Still not eating.

[CJR]

Well, it has been at least a week now since my girl's food was switched and she's still only eating about half her pellets. I don't know how much weight she has lost, but she looks thin and when I hold her I can feel her ribs. Today I mixed up some Critical Care and added dyne to it... I tried to get her to eat it willingly, but no dice.

So I took a deep breath and burrito'd her in a pillowcase and force fed her. She took about 10ccs before getting really ticked, so I let her dust and put her back. I'm going to see if I can find the money to get her a different food tomorrow... should I mix it with the old food she doesn't like? I read that weaning them to a new pellet goes like this:

First week: 3 parts old, 1 part new
Second week: 2 parts old, 2 parts new
Third week: 1 part old, 3 parts new
Fourth week: 4 parts new!

Should I do that with her, or should I adjust it? Or not do it at all?

Thanks!

Ps. She was so cute wrapped up, with her big fuzzy head sticking out and giving me the worst of all stink eyes!

 

[Kansas City Chinchillas]

Are you giving her loose timothy hay? Does she eat it? If she eats a lot of hay I would give her as much hay as she will eat and continue to switch her pellets.

 

[Laurie]

I just wanted to say that I know everyone worries about feeling a chins ribs, but I have some small chins here who when I hold them I can feel their ribs, but they have always been that way and are healthy. Just because you feel ribs doesn't necessarily mean they are wasting away to nothing.

But I agree if she is eating hay you can feed her more hay and see if that helps. I have a friend who has a chin that eats virtually no pellets but hay up the wazoo!

 

[CJR]

Before the food switch (and while she was on twice-daily metacam), she was eating a little more than 1 tbsp of pellets per day. She does eat a lot of hay.

Since the food switch, she eats AT THE MOST a third of a tbsp of pellets daily, and seems to be eating the same amount of hay.

I give her as much hay as she chooses to eat - about a big handful each day.

I already ordered a new pellet, should I wean her on it? Or just switch it cold? In my opinion, I think weaning sounds best, but I'd like your input too.

Thanks so much!