My chinchilla won't eat hay, but acts normal. Should I worry?

Question

My chinchilla doesn't really eat her hay.She eats her pellets and drinks a lot of water.Her stool looks normal, and her weight falls within a Normal limit.She is also VERY active with many hours of roaming and exploring and jumping.So basically she seems healthy,but she hasn't touched her hay for months. It should be her main food, so How do I get her to eat it?Should I be concerned if she acts as normal as she did when she ate her hay?She refuses to eat it even if I keep it fresh. Pet's info: Exotic | Unknown - Exotic | Female | unspayed | 2 years and 4 months old | 1.02 lbs

Penelope Graben, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello, A proper diet for a chinchilla consists about 70-80% hay. The most common reason for an herbivore to stop eating their hay is dental disease. Their back molar teeth can grow sharp hooks and points that grow into their gums, making it very uncomfortable to chew and grind their hay. I would recommend having RoRo seen by a veterinarian that is experienced with chinchillas. They will likely start with sedating her for a dental examination and then advise the next best step for her. I hope this has been helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

My chinchilla won't eat hay, but acts normal. Should I worry?

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