Anna
I love my FurBlobs.
Hey all, I have a 5 month old chin and he is very active and friendly and eats alfalfa pellets normally. Is it normal for a young chin to be thin? What could be up?
Thanks!
Thanks!
my young chinchilla is thin!
- Thread starter Anna
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AZChins
Pro Cage Cleaner Champion
It could be just because she is so young. Sometimes they are a little thin because they haven't filled out yet or they are just very active and work every extra calorie off. Of course, sometimes it's just genetic and the chin is just naturally thinner. Some chins have a different shape completely and look thin.
If her droppings are normal and she's eating normally and she doesn't seem to be drinking an excessive amount of water, she's probably fine. Can you feel ribs easily, does she look humpy or bony at all? (I'm sure that you will say no to that, I just had to ask.)
If her droppings are normal and she's eating normally and she doesn't seem to be drinking an excessive amount of water, she's probably fine. Can you feel ribs easily, does she look humpy or bony at all? (I'm sure that you will say no to that, I just had to ask.)
R
Rickman
Guest
Don't know what feed you're using, but when I switched from Mazuri to PANR, my whole herd put on 10-15%! When adding LifeLine as a supplement, seems they put on a little more, too.
Worked for me!
Worked for me!
cintistatern2005
Well-known member
How much does he weigh?
cintistatern2005
Well-known member
What does drinking an excessive amt of water mean?
AZChins
Pro Cage Cleaner Champion
The chin could have diabetes or a problem with the metabolism.
cintistatern2005
Well-known member
How many oz a day should they drink?
InkedupTara
Do the chinny shuffle!
Anna, i would get a scale (digital works best, for me) and weigh her every so often just to get a good idea of her weight and keep a chart of it. So you can make sure she is gaining and healthy weights are maintained.
I keep a little notebook of all my chins weights. I weigh them every 3-4 weeks and try to keep the time you weigh them close. I weigh at night after they have gotten up and went to the bathroom and have played a bit.
I keep a little notebook of all my chins weights. I weigh them every 3-4 weeks and try to keep the time you weigh them close. I weigh at night after they have gotten up and went to the bathroom and have played a bit.
AZChins
Pro Cage Cleaner Champion
Chins should probably be drinking maybe 1 to 4 ounces a day. It gets excessive when you notice that they drink and drink and drink. You can also see it because the waterbottle isn't leaking but after a day the level is way down and the bedding is absolutely soaked. The kidneys are producing a lot of urine because the chin is drinking so much. There are times where I young chin will just drink a lot because he can...but that doesn't go on for too long and they don't drink as much after a few days. That seems to happen more with young males for some reason. 
I agree with the weighings. The chin may look thin but steadily be gaining weight, just keep an eye on it every few weeks.
I agree with the weighings. The chin may look thin but steadily be gaining weight, just keep an eye on it every few weeks.
cintistatern2005
Well-known member
Yea my boy drinks aprox 4 ounces a day. He has an 8 ounce water bottle and i fill it every other day, which seems like alot.
BTW...sorry anna for posting my questions to your thread.
BTW...sorry anna for posting my questions to your thread.
What feed are you using.Also are you feeding hay,if so timothy or alfalfa?I would keep it simple,good hay,feed,and water.I use manna pro sho rabbit and the babies seem to do well on it.Was your animal a single or had littermates.Quite often if they come from a litter of two or more they sometimes tend to be smaller.But after being weaned and have their own cage,they gained size and weight.Just watch that it continues to eat,and has normal droppings.
Anna
I love my FurBlobs.
hey guys, thank you so much for your input. Furby is INCREDIBLY active and eats a lot. He also has one of those large hamster wheel things in his cage that he uses a whole lot. He has definitely gained weight since I got him at 3 months. I don't actually have a scale in my house, but it seems it would be a good thing to look into. I'm just wondering because my housemate got a chin about the same age who is now a lot huskier. I just switched to PANR, Rickman so we'll see what happens! AZChins, I can feel his ribs, but again, not as much as I could when I first got him. how can I find out for sure whether or not he has diabetes...the vet, I presume? He drinks a good amount of water, I fill his bottle up pretty frequently.
Thanks Again!
Thanks Again!
AZChins
Pro Cage Cleaner Champion
He probably doesn't have anything wrong with him. You could go get a blood test done and see what the vet thinks...but they probably won't find anything at all. If he was chugging a large amount of water, you'd know by now...you would notice right off.
Do you have a picture of him? I bet that he's just a young hyper chinnie and he'll fill out later on. I have that happen with almost all the young chins here!
Don't worry, as long as he's eating, he's active and he's growing, you're good. This little chin is going to grow more in the next two months than he ever has or will again! Unless his droppings get weird or something, I don't think you need to go to the vet.
Do you have a picture of him? I bet that he's just a young hyper chinnie and he'll fill out later on. I have that happen with almost all the young chins here!
Don't worry, as long as he's eating, he's active and he's growing, you're good. This little chin is going to grow more in the next two months than he ever has or will again! Unless his droppings get weird or something, I don't think you need to go to the vet.
Whimsy
Well-known member
Since he's a young chin, it may be that he's going through the long and lanky stage of growing. *forgive me for not searching out the actual age*
There is a point where growers simply look a bit gawky. Perhaps that's what is up with your little one.
Other than that, I'd like to know how to fatten up some skinny chinnies too. I have a few myself that are much more "athletic looking" than I like.
There is a point where growers simply look a bit gawky. Perhaps that's what is up with your little one.
Other than that, I'd like to know how to fatten up some skinny chinnies too. I have a few myself that are much more "athletic looking" than I like.
AZChins
Pro Cage Cleaner Champion
They fatten up on their own! You are definitely right. Some chins go through a stage where they are just lanky and skinny and out of proportion. It happens here. Sometimes I find them new homes and then see them a year later and they are spectacular. Then I think that I should have kept them!
You are definitely right. Some chins go through a stage where they are just lanky and skinny and out of proportion. It happens here. Sometimes I find them new homes and then see them a year later and they are spectacular. Then I think that I should have kept them!
R
Rickman
Guest
Remove the wheel for about a month - I've a male here that'll run himself to nothing if I leave it in, as he seems to stay on it 24-7!
Without it he'll gain 50 grams in the first week! But the looks I get-------!
Without it he'll gain 50 grams in the first week! But the looks I get-------!
Weighing would be the only way to really monitor his weight.
If he seems active and healthy, I wouldn't worry about fattening him up. I was worried when I first got Sesame (around 6 months) and she was pretty small/adolescent lookin'. Now, she's 2 years old and has plumped up a bit. She's round and complete with "man ****s." Now, I sort of worry about her being too too round, but everything's been pretty consistent so far.
I wouldn't take out the wheel for now. Sesame had access to her wheel (fave toy) the entire time and it didn't impede her growth. The wheel provides great entertainment for them. If the chin is losing weight drastically and consistently, then the wheel should be taken out.
If he seems active and healthy, I wouldn't worry about fattening him up. I was worried when I first got Sesame (around 6 months) and she was pretty small/adolescent lookin'. Now, she's 2 years old and has plumped up a bit. She's round and complete with "man ****s." Now, I sort of worry about her being too too round, but everything's been pretty consistent so far.
I wouldn't take out the wheel for now. Sesame had access to her wheel (fave toy) the entire time and it didn't impede her growth. The wheel provides great entertainment for them. If the chin is losing weight drastically and consistently, then the wheel should be taken out.
