She won't eat hay

[x_Lauren_x]

My chin doesn't eat any of her hay. All she does with it is pee on itwe
What should I do?

She has been losing some weight and I don't know why. I'm worried she us under weight. She currently weighs 370 grams.
Advice?

My chin barks at us . She does it when we take her out if her cage and even when we just stroke her lightly.
Shield I be worried?

 

[Amethyst]

You can try a different kind of hay, sometimes they don't like the kind you bought or if she was eating it before and stopped make sure to check the hay hasn't gone moldy or stale (should smell sweet not moldy or dusty). Although all timothy hay is pretty much the same it can vary from brand to brand or even harvest to harvest of the same brand. So some chins can be picky about brand, as well as hay type, if the hay you are feeding is still ok you can try mixing in a bit of something else like orchard or meadow hay.

As I mentioned in your other post though the weight loss is not a good sign, I would see if you can find a way to get the chin to the vet. Not eating hay (if she did before but has stopped) and losing weight can both be signs of a tooth problem. Things like tooth spurs, sores, something caught in the teeth, or over grown molars can all cause the chin to not eat enough and be unwilling or unable to eat hay.

 

[rodneyc8063]

Not sure if you want to give a try either, but in lieu of Timothy hay, Oxbow tends to have a variety of other hays.

My chin is currently not feeling well, and we have been mixing in a bit of alfafa hay with her timothy hay to get her to eat more. Alfafa hay she seems to really love, though its meant for kits more and not adults. So i been trying to use it sparingly, but I figure some hay is better then no hay.

So you can definitely try a different hay type.

Though the weight loss is never a good sign and can be concerning

 

[WWPH]

Hey, good that i come across this situation. Few points...

Hay

1. Switch the hay if chin didn't like it. There is Alfafa (for growing chin), Meadow, Timothy, Orchard...
2. Always apply a cheap double plastic food seal on hay bag to keep hay freshness. (*Applies especially for locations on high humidity)
3. Check for holes on bag, if there holes I will sticky tape on it, double bag it, or use new bag. Keeps hay freshness this way. (*Applies especially for locations on high humidity)
4. Hay not ate will not be left out more then 3-4 days. Make it habit to refresh the hay.
5. Gauge how much chin is eating so as to only serve require amount of hay at any one time. The point is to refresh it every two days or once a day. You want to keep hays supply as fresh possible. Your chin will appreciate it.
6. Check recommended date of expiry as suggested by seller/ manufacturer.
7. If hay contaminated by pee, change it. Wash the serving tray as well

*On the funny side maybe it is the chin's way telling owner time to refresh her hay??*

Well that all hay tips I got now. What about pallets? What brand are you feeding and is it going well? Weight issue you need look at the entire diet.

Pallets

1. I go for mix brands. Each refill I pour in a different brand/ manufacturer. This way my chin do not miss out other important vitamins and the chin gets good variety.
2. Do not stick to only a certain pallet chin should get tired of eating the same thing every single day.
3. Put in a mix of snacks once in a while. I find this keeps chins interested in his food bowl. And coming back for more 'surprises'.
4. When I say chin snacks I mean those sold in pet store that is made for Chinchillas.... =)

*On the funny side my chin always pull out the pallet bowl when it is time for refill. This is sure gets owner attention!!*

Others

Get apple sticks or bite toys for your chin as a chew toy and to work down their tooth. Rodents tend to have tooth issue, it keeps growing and they constantly have to chew.​

​

Let us know after this as well.​

 

[Amethyst]

Hey, good that i come across this situation. Few points...

Hay

1. Switch the hay if chin didn't like it. There is Alfafa, Meadow, Timothy, Orchard
2. Always apply a cheap double plastic food seal on hay bag to keep hay freshness.
3. Check for holes on bag, if there holes I will sticky tape on it, double bag it, or use new bag. Keeps hay freshness this way.
4. Hay not ate will not be left out more then 3-4 days. Make it habit to refresh the hay.
5. Gauge how much chin is eating so as to only serve require amount of hay at any one time. The point is to refresh it every two days or once a day. You want to keep hays supply as fresh possible. Your chin will appreciate it.
6. If hay contaminated by pee, change it. Wash the serving tray as well

*On the funny side maybe it is the chin's way telling owner time to refresh her hay??*

Well that all hay tips I got now. What about pallets? What brand are you feeding and is it going well? Weight issue you need look at the entire diet.

Pallets

1. I go for mix brands. Each refill I pour in a different brand/ manufacturer. This way my chin do not miss out other important vitamins and the chin gets good variety.
2. Do not stick to only a certain pallet chin should get tired of eating the same thing every single day.
3. Put in a mix of snacks once in a while. I find this keeps chins interested in his food bowl. And coming back for more 'surprises'.
4. When I say chin snacks I mean those sold in pet store that is made for Chinchillas.... =)

*On the funny side my chin always pull out the pallet bowl when it is time for refill. This is sure gets owner attention!!*

Others

Get apple sticks or bite toys for your chin as a chew toy and to work down their tooth. Rodents tend to have tooth issue, it keeps growing and they constantly have to chew.​

​

Let us know after this as well.​

Unfortunately several of the things you suggest are not very good. You don't want to feed an adult alfalfa, unless you are feeding a timothy based pellet. They don't need the extra calcium and it can lead to urinary tract stones in some chins. It can be used as a treat though, about a handful or hay cube a week. Other grass hays can be used instead though.

You do not want to seal up the hay, hay needs air and most bags actually come with holes in them for that purpose. If the bag is plastic and sealed up the hay can get moldy. A better option would be to put the hay in a cardboard box with holes punched in it, it will keep the hay out of the light, allow it to get air, and help avoid getting moldy. You can also keep the hay in the plastic bag it came in but leave the top open.

I don't know of any mix pellet diets that are good to feed chins, they all contain fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, or other inappropriate things for chins. Chins do love them it's like getting a bowl of junk food for your meals, but just like eating just junk food all the time it can cause a whole list of health issue and shorten your chin's life. Also mixing treats (even safe treats) in the food tends to make chins picky and only eat the treats and not the actual pellets. You also don't want to be switching between pellet brands unless you have to either, it can upset their stomach. If you need to switch pellets for some reason it's best to go slowly and do so over a few weeks to avoid digestive problems. Chins do not get tired of eating the same pellets or the same hay, if they stop eating it is because there is an issue, either something is wrong with the pellets or hay or something is wrong with the chin.

For variety you can give chins safe treats, but limit them to just a couple times a week. Most pet store treats also have the same problem, most are made with inappropriate ingredients that are not safe for chins, annoyingly yes even the ones that have a pic of a chin on it or say "for chinchillas" on it. Chins should not have any fruits (fresh or dried), veggies (fresh or dried), seeds, nuts, sugars (they can have a small amount but most pellets already contain sugar), or animal products (meat, dairy, eggs, bones, hide, etc). Safe treats include things like rose hips, rose buds and petals, a cheerio, a bite size shredded wheat, dried raspberry leaves, dried mint leaves, dried dandelion, dried purple/red clover, and a pinch of slow cook oats to name a few.

 

[WWPH]

Unfortunately several of the things you suggest are not very good. You don't want to feed an adult alfalfa, unless you are feeding a timothy based pellet. They don't need the extra calcium and it can lead to urinary tract stones in some chins. It can be used as a treat though, about a handful or hay cube a week. Other grass hays can be used instead though.

You do not want to seal up the hay, hay needs air and most bags actually come with holes in them for that purpose. If the bag is plastic and sealed up the hay can get moldy. A better option would be to put the hay in a cardboard box with holes punched in it, it will keep the hay out of the light, allow it to get air, and help avoid getting moldy. You can also keep the hay in the plastic bag it came in but leave the top open.

I don't know of any mix pellet diets that are good to feed chins, they all contain fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, or other inappropriate things for chins. Chins do love them it's like getting a bowl of junk food for your meals, but just like eating just junk food all the time it can cause a whole list of health issue and shorten your chin's life. Also mixing treats (even safe treats) in the food tends to make chins picky and only eat the treats and not the actual pellets. You also don't want to be switching between pellet brands unless you have to either, it can upset their stomach. If you need to switch pellets for some reason it's best to go slowly and do so over a few weeks to avoid digestive problems. Chins do not get tired of eating the same pellets or the same hay, if they stop eating it is because there is an issue, either something is wrong with the pellets or hay or something is wrong with the chin.

For variety you can give chins safe treats, but limit them to just a couple times a week. Most pet store treats also have the same problem, most are made with inappropriate ingredients that are not safe for chins, annoyingly yes even the ones that have a pic of a chin on it or say "for chinchillas" on it. Chins should not have any fruits (fresh or dried), veggies (fresh or dried), seeds, nuts, sugars (they can have a small amount but most pellets already contain sugar), or animal products (meat, dairy, eggs, bones, hide, etc). Safe treats include things like rose hips, rose buds and petals, a cheerio, a bite size shredded wheat, dried raspberry leaves, dried mint leaves, dried dandelion, dried purple/red clover, and a pinch of slow cook oats to name a few.

Have to disagree:

Hay left with open holes they lose their smell and lose their freshness. Your chins won't want them once the freshness is gone and lost. Have you seen how fresh hay look and smell compared to their older batch? Notice their color and smells are quite different. And guess which do the chin picks? Still 5 hay types were suggested? There were no other info of her chin age except chin is not eating hay. Therefore not advocating for alfalfa specifically? Some reason my chin do not like Orchard hay, but he takes Timothy hay well. The one my chin likes is 1st cut timothy hay. That one went well with him. It is also more economical compared to Oxbow brand.

For pallet, well if you don't feed pallet then what do you feed the chins? How old is your chin may I ask? A mix up does not mean complete switch. It is not a A brand switch into B brand. That is not a mix up... Also from a mix up you learn what the chin likes or not like, so you can consider buying more or less of a certain brand or particular manufacture.

Well if you have to say those marketed for chinchillas are not for chinchillas, then perhaps you are a hard to please customer? Maybe try marketing your own brand of chin food and let critics tell you they are not for chin food?

Blah blah blah, long story short, for commercial products they are likely tested with chins that the chins like them before released to mass market? With very low exceptions of otherwise. Example I once returned a treat to stall but it is just that once. My chin is 8 years old now and is healthy

Actually if the chin is losing weight, not eating, if you don't want to adjust the diet, it is perhaps prudent to take it to a vet visit. When was last time this chin gets seen by a vet, and is this weight lost issue brought up? There could be underlining issues that us as owners can't see with the naked eye. The chin will keep it in until it is too late when serious problem is discovered. By then it could really be too late to say or do anything.

I am a close follower of the squirrel board forum. Thing about rodents is being a prey animal, they tend to keep a tough outlook and not show a weakness or a health problem. Hence whenever a perceivable problem is being identified, for example in the behavior of a chinchilla, be it becoming less active, less playful, drink or eat less. You need to be on a alert. I would go as far as refreshing the whole setup. Sanitizing piece by piece on any non wood pieces, scrubbing the frame, bedding change, and just basically do a reset to chin environment. This at least makes sure it is not a environment problem. From there on if the condition persist I recommend taking chin to see a vet.

 

[WWPH]

Try my way.

My chin doesn't want to eat his hays either.

Once i practice these and keeps hay sealed for freshness. By protecting the bag with food seals, and keeping the 'fresh cut' smell in tact. My chin now eats up his hay faster. Within 3 days i have to do hay refill. Because using this method the hay got ate up.

I am speaking from practice and from experience - Once the hay lose its freshness and color, you can put in a lot of it, just the chin won't eat it.

 

[Chinmama]

My chinchilla is very picky about his hay. He likes the stalky, stemmy pieces. If it’s short, leafy pieces he just throws it all over his cage. He also will not eat most bagged hays from the pet store. Most recently I’ve been getting Rabbit Hole hay from Chewy and he likes that. He prefers the first cut Timmy. Of course, the next time I order he may hate it and refuse to eat it. Unfortunately it’s an expensive game of finding what they like and feeding that while they’ll eat it.

I buy a box of hay and then store it in the box with the top open for air flow.

is your chinchilla eating her pellets? How old is she? She sounds very small for an adult.

 

[Amethyst]

Have to disagree:
Hay left with open holes they lose their smell and lose their freshness. Your chins won't want them once the freshness is gone and lost. Have you seen how fresh hay look and smell compared to their older batch? Notice their color and smells are quite different. And guess which do the chin picks?

Still on hays 5 hays were suggested. Plus there is no info of her chin age mentioned except from fact her chin is not eating on hay. We do not specially advocate for alfafas.

For pallet, well if you don't feed pallet then what do you feed the chins? How old is your chin may I ask? A mix up does not mean complete switch. It is not a A brand switch into B brand. That is not a mix up... Also from a mix up you learn what the chin likes or not like, so you can consider buying more or less of a certain brand or particular manufacture.

Well if you have to say those marketed for chinchillas are not for chinchillas, then perhaps you are a hard to please customer? Maybe try marketing your own brand of chin food and let critics tell you they are not for chin food?

Blah blah blah, long story short, for commercial products they are likely tested with chins that the chins like them before released to mass market? With very low exceptions of otherwise.

Example I once returned a treat to stall but it is just that once. My chin is 8 years old now and is healthy

Maybe you live somewhere that you can keep your hay in completely perfect temp and very low humidity, but most places if you keep the hay in a bag it gets moldy since hay still contains some moisture, otherwise it would crumble to dust. That is why on farms you don't see hay in sealed bags, it's baled and stacked in barns where it stays dry, with good air flow, and in the dark. Hay is good for up to 3 years after harvest, and that is sitting in a barn not sealed in an air tight bag. If it takes you longer then 3 years go through hay then you should buy smaller amounts. I buy most of my hay, but also grow some of my own and never put it in a sealed bag ever. I have some from last year that is still sitting in a box and my guys still go nuts for it and prefer it over a brand new bag of store bought hay that comes in a sealed plastic bag.

I don't feed pallets but I do feed pellets, I feed the oxbow essentials food, some other good quality foods are Mazuri and Science Select. Maybe I am misunderstanding you you are just mixing different brands of pellet only foods? I thought by "mix" you mean thing with the little bits of junk food (fruit, veggies, nuts, seeds, etc) mixed in, those are what I am saying are inappropriate for chinchillas. Of course chins like them but just because they like them doesn't mean they are healthy, most kids like McDonald's, does that mean they can eat that every meal and live a long healthy life? Most companies don't actually research proper chinchilla diet, yes they look at what chins will eat, but mostly are going off old info for chins, are looking at rodents in general, or even lump chins with rabbit and guinea pigs when looking at diet since they are similar and there is more info available on them. I guess maybe I'm hard to please, because I'd rather my chins live a long healthy life rather then have them die from preventable things at a young age. Fruits are too high in sugar and can lead to diabetes, obesity, liver and kidney failure, tooth decay, among other things. Vegetables are also high in natural sugar and can also lead to gas, bloat, and diarrhea. Seeds and nuts are both high in fats which can cause obesity, as well as fatty liver diseases. A lot of those issues happen over time, so you may not notice them for several years. Lastly, since chins are herbivores, not carnivores or even omnivores like most rodents, they can't digest animal products. Maybe you are referring to different treats, but some of the treats I see people commonly asking about in the US and Canada contain some or all of those things. It also seems some pet stores also claim chins only live 5-10 years, and yes, if fed those kinds of things in their diet most would only live past 10. Obviously there are always exceptions, just like a human eating junk food everyday and still living into their 80s or 90s that doesn't mean that is healthy. With good genetics, proper care, and proper diet chins have been known to live into their 20s the oldest I know of was nearly 30 years old, so chins dying at only 10 is like humans only live till middle age.

 

[WWPH]

My chinchilla is very picky about his hay. He likes the stalky, stemmy pieces. If it’s short, leafy pieces he just throws it all over his cage. He also will not eat most bagged hays from the pet store. Most recently I’ve been getting Rabbit Hole hay from Chewy and he likes that. He prefers the first cut Timmy. Of course, the next time I order he may hate it and refuse to eat it. Unfortunately it’s an expensive game of finding what they like and feeding that while they’ll eat it.

I buy a box of hay and then store it in the box with the top open for air flow.

is your chinchilla eating her pellets? How old is she? She sounds very small for an adult.

Hmm yep if you scroll alittle bit up you would see age mentioned?
Nope we look at ours and others and we think ours is little bit on the fat side?
Not sure how he manages but he gets tons of weekly play time, he gets his own army of soft toys for hugging and wrestling shows. =\

Oh ya back to hay topic:
Also watch the recommended discard date by the manufacturer. You don't want to keep hay stock for too long. I think they have a life span

 

[WWPH]

Maybe you live somewhere that you can keep your hay in completely perfect temp and very low humidity, but most places if you keep the hay in a bag it gets moldy since hay still contains some moisture, otherwise it would crumble to dust. That is why on farms you don't see hay in sealed bags, it's baled and stacked in barns where it stays dry, with good air flow, and in the dark. Hay is good for up to 3 years after harvest, and that is sitting in a barn not sealed in an air tight bag. If it takes you longer then 3 years go through hay then you should buy smaller amounts. I buy most of my hay, but also grow some of my own and never put it in a sealed bag ever. I have some from last year that is still sitting in a box and my guys still go nuts for it and prefer it over a brand new bag of store bought hay that comes in a sealed plastic bag.

I don't feed pallets but I do feed pellets, I feed the oxbow essentials food, some other good quality foods are Mazuri and Science Select. Maybe I am misunderstanding you you are just mixing different brands of pellet only foods? I thought by "mix" you mean thing with the little bits of junk food (fruit, veggies, nuts, seeds, etc) mixed in, those are what I am saying are inappropriate for chinchillas. Of course chins like them but just because they like them doesn't mean they are healthy, most kids like McDonald's, does that mean they can eat that every meal and live a long healthy life? Most companies don't actually research proper chinchilla diet, yes they look at what chins will eat, but mostly are going off old info for chins, are looking at rodents in general, or even lump chins with rabbit and guinea pigs when looking at diet since they are similar and there is more info available on them. I guess maybe I'm hard to please, because I'd rather my chins live a long healthy life rather then have them die from preventable things at a young age. Fruits are too high in sugar and can lead to diabetes, obesity, liver and kidney failure, tooth decay, among other things. Vegetables are also high in natural sugar and can also lead to gas, bloat, and diarrhea. Seeds and nuts are both high in fats which can cause obesity, as well as fatty liver diseases. A lot of those issues happen over time, so you may not notice them for several years. Lastly, since chins are herbivores, not carnivores or even omnivores like most rodents, they can't digest animal products. Maybe you are referring to different treats, but some of the treats I see people commonly asking about in the US and Canada contain some or all of those things. It also seems some pet stores also claim chins only live 5-10 years, and yes, if fed those kinds of things in their diet most would only live past 10. Obviously there are always exceptions, just like a human eating junk food everyday and still living into their 80s or 90s that doesn't mean that is healthy. With good genetics, proper care, and proper diet chins have been known to live into their 20s the oldest I know of was nearly 30 years old, so chins dying at only 10 is like humans only live till middle age.

Yes its true Amethyst I am at a place where it is high in humidity.
Oh i better edit it out to location specific. Thanks for the mention!

Well I mean pellet form packaged chin food. Kinda like what comes out from most commercially available brands like Mazuri and other chin food makers? Ya precisely I don't want that to happen with the picking of food so I give a mixture of at least 3 brands. They all claim to make with different ingredients and boost of vitamins and minerals. No I don't feed fruits because they are not 'chin food' so to speak? Only those deem and sold at pet stores for chins. If you mean packages containing mix fruits and fruits content then you got to watch carefully before bringing the thing into check out. I read they live up 12-15 years in captivity? So keeping them active, happy, eating and healthy should all help in a way or another. My close friend and neighbor's chin lives till 15. And I hope to emulate that longevity. He gets lonely at times when I spend too much time on the computer. I give him wrestle buddies for fellowship. He is definitely a wrestling title holder now. =D

 

[rodneyc8063]

Maybe you live somewhere that you can keep your hay in completely perfect temp and very low humidity, but most places if you keep the hay in a bag it gets moldy since hay still contains some moisture, otherwise it would crumble to dust. That is why on farms you don't see hay in sealed bags, it's baled and stacked in barns where it stays dry, with good air flow, and in the dark. Hay is good for up to 3 years after harvest, and that is sitting in a barn not sealed in an air tight bag. If it takes you longer then 3 years go through hay then you should buy smaller amounts. I buy most of my hay, but also grow some of my own and never put it in a sealed bag ever. I have some from last year that is still sitting in a box and my guys still go nuts for it and prefer it over a brand new bag of store bought hay that comes in a sealed plastic bag.

I don't feed pallets but I do feed pellets, I feed the oxbow essentials food, some other good quality foods are Mazuri and Science Select. Maybe I am misunderstanding you you are just mixing different brands of pellet only foods? I thought by "mix" you mean thing with the little bits of junk food (fruit, veggies, nuts, seeds, etc) mixed in, those are what I am saying are inappropriate for chinchillas. Of course chins like them but just because they like them doesn't mean they are healthy, most kids like McDonald's, does that mean they can eat that every meal and live a long healthy life? Most companies don't actually research proper chinchilla diet, yes they look at what chins will eat, but mostly are going off old info for chins, are looking at rodents in general, or even lump chins with rabbit and guinea pigs when looking at diet since they are similar and there is more info available on them. I guess maybe I'm hard to please, because I'd rather my chins live a long healthy life rather then have them die from preventable things at a young age. Fruits are too high in sugar and can lead to diabetes, obesity, liver and kidney failure, tooth decay, among other things. Vegetables are also high in natural sugar and can also lead to gas, bloat, and diarrhea. Seeds and nuts are both high in fats which can cause obesity, as well as fatty liver diseases. A lot of those issues happen over time, so you may not notice them for several years. Lastly, since chins are herbivores, not carnivores or even omnivores like most rodents, they can't digest animal products. Maybe you are referring to different treats, but some of the treats I see people commonly asking about in the US and Canada contain some or all of those things. It also seems some pet stores also claim chins only live 5-10 years, and yes, if fed those kinds of things in their diet most would only live past 10. Obviously there are always exceptions, just like a human eating junk food everyday and still living into their 80s or 90s that doesn't mean that is healthy. With good genetics, proper care, and proper diet chins have been known to live into their 20s the oldest I know of was nearly 30 years old, so chins dying at only 10 is like humans only live till middle age.

Im happy to see another Canadian on these forum boards

I just wanted to add in, there are times when an owner may do everything absolutely correct (proper diet, enviroment etc) but just like humans sometimes things can happen that are beyond our control and cause issues for the chin.

I pretty much have done everything that I can think of to ensure my chin lives a long and happy life, but at the age of 7 my chin seems to be experiencing teeth issues now apparently.

My chins appetite seemed to dip down a bit, but as per a suggestion from a vet I have been adding in a tiny bit of Alfafa hay into the timothy hay I am feeding my chin. I would say the mix is 95% timothy hay with maybe 5% alfafa hay, and its seemed to help at least get my chin back to her hay bowl and eat the timothy while also digging for the alfafa. I dont feed any other treats, just oxbow pellets/timothy hay and a touch of alfafa and an apple stick here and there

Not ideal to give an adult alfafa, but given my chin seems to be having issues I figure its better then her not eating at all.

Sorry if I am coming across negative at the moment at all, as I dont mean to

 

[Amethyst]

I just wanted to add in, there are times when an owner may do everything absolutely correct (proper diet, enviroment etc) but just like humans sometimes things can happen that are beyond our control and cause issues for the chin.

I pretty much have done everything that I can think of to ensure my chin lives a long and happy life, but at the age of 7 my chin seems to be experiencing teeth issues now apparently.

Yeah that would probably fall into the needing "good genetics" category for long life , unless it's a result of injury . Sadly many chins out there right now are not well bred, too many backyard breeders and "accidents", so a lot of health issues like genetic malocclusion are not uncommon.

 

[WWPH]

Im happy to see another Canadian on these forum boards

I just wanted to add in, there are times when an owner may do everything absolutely correct (proper diet, enviroment etc) but just like humans sometimes things can happen that are beyond our control and cause issues for the chin.

I pretty much have done everything that I can think of to ensure my chin lives a long and happy life, but at the age of 7 my chin seems to be experiencing teeth issues now apparently.

My chins appetite seemed to dip down a bit, but as per a suggestion from a vet I have been adding in a tiny bit of Alfafa hay into the timothy hay I am feeding my chin. I would say the mix is 95% timothy hay with maybe 5% alfafa hay, and its seemed to help at least get my chin back to her hay bowl and eat the timothy while also digging for the alfafa. I dont feed any other treats, just oxbow pellets/timothy hay and a touch of alfafa and an apple stick here and there

Not ideal to give an adult alfafa, but given my chin seems to be having issues I figure its better then her not eating at all.

Sorry if I am coming across negative at the moment at all, as I dont mean to

For teeth issues. I am always very careful. Because a handful of squirrels at the squirrel forum died to this problem. And I have read that chins also do have tooth problems in general....

For the chin I use grinding stone. Those sold at pet shop that is meant for the chin to grind their tooth. Then i use very large paper clip to cramp it on to the chin houses. With stone facing in, at a reachable height. So what it does is it will hold down the stone while your chin can carry on working their tooth to satisfaction. Eventually stone gets wear out and you replace new stone.

The other thing I would do is manually hold the apple stick to him while he is grinding. Just by holding it helps the chin chew at it better. This exercise is between 8-15 minute until the chin gets tired or bored. Sometimes he comes back to resume the grinding. While I handhold his apple stick.

 

[WWPH]

Our choice of reusable food Sealers, works on most commonly seen food bags. Just slot in once you opened packet to retain its smell and freshness.

 

[JamaisVu]

My boy was never a huge hay eater, which was always concerning to me. I always bought Oxbow, but last year I started to get disappointed on the quality. It seems like I was getting more waste than the parts my chins liked to eat.

I decided to switch it up to Farmer Dave's.

Best decision I have made. The hay smelled wonderfully fresh even to me, but when I offered some to them, both my chins went crazy for it.

I'm super happy, they both prefer hay over even pellets now.

 

[WWPH]

@JamaisVu Great, I was about to tell you switch to Timothy 1st cuts. If it is available.
Hah such happy scene seeing both chinnies rush for hay like it's a sale

 

[DawnStar]

There is a lot in this thread . I didn't read every line so forgive me if I'm repeating. When I had some issues with my chins , I did mix in the variety hay from oxbow (oat hay was the favorite) WITH the Timothy hay - that really helped get the ball rolling. I think they were bored and sometimes you get a hay bag that jusr isn't quite as good qualotu as the last.

Also - most chain pet stores have a compresses tiny Timothy bale for like a dollar US and you can give it like it's a treat and trick your little floofs. Lol