Aside from pellets, chinchillas also need fresh food. You can offer them fresh fruits and vegetables, flower buds and rosebuds. Just remember to scale down the amounts. Fresh vegetables should be chopped into small pieces and not be too rotten. For best results, mix the dried goodies and fresh food in equal portions. However, fresh food can cause a stomach ache in your chinchilla, so keep this in mind when you choose a fresh meal.
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Fruits
If you have a chinchilla at home, you may be tempted to feed him fruit every day. However, you should limit this to three or four times a week. This is because fruit contains a high level of sugar, which can lead to excessive weight gain in chinchillas, which can cause many health problems. Although hay is the most important part of a chinchilla’s diet, it is also possible to feed a chinchilla fruit.
If you are unsure whether your chinchilla can eat certain fruits, you can consult with a vet. Fresh fruit, like apples, can be given to your chinchilla. Avoid giving it any spoiled fruit. Fresh fruit is safest for chinchillas. It’s best to provide your pet with healthy fruits that are low in sugar. However, avoid feeding chinchillas dandelion leaves or apple sticks. Rose petals, mint leaves, and basil are also safe for chinchillas.
Vegetables
Aside from fruits, chinchillas also love fresh green leafy vegetables, such as spinach and broccoli. Other vegetables they enjoy are cabbage and Brussels sprouts, which contain a high concentration of vitamins and fiber. However, you should avoid giving your chinchilla grapes and bananas, which contain high levels of sugar and are highly toxic to pets. Fresh vegetables will not harm your pet, but you should make sure that they are not kept in their cage for too long.
You can feed your chinchilla fresh vegetables if you have a backyard garden or a window sill herb garden. You can also buy seeds for growing chinchilla vegetables, which you can sow into compost in your home. Some greens are poisonous, so be sure to read the labels and choose the ones that are safe for your pet. Alternatively, you can purchase dried vegetables and herbs from grocery stores.
Seeds
Although most chinchilla owners avoid sunflower seeds, sunflower seed-fed animals do not need to be given a daily diet. While they are rich in vitamins and minerals, sunflower seeds have high fat and low fiber content. Sunflower seed-fed chinchillas may have a vitamin deficiency. If this happens, a visit to the vet should be made. Your veterinarian can prescribe the best supplementary food.
Although fruits are rich in sugar and can be good for human diets, chinchillas should be offered a limited amount of fresh fruit. While apples and bananas are great treats for humans, they are high in acid and can cause problems for your chinchilla’s teeth over time. Similarly, chinchillas should not be given raisins because they contain a high sugar content. However, dried hibiscus flowers and herbs are acceptable. Some breeders also offer chinchillas pierced apples during shows. These chinchillas will be able to drink and eat from them. Herbs like basil and peppermint leaves are great treats for chinchillas.
Hay
As a supplement to pelleted diets, hay is an excellent source of calcium for chinchillas. Hay should be the sole source of food for chinchillas, but pelleted diets can be used sparingly. A hay-rich diet is ideal for chinchillas, as pelleted food can cause intestinal blockages. Hay is also excellent for digestion, helping to keep the digestive system in tip-top shape.
There are a variety of types of hay for chinchillas. Timothy hay is the most common type, but alfalfa hay is also an excellent supplementary food for chinchillas. The best brands of hay and pellets for chinchillas are Oxbow and Kaytee, which offer alfalfa grass hay and timothy hay that are naturally sun-cured and additive-free.
When feeding hay pellets to chinchillas, be sure to monitor your chinchilla’s stools for a week or so to determine if the ratio is right for them. If your chinchilla begins to exhibit signs of diarrhea, switch back to the previous balance. You may also want to sprinkle some acidophilus powder on their pellets and wait until their poops return to normal before adding more hay to their diet.
