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[kay]

when do you think it will be ok for the mum to have exercise out of cage? thanks kay

[kay]

when can i let mum out for a run? soon as she heard usual time i let dad out for a run and she was wanting to be out what do you do then ?

[kay]

cum on im staying up really late in the uk here just to hear your answers 

[GrayRodent]

I usually check for messages at very inconsistent times.

There is no problem letting the female out for exercise just keep it short perhaps no longer than 30 minutes at a time on account of the kit. Have a good night and don't be so stressed. I know you had a bad experience recently but you might be surprised at how resilient animals can be.

[kay]

Thanks I'll try not to get stressed i will be happy when i no the baby is getting milk 

[GrayRodent]

If the baby wasn't getting milk its weight would not increase like what you have been observing.

[kay]

ive weighed it tonight and 49gr now so added 4 in 48hrs i let the female out for a bit also she was eager to get out 

[GrayRodent]

Excellent. Your chinchilla should be weaned in about 8-12 weeks. Next Thursday is probably a good time to give both the kit and mom a dust bath together.

[kay]

ok thanks the dad seems to be off his food hes ate some hay but doesnt look like hes eating the pellets i bought him some toys for his cage and let him see the mum and baby supervised of course as i no how quick the deed can be done he was out for a run o n his own (me there)for about half an hour and seemed ok then. I dont no wether to get him neutered or let him stay single im worried on both accounts dont no what to do for the best 

[GrayRodent]

I'm not sure what to do either. If he does not start eating at least half his normal diet in a couple of days you may need to hand feed to keep his digestive tract flowing but it's not something I've personally dealt with. I hope someone will comment soon. I do know that if he looses too much weight he will not be able to survive the surgery.

[chinclub]

Do you have mom and dad's cage pushed up beside each other so they are touching?  This might help dad not feel so alone.

[kay]

no they are not side by side we've just had to do something quick and half the cage so mum n kit are in top and dad is in bottom i had him out tonight for an hour and actually tried him with syring (sorry about spelling) feed crushed pellets and warm boilid water he wasnt too bad had a bit of it then ran round the room he seems fine but i still dont think hes eating his pellets like he should he has been out with mam and i held the baby and he come over and seemed pleased kissing mam and having a good sniff of baby but had to really watch him incase any funny business  not! i will try and sort two cages side by side thanks agein kay  oh and the baby has gained shes now 52grms 

[GrayRodent]

As long as he's eating at least half of his normal diet and his fecal output is normal I don't think it's necessary to hand feed just yet. And when I mean half of his diet that includes hay. That's not really a magic number but a rule of thumb. What you want to prevent is constipation and a condition called GI stasis from not having enough substance for the bowels to work on and keep their balance of microbes required for digestion. You can tell by watching his daily droppings. If they get really small and hard or become non-existent then you know there's a problem. Having him in a separate cage will make it easier to keep track.

You can expect a sharply decreased appetite for the next few days which is normal for a chinchilla that has been moved to a new place and is stressed. If he loosing weight quickly (that would be around 10 grams per day for three or more days in a row) afterwards then you may need intervention OR if he stops eating altogether. That is worst case but I'm hoping he'll just get used to his new situation and his weight will go back up to normal and stabilize in less than a week. It's been my experience that if the chinchilla is pooping then it is eating and that its weight is the most important indicator of overall food consumption. If his weight is steady over a 7 day average then you have nothing to worry about. I recommend you weigh him and keep track of how much weight he is loosing every 3 days. He is going to loose some at first. He can probably safely loose up to 20% if he started out being healthy. This was my experience with a chin that had tooth problems that I kept track of for months. After 20% was lost I took him to the vet and he survived anesthesia for the exam without any problems. There was a breeder who I remember saying that 30% is usually when you know they are sick enough to need veterinary aid. I took mine in when he stopped eating and they prescribed a powdered recovery diet during a three day wait until he could get the exam.

By putting cages side by side that really should help as well. I hope this turns around soon.

[kay]

Hi i let him out for about 3/4 hour last night with his dust bath and he's pooing loads  so he must be eating something he loves his hay but his pellets dont seem to be going down though, I will keep you posted and weigh him daily i weighed him last night so i will have more idea in a couple of days. On a more positive note baby and mum seem to be doing okay the baby has gone up to 52grams last night so thats a relief  Thank you for your help you have been brilliant    oh I'm looking for a double cage to buy so he can be next to them in the same cage but seperated if you no what i mean, bye for now 
 Kay

[chinclub]

Something else I just thought of....Chinchillas like to eat what smells good.  If the same pellets have been his cage for awhile they have probably lost their smell.  Try replacing them with some fresh pellets and see if he eats them better.