palm-sized amount) mixed in with his Timothy hay. I can feel his ribs and backbones under his skin. He does feel a little skinny to me. However, he is otherwise normal (active enough, eats quite a bit, destroying plenty of chew toys, etc). I've included a few photos of him for reference.

Oh, and he did chew off a little wallpaper, furniture legs, cardboards and plastic stuff during his first few days at my place (he is too quick to prevent!). I have since bought a tent to act as a safe play area. I am in the process of changing all plastic shelves of his cage (metal cool house, shelves and base pan are in the shipping) and blocking off all plastic connectors on his cage. However, in the main time, this little guy does nibble a little on the plastic parts that I cannot fully cover yet. Should I be very worried about these unsafe things that he might have ingested?

Also, any good ideas on how to block out/replace plastic connectors on cages, please? All I can think off is using chew toys to block off these plastic bits for now. Thinking of either using anti-pill fleece or metal sheet/wire for a more permanent solution.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read my post. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Wish you and your chinnies the best of health!

 

[Brenny]

And any suggestions and advice on chinchilla health check procedures, please?

 

[Amethyst]

First, I don't know if you can get the AC to work better but 21-25C is a bit warm, 25 is really too warm especially if the humidity is so high, I try to keep the temp in my room around 20 C year round and 50% or below humidity.

The white teeth is not a good sign, I wouldn't add more then a handful worth of alfalfa a week total though, some chins are predisposed to urinary tract stone, so you have to be careful when adding calcium to the diet. My suggestion would be to see a vet to find out why he has a calcium definancy but I understand you can't right now, so just see how it goes with the added alfalfa. You say he eats his hay, but how much does he eat? Chins should be eating roughly a handful (a pile about the size of the chin) worth of hay everyday, but hay should always be available. Also 1st cut is higher in fiber, but 2nd cut is really considered the best since it's higher protein and more balanced stems to leaves. I understand though if your guy prefers the 1st cut, some chins do. Also how much pellets? You said a small scoop but what is the actual amount? Chins over 6 months should be eating about 2 tb worth a day but if he is skinny I would just give him as much as he will eat. It's good to measure so you know how much he is eating but if the bowl is empty then add more. You only really need to limit the pellets if the chin is not eating their hay or is getting fat. You should be able to slightly feel his ribs but their should be a thin layer of fat on top. He does look small though, do you know what the size of the parents are? Some lines are just bred small, especially pet ones.

For covering up the plastic, I would try fleece if you can, or even a wood board down the front attached to one side so you can still open the doors (if that is the doors) but the chin can't get to the plastic clips.

 

[Brenny]

First, I don't know if you can get the AC to work better but 21-25C is a bit warm, 25 is really too warm especially if the humidity is so high, I try to keep the temp in my room around 20 C year round and 50% or below humidity.

The white teeth is not a good sign, I wouldn't add more then a handful worth of alfalfa a week total though, some chins are predisposed to urinary tract stone, so you have to be careful when adding calcium to the diet. My suggestion would be to see a vet to find out why he has a calcium definancy but I understand you can't right now, so just see how it goes with the added alfalfa. You say he eats his hay, but how much does he eat? Chins should be eating roughly a handful (a pile about the size of the chin) worth of hay everyday, but hay should always be available. Also 1st cut is higher in fiber, but 2nd cut is really considered the best since it's higher protein and more balanced stems to leaves. I understand though if your guy prefers the 1st cut, some chins do. Also how much pellets? You said a small scoop but what is the actual amount? Chins over 6 months should be eating about 2 tb worth a day but if he is skinny I would just give him as much as he will eat. It's good to measure so you know how much he is eating but if the bowl is empty then add more. You only really need to limit the pellets if the chin is not eating their hay or is getting fat. You should be able to slightly feel his ribs but their should be a thin layer of fat on top. He does look small though, do you know what the size of the parents are? Some lines are just bred small, especially pet ones.

For covering up the plastic, I would try fleece if you can, or even a wood board down the front attached to one side so you can still open the doors (if that is the doors) but the chin can't get to the plastic clips.

Thank you very much for your reply. Very informative.
I will keep the A/C to a lower temperature for him.

For his hay, I was informed by his seller that 1st cut is the best due to the stems are better for grinding his back molars. I don't think my little guy specifically prefers 1st cut. I will try second cut Timothy for him. I top up his hay rack whenever it is running low during the day and discard all hay by the evening to top up fresh ones. I cannot estimate how much hay he is eating. He throws a lot of his hay around the floor and makes it difficult to judge how much actually got eaten. However, I do see him munching on hay quite often.

For pellets, I give him about 2tb of pellets as instructed by his seller. I will add more for him now.

I do not know how big his parents are. His seller seems to have no idea either. I don't mind he is a mini size chin as long as he is healthy and happy. Hopefully, I can make him grow better in the coming days.

Is there a specifically good way to hold a chinchilla (who struggles a lot and doesn't like to be held) to examine him? I tried burrito-style once but he really kicks all the way through and I am really afraid to hurt him.

Also, is x-ray recommended as part of the annual health check? I got him booked at a vet after lockdown is lifted. However, they don't offer x-ray unless the vet thinks it is necessary. Any suggestions on health check procedures, please?

Thank you and take care.

 

[Amethyst]

Well at 9 months he could still grow a bit more, they grow until about a year and 400g is the low end for normal for an adult (most pet chins are 400-800g), also if he is skinny he's not at his proper weight yet. People have different opinions on when to go from unlimited pellets for kits to measured amounts, some say 6 months, but I see no problem with continuing to a year since they are still growing. Also the 2 tb is just the average amount an adult should eat, some eat more some a bit less, and it's best to figure out how much your chin eats so you don't have the pellets sitting out for days. I do agree the 1st cut is higher in fiber and tougher, so better for wearing down teeth, but the 2nd cut is more nutrient balanced and still has crunchy stocks, you could mix the 1st and 2nd cut together. Most bigger companies, like Oxbow for example, don't even list what cut the hay is, it's a mix of what is available.

Most chins don't like to be held, it's just a fact about chins, it triggers their fight or flight response since being held in the wild means being caught and eaten. Most do learn to tolerate it, but it takes time, generally months to years, just slowly work with him each day to convince him you aren't going to eat him. Also you said you have only had him a little over a month, it can take a chin a month to settle in and feel at home with all the new home, people (an animals if you have any around), sights, sounds, and smells. One good way it so open the cage and just let him come to you and climb on your arms while still in the cage. If he is more of an escape artist though take him to a chin proofed area to play and just watch him and let him explore and come to you when he feels comfortable. One thing I just heard about someone doing is using a small tent in there living room to sit inside with the chin, it keeps them contained (they can't jump out like in most play pens) and also near you so they have to interact with you and get use to you.

Having x-rays done is not recommended unless there is a reason, most chins need to be put under or at least sedated for x-rays and that comes with risks. Normal things to have checked are the heart (check for murmurs or unusual heartbeat), lungs (make sure they sound clear), eyes, ears, feet, weight, check the teeth and at most have them scope the mouth to check the molars (don't force it though especially if there is no obvious issues), make sure the poop looks good, stuff like that.

 

[Brenny]

Well at 9 months he could still grow a bit more, they grow until about a year and 400g is the low end for normal for an adult (most pet chins are 400-800g), also if he is skinny he's not at his proper weight yet. People have different opinions on when to go from unlimited pellets for kits to measured amounts, some say 6 months, but I see no problem with continuing to a year since they are still growing. Also the 2 tb is just the average amount an adult should eat, some eat more some a bit less, and it's best to figure out how much your chin eats so you don't have the pellets sitting out for days. I do agree the 1st cut is higher in fiber and tougher, so better for wearing down teeth, but the 2nd cut is more nutrient balanced and still has crunchy stocks, you could mix the 1st and 2nd cut together. Most bigger companies, like Oxbow for example, don't even list what cut the hay is, it's a mix of what is available.

Most chins don't like to be held, it's just a fact about chins, it triggers their fight or flight response since being held in the wild means being caught and eaten. Most do learn to tolerate it, but it takes time, generally months to years, just slowly work with him each day to convince him you aren't going to eat him. Also you said you have only had him a little over a month, it can take a chin a month to settle in and feel at home with all the new home, people (an animals if you have any around), sights, sounds, and smells. One good way it so open the cage and just let him come to you and climb on your arms while still in the cage. If he is more of an escape artist though take him to a chin proofed area to play and just watch him and let him explore and come to you when he feels comfortable. One thing I just heard about someone doing is using a small tent in there living room to sit inside with the chin, it keeps them contained (they can't jump out like in most play pens) and also near you so they have to interact with you and get use to you.

Having x-rays done is not recommended unless there is a reason, most chins need to be put under or at least sedated for x-rays and that comes with risks. Normal things to have checked are the heart (check for murmurs or unusual heartbeat), lungs (make sure they sound clear), eyes, ears, feet, weight, check the teeth and at most have them scope the mouth to check the molars (don't force it though especially if there is no obvious issues), make sure the poop looks good, stuff like that.

Thank you again, Amethyst

I do have a play tent like the one you mentioned. But my little guy seems to dislike it compare to running wild in my living room. I guess it's a trade-off for his happily-running-wild and his safety.

I kept a close eye on his hay intake today and found him eating not too much hay (estimated less than half of his body size). Is there a way I can encourage him to eat more hay?

 

[Amethyst]

Well if he is still just getting the 1st cut he may not actually like it, some chins do but the stocks aren't as flavorful as the leaves, so I would start by getting some 2nd cut hay. As I said before you can try mixing the 2nd cut in if you want to still get the benefit of more grinding. Chins can also be annoyingly picky about the hay they like, you may have to try different brands. Although for the most part timothy hay is the same nutritionally regardless of brand it can vary in nutrients and flavor from harvest to harvest as well as field to field and even from one side of the field to the other depending on the soil conditions. You can also try mixing in some other kinds of grass hay to see if that makes it more interesting. Orchard grass hay for example is a popular one it's softer and sweeter then the timothy, and meadow grass is apparently more flavorful and softer then timothy, both can be fed daily. You can also mix in some other kinds like oat hay, but limit it to about a handful a week since it's higher in phosphorous and can be gassy. Chins wouldn't just be eating the same grass everyday in the wild so it makes sense they would enjoy a variety more. In addition to the loos hay I also give my guys hay cubes every couple weeks (they are alfalfa mix ones that is why I limit them), as well as I occasionally buy the compressed hay stacks, just to make the hay more entertaining.

 

[Brenny]

Well if he is still just getting the 1st cut he may not actually like it, some chins do but the stocks aren't as flavorful as the leaves, so I would start by getting some 2nd cut hay. As I said before you can try mixing the 2nd cut in if you want to still get the benefit of more grinding. Chins can also be annoyingly picky about the hay they like, you may have to try different brands. Although for the most part timothy hay is the same nutritionally regardless of brand it can vary in nutrients and flavor from harvest to harvest as well as field to field and even from one side of the field to the other depending on the soil conditions. You can also try mixing in some other kinds of grass hay to see if that makes it more interesting. Orchard grass hay for example is a popular one it's softer and sweeter then the timothy, and meadow grass is apparently more flavorful and softer then timothy, both can be fed daily. You can also mix in some other kinds like oat hay, but limit it to about a handful a week since it's higher in phosphorous and can be gassy. Chins wouldn't just be eating the same grass everyday in the wild so it makes sense they would enjoy a variety more. In addition to the loos hay I also give my guys hay cubes every couple weeks (they are alfalfa mix ones that is why I limit them), as well as I occasionally buy the compressed hay stacks, just to make the hay more entertaining.

Thank you Amethyst I will go find some other hay (fingers crossed I can find them now!) and hope the little guy will enjoy munching more. My little guy seems pretty active and normal at the moment. Thank you for all the valuable advice. Really calmed my nerves before I can get him to see a vet.