What Should I Feed My Chinchilla?
- Timothy hay. A diet rich in Timothy hay is critical for your chinchilla. This raw fiber is important for the digestive...
- Fruits and vegetables. You can provide a wide variety of fresh fruit and vegetables for your chinchilla. Most are good...
- Grass. Grass is an important part of chinchilla diet. It provides nutrients and vitamins to...
What foods are safe for chinchillas?
“The only human foods that can be given to chinchillas are plain cereals like Cheerios and shredded wheat, or basic rolled oats,” says Bunk-Hatch. “They should never have fresh fruits, vegetables, or other human snacks." Why Trust The Spruce Pets?
What is the best food for chinchillas?
- 75% hay
- 20% feed (pellets) and mixtures of food
- 5% fruit and vegetables
What vegetables can a chinchilla eat?
What fruits and vegetables can chinchillas eat?
- Apple
- Carrots
- Sweet potato
- Kale
- Parsley
- Strawberries
- Pears
- Dandelion greens
- Celery
- Blueberries
Are chinchillas easy pets?
These cuddly creatures are frequently ignored as excellent pet options as some people might have misconceptions regarding how easy or difficult it is to keep them as pets. Chinchillas are easy to maintain as pets, and are suitable for beginners because they are low maintenance, easy to clean, and don’t require much space.
What human food can chinchillas eat?
Chinchillas need around a tea spoon a day of fresh greens. Fruits are only to be given as treats as they are high in sugars. Chinchillas can eat small amounts of fruit such as: Apples....The following vegetables can up make the majority of a chinchillas' core diet:Carrot.Kale.Alfalfa.Celery.Potato.Sweet potatoes.Squash.
What do chinchillas naturally eat?
Chinchillas' digestive systems need hay and grass to function properly, and in the wild they naturally eat grasses, leaves and twigs. Here are our tips for making sure your pet chinchillas have the diet they need to stay happy and healthy.
How often should a chinchilla be fed?
twice a dayChinchillas in the wild tend to consume most of their food early in the morning and late at night. Similarly, pet chinchillas should be offered food twice a day but may consume food throughout the day, as they tend to eat more slowly than other small animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs.
Can chinchillas eat scrambled eggs?
In the wild, chinchillas are omnivores, which means that they eat both plants and meat. However, they eat mostly vegetation and seeds. Occasionally, they will eat insects and bird eggs.
What fruits can a chinchilla eat?
Fruit choices include strawberries, pears, bananas and apples. Always chop vegetables and fruits up into very small bites. Don't let them stay in your chinchilla's cage when they're no longer fresh. If your chinchilla is unwell for any reason, don't feed fruit or other foods that have significant sugar content.
Do chinchillas need veggies?
Fresh Produce About 10% of your chinchilla's diet should consist leafy greens and herbs (see provided greens list for ideas). Your chinchilla can also have other vegetables in small amounts. Fruits and high-sugar vegetables (e.g. carrots, corn), should only be offered as treats in very small quantities (<1 tsp/day).
What are chinchillas favorite treats?
According to our online community of chinchilla owners, the most popular and healthy treats for chinchillas are Timothy Hay, Rosehips, Plain Cheerios, dried calendula, and goji berries. It's recommended that you try a small amount of everything to see what your chinchilla likes.
What is the best chinchilla food?
The 10 Best Chinchilla FoodsOxbow Essentials Chinchilla Deluxe Chinchilla Food — Best Overall. ... Kaytee Fiesta Gourmet Variety Diet Chinchilla Food — Best Value. ... Mazuri Chinchilla Food. ... Higgins Sunburst Gourmet Blend Chinchilla Food. ... Oxbow Garden Select Chinchilla Food. ... Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Chinchilla Food.More items...•
What can chinchillas eat and not eat?
The reason we tell you to avoid fruits, nuts, seeds, and vegetables, is because they're very unhealthy for your pet. Fruits + Vegetables contain a lot of natural sugar in their natural and dried forms. Pet chinchillas do not need this excess sugar. This excess sugar can resort in your Chinchilla becoming ill.
What is the best chinchilla food?
The 10 Best Chinchilla FoodsOxbow Essentials Chinchilla Deluxe Chinchilla Food — Best Overall. ... Kaytee Fiesta Gourmet Variety Diet Chinchilla Food — Best Value. ... Mazuri Chinchilla Food. ... Higgins Sunburst Gourmet Blend Chinchilla Food. ... Oxbow Garden Select Chinchilla Food. ... Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Chinchilla Food.More items...•
Can chinchillas eat fresh carrots?
Overall, carrots and other vegetables and some fruit can be delicious treats for your chinchillas. As a general rule of thumb, dried versions of foods are better.
Are chinchillas allowed dandelions?
Your chinchilla can eat ½ teaspoon of dandelion leaves per day.
What are some good treats for chinchillas?
Common healthy treats for Chinchillas are Rose hips, non-frosted Shredded Wheaties, Old fashion rolled oats, Alfalfa hay, and an array of chinchilla safe herbs.
What do chinchillas chew on?
As a Chinchilla chews on their hay they grind their back molars together keeping them short and trimmed.
Why do chinchillas bloat?
Excess moisture in their food will lead to bloating. Bloating is a hazard because chinchillas can not relieve themselves of any gasses, meaning without intervention they can pass from buildup. Nuts + Seeds are high in fat. When a chinchilla is fed a diet high in fat they become prone to ailments like fatty liver disease.
Can you feed a rabbit pellet to a chinchilla?
If you can get these 3 things together, you'll have a healthy well-nourished chinchilla. A quality pellet can be made specifically for Chinchillas or you can choose to feed a high quality rabbit pellet. A lot of the pellet selections sold at the pet store are not "quality pellets". In fact, they're junk food riddled with fruit, nuts, fillers, ...
Can you use compressed hay for chinchillas?
Or you can purchase compressed hay cookies for your chinchilla. Choosing any of these will greatly reduce the amount of hay-dust in your home that may be affecting your allergies. Treats. While it can be nice to treat our pets, something important to understand is that it's mostly for us.
Do chinchillas need sugar?
Fruits + Vegetables contain a lot of natural sugar in their natural and dried forms. Pet chinchillas do not need this excess sugar. This excess sugar can resort in your Chinchilla becoming ill. Diabetes, hyperglycemia, and hypoglycemia are all risks when feeding a sugary diet.
What do chinchillas eat?
Instead, feed your chinchilla quality chinchilla pellets supplemented with plenty of fresh grass hay.
How much protein is in a chinchilla diet?
Look for a pelleted, formulated diet specifically for chinchillas that is 16-20 percent protein, low in fat (2-5 percent), and high in fiber (15-35 percent).
How to keep chinchillas teeth healthy?
This roughage in hay helps keep chinchillas' teeth in good condition and the digestive system functioning properly. Feed as much good quality grass hay (orchard grass, Timothy-grass, etc.) as your chinchilla wants each day. Hay should be cleaned out and fed fresh on a daily basis to keep it from becoming soiled or moldy.
How to keep chinchillas from getting dumped?
Try to be consistent with whatever you choose to do, as chinchillas like routine. A small food hopper or heavy ceramic dish is the best way to keep the food from getting dumped or soiled.
Can chinchillas eat corn?
Since corn is starchy and likely largely indigestible for chinchillas, whole corn should be avoided as a treat or the main part of a diet. Scientifically speaking, however, little is understood about the ideal chinchilla diet beyond the need for lots of roughage.
What Type of Pellets is Suitable for My Chinchilla?
Chinchillas live on a simple diet comprising of the best chinchilla hay and a small amount of 1-2 tablespoons of high-quality grass-based pellets.
What Treats Can I Feed My Chinchilla?
Chinchillas can eat carrots, raisins, and sultanas as treats but only in very small amounts!
Can Chinchillas Eat Grapes?
Grapes should be avoided as they contain too much water and can give your chinchilla diarrhea.
Can Chinchillas Eat Carrots?
Chinchillas can eat carrots but make sure they are chopped up into smaller pieces.
Can Chinchillas Eat Rabbit Food?
Chinchillas cannot consume food meant for rabbits, as the two animals have different dietary requirements. It is better not to give rabbit food pellets to your chinchillas.
Can Chinchillas Eat Guinea Pig Food
So, can a chinchilla eat guinea pig food too? Chinchillas cannot consume food meant for guinea pigs, as the two animals have different dietary requirements. It is better not to give rabbit food pellets to your chinchillas.
What Do Chinchillas Eat in the Wild?
WARNING: Do not feed your chinchilla foods that wild chinchillas might eat. Chinchillas’ diet is quite different and can result in making your pet seriously ill.
Chinchilla food options
So, for a chinchilla to have healthy digestion and be free of illnesses like dental disease and digestion troubles, you need to choose the best chinchilla food that is healthy and appetizing. Some common options for food items that every pet chinchilla owner needs to keep their chinchilla safe and healthy are listed below.
Feeding amounts
Along with the quality of good that you feed your pet chinchilla, the quantity is just as important. The pets need chinchilla vitamins and nutrients like Omega-3 fatty acids, folic acid, nicotinic acid, vitamin C, natural vitamin E, and many more through adequate nutritional content.
Make feeding fun
To make sure that your pet eats food properly, you need to make the feeding time fun. You can do this by understanding how a chinchilla behaves and using that to your advantage.
Treats
Now, let’s talk more about the healthy treats that you should feed these exotic animals. As you know, chinchillas are very sensitive animals, so you need to be very careful with what you feed them. They can easily get an upset stomach and have a limited capacity for digestion.
Hay supplementation
The diet that you choose to feed your chinchilla should mostly contain hay. Thankfully, nowadays, there is a variety of hay available so that you can choose the hay type that your chinchilla loves the most.
What fruits and vegetables can chinchillas eat?
Fresh vegetables and fruits can occasionally be fed to your chinchillas, but only some of the fruit and vegetables your chinchillas’ digestive system can bear. So here is a list of fruits and vegetables that you can feed your chinchillas.
What treats do chinchillas like
Keeping in mind that chinchillas can’t eat fatty food, there are some treats that they like that contain fat, but chinchillas love them.
What do chinchillas eat?
What do pet chinchillas eat? Chinchillas require a high fiber diet and should be offered grass hay (such as Timothy hay or other low calcium hays such as orchard grass, oat hay, or meadow hay) free choice (available 24 hours a day). Hay should be the main component of their diet.
Can chinchillas eat treats?
Can I offer my chinchilla treats? As a rule, chinchillas don't require treats, although an occasional offering of various fresh, low calcium green vegetables or an occasional piece of high fiber fruit (such as a slice or apple). Do not offer any people food without checking with your veterinarian first.
Most Important Facts about Chinchillas
There are two facts about chinchillas that are important to know in order to keep them happy and healthy throughout their life.
Recap
The two most important items in your chinchilla’s diet are water and grass hay. Fresh, clean water should be provided at all times and grassy hay should be constantly available. Pellets, vegetables, and treats should be measured and kept to a minimum.
