Chinchilla Care? Can someone give me a list of acceptable foods I could give my pet?
Sep 16, 2009 Author: admin | Filed under: Chinchilla CareI did read that he may not have wet food like lettuce. But I would like a longer list. Include acceptable dried fruit’s. Anything green he may eat like parsley, celery. Something like that. Carrot’s maybe. I don’t know.
Chinchillas are vegetarians, primarily grass and seed eaters. They will eat alfalfa or hay. I find that alfalfa is the best as it has more leaf and less stem, and is richer than Timothy hay which is a favorite of breeders. Feed fresh pellets, and if the only really fresh is guinea pig or rabbit, then that is ok. Some people will tell you that rabbit pellets have hormones in them and are bad for chinchillas. That is a myth, and the reverse is true.
They generally love dried fruit like raisins, cranberries, etc. – but should be given these in moderation. Some also love fresh vegetables like steamed corn on the cob. Each one has specific likes and dislikes, so offer small tidbits to see what they like. Be careful however, they have a tender digestive system and can get diarrhea from too many treats.
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3 Responses for "Chinchilla Care? Can someone give me a list of acceptable foods I could give my pet?"
Chinchillas are vegetarians, primarily grass and seed eaters. They will eat alfalfa or hay. I find that alfalfa is the best as it has more leaf and less stem, and is richer than Timothy hay which is a favorite of breeders. Feed fresh pellets, and if the only really fresh is guinea pig or rabbit, then that is ok. Some people will tell you that rabbit pellets have hormones in them and are bad for chinchillas. That is a myth, and the reverse is true.
They generally love dried fruit like raisins, cranberries, etc. – but should be given these in moderation. Some also love fresh vegetables like steamed corn on the cob. Each one has specific likes and dislikes, so offer small tidbits to see what they like. Be careful however, they have a tender digestive system and can get diarrhea from too many treats.
References :
http://www.petshub.com/chinchilla/feed-chinchilla.php
no wet food, at all. a few sunflower seeds a day, a banana chip or apple chip a day, a pumice stone to keep their teeth down(mine likes the flavored type), or wood chips(there is a specific list). They are desert animals so don’t give them any wet food. Places like agrifeed, walmart, petsmart…have sticks you can hang in their cage that have seeds they can eat and gives them exercise because they have to sit up to eat them. They are pretty cheap too. I went to agrifeed and got mine a wheel that is plastic(no holes like a hamster wheel) and Tonweya just loves it. 20 some odd dollars but worth it.
References :
Chins DO NOT need treats! They especially do NOT need fruit,t hey are basically diabetics and can’t process it well. They do not need seeds either, they are very high in fat and cause problems with the liver! Plastic is also not good as it can cause impaction or other digestive problems.
Chins are not “cheap” pets to get set up, but they aren’t expensive to maintain!
Their diet should include a high quality pellet ( with NO treats ), Oxbow is one of the best retail brands, Mazuri is better than some, or buy online much cheaper and better quality! Tradition, PANR, Manna Pro, etc. Then hay and water, this is all they need. If you want to give treats opt for a plain cheerio, or non-frosted shredded wheat no more than once a day.
They need to chew and require hay and chew sticks, pine or chin safe varieties.
Please, PLEASE, no fruits, no seeds, no plastic… If you want to learn more join or search at a good forum with good information such as http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com
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