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[NOLA Chins]

We are talking about continuing the pellet they are on - Cavy Cuisine - while transitioning to a chin pellet. Some had problems finding Cavy Cuisine and therefore the mention of Bunny Basics-T which is a good quality rabbut pellet. We kind of figured out the hay part.

 

[RDZCRanch]

Why were they on a cavy pellet to begin with? There are plenty of good feeds for chins that don't have an exorbitant amount of vitamin C. This could be the reason a few of them died at the facility with digestive issues as was mentioned by someone in another thread.

Please follow Becky's advice for feeds. No one adopted a guinea pig to my knowledge...everyone got chins so for goodness sake use a chin feed!

 

[Becky]

I would not transition. I would probably switch to only timothy hay for a couple of days and then start them on a decent feed. It would not be Bunny Basic-T.

I usually transition feed, but in this case I would get them off of that feed ASAP. If that feed caused the deaths it did (you said the deaths that happened were feed related), why use it for even one more day?

 

[NOLA Chins]

The deaths were caused by a diet of apples and carrots which were, of course, then feed related.

 

[mishellyshel]

I started mixing in my PRSC and they actually pick all that out and eat it! leaving behind much of the oxbow cavy stuff. i am still going to transition since they have been thru so much.
i am happy they are liking the PRSC though. poops are looking pretty good too.

 

[Becky]

I've jut been told that the chins were fed fruits and veggies (yikes!) which contributed to the deaths.

I would still not transition feed. When chins come in that have been on a feed that i either crap or not appropriate, I don't transition.

 

[RDZCRanch]

That still doesn't answer why they were on cavy feed to begin with...?

I also wouldn't transition...cavy feed is not chin feed...I would hay them like Becky said and then cold turkey switch the feed. Once on a good pellet with the hay for roughage they should not have lasting dietary problems. Just make sure you have your medical kits stocked with gas drops(should already be in there ). Good luck to everyone who got chins and don't forget to keep posting pictures!

 

[Claire D]

The deaths were caused by a diet of apples and carrots which were, of course, then feed related.

This is very concerning - people with these chins are supposed to listen to the vets who have been involved with them & yet the chins were (presumably under vet supervision) fed a GP type diet including fruit/veg?

 

[mishellyshel]

Claire--this happened at the SPCA facility the first couple days they were there. I dont believe the vet was even on site yet. None of the ones that were recently transported were fed fruit or veggies.

 

[Claire D]

Claire--this happened at the SPCA facility the first couple days they were there. I dont believe the vet was even on site yet.

Ok thank you for clarifying that.

However, I have just found the page on chinchillas written by the vet concerned (Dr Brown) which clearly states that:

Dried fruit and nuts are excellent treats for the pet chinchilla. Raisins tend to be a favorite treat among these animals. Fresh carrots and green vegetables can also be provided but in moderation

It also suggests cavy food so am not convinced that fruit & veg were included by mistake since they are recommended on that page.

 

[mishellyshel]

I am also not sure why they were put on the cavy cusine, i believe i remember reading that they were not eating any hay at all so they wanted them to get some timothy into them which is what the cavy cusine is made up of. and since they started on that they didnt want to switch them off. i think!
i also think i read that the vet they were dealing with told rick to have eveyone transition them from the timothy rich diet to the alfalfa based one slowly as it would affect their GI tract and we all would possibly deal with stomach issues.

personally i am sure there were worse transitions in history of much more poorly treated chins. these guys are in wonderful condition. very alert and clean and pretty socialized.
however; from my own personal human experience, i would not want to have been eating cookies and cakes and then boom cold turkey switch to salad and fish.
i am going to transition them quickly because they are now getting lots of timmy hay and do not need to be on GP diet but i also dont want to irritate their stomache.
there are too many mixed opinions on this, so i am going to combine them all and do it that way.