Being herbivores, chinchillas eat only plant matter and no meat. We have already talked about the benefits of parsley, chard, and mint. Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. There are many brands that sell apple wood sticks online. Raisins are the most common chinchilla treat that owners think is OK but actually isn’t. But it also has a distinctive taste which is why it’s used for tea. They come in a resealable Kraft bag so they’ll last, too. Each of these treats more or less meets a chinchilla’s base nutritional needs, or at least won’t make your chinchilla overweight or deficient. While they do have more calories, they have roughly the same amount of fiber, protein and fat. Web. But would either its raw form, or lavender essential oil, be …. That means we make a small commission if you buy the products we link to. Fresh Apple – If fed in excess can have slightly laxative properties. That would be like sending up a flare to any predator nearby—Come and get me! As such feeding your chinchilla too much fruit could give it diabetes or kidney problems, or at least make it gain lots of weight. A length about an inch or two long may be given once a week if your chinchilla likes it (not all chinchillas do). Lovely. They are safe to give to a chinchilla and don’t seem to cause any side effects, digestive issues or nutritional deficiencies.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'lovemychinchilla_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_3',104,'0','0'])); Benefits of chamomile: Chamomile flowers are dried before being used, so your chinchilla won’t ingest too much water by eating them. Rather than experimenting with new snacks, stick to this safe list of foods that experienced owners approve. This tough, fibrous diet that chinchillas have evolved to deal with requires a pretty good set of teeth, and this is where rodents excel. Avoid branches from cherry, citrus fruit trees, redwood, cedar, and other evergreen trees. That’s because they make great chew toys—and while your chinchilla chews them, it does ingest some, so you could argue that they qualify! :), Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. Given all we’ve just explained, that’s difficult to imagine, but it’s true. They’re very densely packed with nutrients, which makes them a useful food for animals in the wild. This is more than enough to make your pet happy, but not too frequent that the treats will cause excess weight gain. This could get bacteria or fungus in your chinchilla’s cage, causing bacterial infections or worse. They live in very dry areas in the wild, and they mainly consume water from morning dew and cacti. Something like a blueberry or an orange slice is too acidic for your pet to eat. Portion size: Small, the size of your pinky fingernail. So can chinchillas eat Hibiscus flowers? Chins have big, sharp front teeth. Plants. On several counts, Cheerios are fine. Timothy-grass and orchard-grass are the most nutritionally balanced options available, but you can offer alfalfa as a treat for adults or as a staple for young or malnourished chinchillas. “Chinchilla Care. What’s especially surprising about this is that so many brands sell hay for chinchillas and other small animals that is loaded with nuts, dried fruit and other things added. There are lots of varieties of hay that you could feed to your pet. Domestic chinchillas are not outside animals, nor should they be. Portion size: Unlimited, as chinchillas can regulate their own hay intake. Chinchillas are total junk food addicts and will stuff themselves with food that tastes nice, with no regard to its nutritional content. Chinchillas can gain weight from eating unsuitable snacks, such as sunflower seeds. There is a lot of contradictory information regarding the feeding of chinchillas, and many breeders tend to have their own methods and opinions of what to feed and what not to feed. However, they can also have medicinal uses, so do check the suitability of your chosen treat before feeding it. Finally, just to reiterate, a basic staple diet of pellets and hay is all a chinchilla needs to stay healthy. They are, in fact, the only kind of fruit dried or otherwise that we recommend feeding to chinchillas. The reasons why they’re unsuitable range from weight gain and diabetes to diarrhea, dangerous bloating, putting your chinchilla off its regular diet, and more. Alfalfa Hay – May be given once or twice a week. Natural sugars, true, but these have the exact same effects on the body as ‘processed’ or ‘added’ sugars. Baled hay for horses is usually very good. Benefits of apple pomace: Fibrous and fruity, pomace tastes sweet and fruity so your chinchilla will love it, but without the water and high levels of sugar that make regular apples unsafe for your pet. Baked Dry Bread – I sometimes put sliced wholemeal bread into the oven and bake it until it is dry and crunchy. Here is a small list of treats that you can give to your Chinchilla: nettle leaves, linden leaves, chamomile flowers, peppermint leaves, romaine lettuce, dandelion root, dandelion leaves, Malva sylvestris leaves, raspberry leaves, strawberry leaves, carob leaves, cactus flowers, blackcurrant leaves, marigold flowers, rose petals, rosebuds, bramble leaves, and milk thistle. We’ve picked the best products from the wide range available to save you time searching for yourself! Therefore, it stands to reason that we need to give a domestic chinchilla a high fiber diet in captivity also, to maintain health. The best kind of diet for your chinchillas is one that’s as natural as possible, packed with plenty of fresh veg and hay. The only downside is that it’s difficult to find, so you might have to try and find it locally. 2″ Twirlies. They can be fed INSTEAD of hay – and some breeders prefer to do this. But not all woods are good for your chinchilla, and some woods are even toxic. As with all "treats", please feed the following organic herbs to your pets with discretion. This practice is called coprography. But besides timothy hay, there are varieties that are more suitable as a snack. Fruit causes all the same problems that vegetables do. It closely resembles their natural diet too. While we don’t typically do so, these dried flowers can also be eaten. Chinchillas, at home, can be given hay, pellet and water as well. Pumice is a kind of volcanic rock, while apple pomace is what’s left over after apples are squeezed for fruit juice or cider. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Chinchillas can eat green apples in the same manner chinchillas can eat red apples. Can Chinchillas Eat Sage? I’ve loved chinchillas my whole life, so if you love your chinchillas too, you’re in the right place! Biscuits are extremely high in fat and sugar, and you are not doing your chinchilla any favors if you feed them regularly. There are some snacks that people commonly feed their chinchillas that don’t seem to cause any health issues, even though they aren’t a good nutritional fit for your pet. Portion size: One dried flower per serving. That means anything like rosemary, oregano, basil and the like all make exciting treats. Coprophagy helps to maintain the correct balance of intestinal flora within the gut, and also enables the chinchilla to absorb B Vitamins that are produced in the caecum (part of the gut). White teeth indicate that it isn't getting enough, while black teeth would be the result of rotting. Although they contain a reasonable balance of protein and fiber, they are full of ingredients that really should be fed as occasional treats only, and should not be included in the staple diet. All -natural and free of any additives Stimulates chewing, which promotes dental and digestive health The long stem fiber fosters the natural foraging instincts which are critical to your animal's overall and dental health. If in doubt, ask a breeder what brand of pellets they use. Be careful when you buy some that you’re buying food-grade ones rather than ones for soap. Hey, my name is Eleanor. But what makes fruit worse is the fructose content. Because they’re so popular, and because they’re healthier than other kinds of breakfast cereal, many owners give them to their chinchillas. Your chin can eat just about any flower petal, so long as you pick a kind that isn’t poisonous! Chinchillas CANeat the following, however only the top tw… Just remain aware that they may affect your chinchilla’s diet negatively if it eats too many of them. This quiz features questions on every topic of chinchilla care, from behavior to nutrition. Benefits of flower petals: They’re nutritionally adequate, but more than anything, the idea of feeding your chinchilla flower petals is as cute as it gets. We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Chinchillas need about 5g of sugar per 100g of food, while Cheerios have more than 20g. The main reason is the water content in vegetables. All Oxbow hay growers are trained in the production of premium hay 100% ALL-NATURAL HAY: All-nat... We'll update you when we post a new guide or a new quiz, and with exclusive content too! Let's say you've had your chinchilla a while now. Achillea millefolium – Yarrow That’s beside the point that chins love to chew apple wood sticks. There is a lot of contradictory information regarding the feeding of chinchillas, and many breeders tend to have their own methods and opinions of what to feed and what not to feed. Only the equivalent of a couple of raisins should be given weekly. Non-food grade products can be treated with pesticides and other things you probably don’t want to feed to your chinchilla. Many mention how much their chinchillas like the pellets. Reviews state that they have a sweet flavor, which chinchillas like, and that the zip-lock bag doesn’t let light or air in, which helps it last longer. Most owners give their chinchillas treats once or twice a week. But how much do chinchillas poop? These four things aren’t suitable for chinchillas for a variety of reasons, as we’ll touch on later. to teach it to go back in its cage, You feel like a better owner if you let your pet ‘live a little’. How do you grow mint for chinchillas? Let’s take a look at each of these snacks in more depth.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'lovemychinchilla_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_10',117,'0','0']));eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'lovemychinchilla_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_11',117,'0','1'])); .medrectangle-3-multi-117{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:15px !important;margin-left:0px !important;margin-right:0px !important;margin-top:15px !important;min-height:250px;min-width:250px;text-align:center !important;}. Multigrain Cheerios are a decent choice for a chinchilla snack. Their systems are not designed to eat meat or other animal products. Although they contain slightly less fiber than hay, they are correctly calcium to phosphorus balanced and contain other nutrients too. But they do serve several purposes: One or all of these factors are why people give their chinchillas treats, and you should consider doing so too. Or, the mix might be made of dandelion leaves; or, a mixture of both leaves and flowers. Mix the herbs in with your chinchilla’s hay if you want to make ‘homemade’ botanical hay. Dried fruit is bad too, because it’s dense, so has more fructose in it per gram. There are assortments you can buy that contain many different flower petals. Try them on a different brand if that’s the case with yours. Contained in a sealed pack, you get 1lb of dried dandelion leaves. But as you want your chinchilla to eat its hay and not just its snacks, limit portions to the size of your thumbnail. Like all Oxbow products, their botanical hay has largely good reviews. But is it similarly suitable and good for chinchillas? Chamomile flowers, sweet hay or botanical hay, shredded wheat, rolled oats, rose hips, dried dandelion and apple pomace are all suitable and healthy snacks. Apple wood sticks aren’t a snack like the rest of those on this list, but you should consider giving them to your chinchilla anyway. If you feed them as a regular snack, they will eventually make your chinchilla gain weight. Chinchillas are herbivores – they eat a lot of plants and grasses. Oxbow Animal Health Western Timothy Hay - All Natural Hay for Rabbits, Guinea Pigs, Chinchillas, Hamsters & Gerbils - 40 oz. Chinchillas have sensitive digestive systems, and corn and cruciferous vegetables can make them sick. Because your chinchilla’s gut isn’t used to it, fruit can cause diarrhea and bloating. I heard parrots like to eat Hibiscus flowers, so I looked it up to make sure they are safe for the bird, as my Hibiscus is blooming now. I feed about a quarter of a slice per chinchilla as an occasional treat. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Basic brands of shredded wheat are low in water, high in fiber, have the correct levels of fat and protein, and are enjoyably crunchy, which chinchillas like. This one from San Antonio contains a range of herbs including marjoram, thyme, rosemary, basil, sage and even lavender. As I have said before, chinchillas are junk food addicts, but their digestion is not very good at coping with rich foods, therefore treats should be kept to a minimum. These flowers would provide necessary hydration and serve as … But one thing that all breeders will agree on is that chinchillas require a low fat, high fiber diet to maintain optimum health. One of your chinchillas is grooming the other. What makes this worse is that vegetables are low in fiber compared to hay. Edible flowers arenâ t typically something birds eat and their unique textures can provide an enriching, foraging-type of activity for them. It contains good amounts of the botanicals mentioned, to the point where some ‘dilute’ it by including extra timothy hay. This is the problem owners find with hay that’s supplemented with nuts, seeds, dried fruit and so on: the chinchilla will eat all the treats and leave the hay. They focus on organic whole grain oats rather than the cheaper kind found in other brands. Introduce all new foodstuff slowly, as usual. If fed a mixed food, they invariably will eat all the “goodies” from it and refuse the healthier pellets, simply because they do not taste as good. Feeding too many flowers at once can result in diarrhea. You can only offer your chinchilla green apples 1-3 times per week. As stated above, your chinchilla’s gut is only used to digesting certain kinds of fiber and sugar. If you keep these precautions in mind, giving your chinchillas a few flowers is fine. However, a thumb-sized piece once or twice a week is relished by most chinchillas. Lets have a look at how you can grow mint, thyme, oregano, and dandelion leaves for your chinchillas. Besides that, vegetables don’t have enough protein or fat, so wouldn’t be a good choice as the cornerstone of your pet’s diet. Or on a platform? Dried dandelions are similar to rose hips, in that they have a unique taste your chinchilla will love. What does it mean when chinchillas wag their tails? So long as it’s clean, and you don’t leave it to rot on the cage floor, they’re fine too. As such, you have to be careful what treats you offer your chinchilla. When you first thought about giving your chinchilla snacks, what sprung to mind were probably vegetables. Pellets are supposed to be fed every day. The main dietary requirement of chinchillas is fibers; therefore, they like to eat plants as they are enriched with fibers. An average chinchilla requires about an ounce (heaped tablespoon) of pellets a day. So …, If you've run out of hay and pellets, and you need something to feed your chinchilla, you may want to …, Cuttlebones are common cage toys people give to their pets. Dandelion: Feed them raw.eval(ez_write_tag([[468,60],'lovemychinchilla_com-leader-3','ezslot_17',118,'0','0'])); Shredded wheat is another snack that like rolled oats, offers roughly the same nutritional content as does regular hay. In the same way, if you give your chinchilla treats twice a day, it will hardly have need to eat its hay. Examples include rose petals, calendula and hibiscus petals. Dried Herbs – a good pinch per chinchilla can be fed a few times a week too. These are from William Craft, a company that makes and sells things made of wood. You can also get dried dandelion roots. Please note that it is important that chinchillas only eat the flowers and they should not be eating the dead branches at all. But your second question is probably ...Why? The links lead to the appropriate wikipedia page. Portion Size: One or two oats per serving. Hawthorn is relished too. Succulent plants are readily available throughout the year. Arkvits (available from Vetark Professional 0870 243 0384) comes highly recommended for ill, stressed, breeding or growing chinchillas. So, what exactly do chinchillas eat? You may have to shop around a bit, to find a quality brand of pellet that your chinchilla prefers, as they can be quite variable in quality. Now, as you already know that they can get access to a variety of plants in the wild, therefore, their diet consists of a wide range of plants. FGO’s rose hips are certified USDA organic, and are part of the Non-GMO project if that’s something you’re concerned about! Your pet chinchilla doesn’t have these bacteria if it’s lived its whole life eating nothing but hay. But if you gave it one fresh petal, that wouldn’t contain enough water to give your chinchilla any digestive issues. A tasty and healthy treat. Chinchillas will leave the bits containing fibre and only eat the sugary bits. All the most common hay manufacturers produce botanical hay alongside their regular offerings of timothy hay or alfalfa hay. If they simply must be fed as a treat, then do so a sparingly as possible, as infrequently as possible. The raisins (or other fruit) can be split into smaller pieces, to make them go a little further. These are unsafe for pregnant or nursing chinchillas. When you receive your rose hips, don’t be surprised that they don’t look like the big round fruit in the picture above. Reviews for them are almost universally good, which isn’t surprising since proper oatmeal is so much nicer than instant oats! 1 oz mixed flower fine pieces. At first it was perfectly healthy, but now it seems to not want to eat its pellets any more. Here is a table of suitable treats for you to choose from: they’re all easy to find either in grocery stores and pet stores, or online. Like, just put your chinchilla's hay and pellets on the floor of the cage? We recommend against giving your chinchilla homemade treats, or in other words, treats you’ve harvested or grown yourself. The flowers are dried before being used. You can then, in effect, make your own botanical hay.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'lovemychinchilla_com-banner-1','ezslot_7',109,'0','0'])); Rose hips are a kind of fruit. Biting, Scratching & More, How to Bathe a Chinchilla in Water (Step by Step), Grass you’ve cut from your lawn, or plants you’ve harvested from outside, They help you build up your bond with your chinchilla, They help you train your chinchilla, e.g. But your chinchilla’s sensitive stomach means that you have to carefully control what snacks you feed it, and how much of them you feed.eval(ez_write_tag([[728,90],'lovemychinchilla_com-box-3','ezslot_1',102,'0','0'])); What treats are safe for chinchillas? -19%. They don’t taste like roses, but instead taste tangy and sharp, and astringent like tea. Like the other snacks in this list, they come in a resealable pack, and you can buy them in bulk to save on overall cost. Plus, they’re high in fiber that’s difficult to break down, just like chinchillas like it (similar to another dried ‘plant’ they eat—hay). It's best not to let it do that. It makes sense that there would be some: there are similar snacks for people that are sort-of healthy, but sort-of not, or are healthy unless eaten in large quantities. This picky and selective eating may mean that the chinchilla is not receiving an optimum diet and in the long-term, this may cause health problems. Apple Tree Twigs/Branches – should be cleaned in warm water. Depending on the season, chinchillas in the wild would also come across different types of flowers from leafy plants and cacti. Are Chinchillas Dangerous? The difference is in what a chinchilla is used to. Human Food – Once again, although chinchillas LOVE biscuits and cereals etc., please use your common sense when feeding them. It has roughly the right nutrients and chinchillas seem to like it. Readigrass or Supa Forage Excel – freeze-dried grass. There are a few negative reviews, most of which say that their pet wasn’t interested in the hay; this is a risk you run with any food, in fairness. Here’s an example from MagJo Naturals. Well, of course, this is going to happen if a chinchilla is given a choice between pellets and a mixed food – as the mixed food contains so many treats!! 1 cm by 1cm. Besides that, they have sensitive digestive systems and can suffer dangerous bloating, diarrhea, nutritional deficiencies, obesity and diabetes. They give your chin just as much enjoyment as any snack, but serve the double purpose of keeping your pet’s teeth trimmed. Cruciferous veggies include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and kale. A chinchilla’s diet mostly consists of plants. For the same reason, it’s also easy to find organic food-grade chamomile flowers. These ones have decent reviews and are for making tea with. These from Bluechai are specifically cornflower petals—they have a wonderful deep blue color to them.eval(ez_write_tag([[336,280],'lovemychinchilla_com-leader-2','ezslot_16',115,'0','0'])); Dried flower petals are sold both for tea and for making soap. Any changes or additions to a chinchilla should be done gradually to avoid stomach upsets. In fact, because of this, many breeders treat them as more of a medicine than a treat and will give them to chinchillas who appear to be slightly constipated. Chamomile: Some of the popular treatments it is known for include using it as a relaxing sleep aid for insomnia, digestion/intestinal conditions, to increase appetite, and minor stomach problems caused by indigestion. Chinchillas love to chew, and they especially love to chew wood, which helps keep their constantly-growing teeth trimmed and sharp. This article deals with the somewhat “controversial” topic of diet and nutrition. There’s the odd negative review that mentions how the package arrived open, although these are few and far between, and are more likely a problem with the delivery service than with Kaytee. Fruits, if anything, are worse than vegetables. I found online this for sale. But what are they for? Wild hibiscus flowers are an unknown quantity as far as chinchillas are concerned and so are best avoided. 16 Oct. 2018 . As such, consider feeding your chinchilla the snacks below if those above aren’t available to you. Hay maintains good digestion, helps to ensure correct tooth-wear and may also help to prevent cage-boredom too. Examples include:eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'lovemychinchilla_com-box-4','ezslot_2',105,'0','0'])); What you do need to avoid are hays that have nuts, seeds, dried fruits or dried vegetables mixed in.