Might change food/sugar content?

[Godofgods]

Ive had my 5 chins on Manna pro's Select Series Pro for a very long time, and they love it. But when my one chin was diagnosed with diabetes, it made me realize that the food is made with cane molasses. And there Pro, Gro, and Sho feeds all contain it to.

I had to switch my boy off of this food because its sugar content and his diabetes. But considering that chins cant process sugars in general, i was thinking it might be good to switch all my chins off this food.

The issue would be, what food. The Pro food was about $10 for a 25lb bag or so. With five chins, that price/amount came in handy.

But the American Pet Diner food i switched my boy to is $7.19+$18.70shipping direct from AMD, or $32+shipping (timothy pellet) and $21+shipping (alpalpa pellet) off of amazon. And they are for a meager 2.75 lbs bag (about 10%). - The cost of keeping up with that for all my chins would be pretty extravagant.

Most everything ive looked at so far is either unhealthy in general, contains some form of sugar, or is incredibly expensive. Anyone have any ideas for a decent food that fits these parameters?

 

[smhluvsmh]

Mazuri, Tradition or Oxbow?

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

I believe all pellets are made with some molasses (to hold it together). I don't think the small amount they use is going to hurt the chins. We have been using these pellet for years without problems (Mazuri, Oxbow, Tradition, Pro Manna and Purina SHOW rabbit)

 

[ticklechin]

American pet diner pellets when I used them did not have cane molasses, they used dried beet pulp, beet pulp is relatively low in sugar and starch and has a low glycemic index so there is only a small rise in blood glucose following a meal. I talked to the small animal nutritionist Dr. Throckmorton when American pet diner pellets were introduced in the early 2000s and he was adamant that chins and guinea pigs should have a low-no sugar diet. APD changed the formulation 10 years later and mine would not eat it but get oxbow. I think for sugar sensitive chins like this one and those that are prone to bloat, if APD still uses beet pulp its the only choice.

 

[Godofgods]

Mazuri, Tradition or Oxbow?

Mazuri contains dried beet pulp and cane molasses.
Oxbow uses cane molasses.
Tradition uses molasses as well. And im not even sure what most of that listed in there ingredients list is :/

I believe all pellets are made with some molasses (to hold it together). I don't think the small amount they use is going to hurt the chins. We have been using these pellet for years without problems (Mazuri, Oxbow, Tradition, Pro Manna and Purina SHOW rabbit)

My girls have been on the Pro food for a long time and are doing just fine so far. But so were my boys until this diabetes thing came about. If chins cant process sugars, it makes me wonder about long term ramifications of these sugar using foods.

I think for sugar sensitive chins like this one and those that are prone to bloat, if APD still uses beet pulp its the only choice.

Certainly looking that way...

Edit: Checked AMD again. They have listed Beet Pulp and Molasses :/

 

[ticklechin]

Beet pulp molasses or is it beet pulp and molasses?

 

[Godofgods]

INGREDIENTS: Alfalfa Hay, Wheat Middlings, Beet Pulp, Soybean Meal, Molasses, Sodium Bentonite,

 

[Godofgods]

i sent APD a message asking about it two days ago, so far no response.
But i find it odd that so far i haven't found a single good food source for them that actually has no sugars.

 

[Godofgods]

i still haven't heard back from them

That being said, how long do pellets maintain there nutritional value for? Considering APD has the best price on this food, but insaaaain shipping charges; if i continue with there food it would be best to buy in baulk. But it does no good if the food goes bad before i can use it.
(i know i asked that before a few years ago, but i just cant remember. For some reason tho, 2 months~ sticks out in my mind.)

 

[becky12883]

I believe it's usually 4-6 months from mill date. I buy a big bag of Mazuri and notice my boys will eat less right when we get to 5 months from the mill date.

 

[Shenanigans]

I go by 4 months, and start donating "treats" to my sister's rats before it goes bad. (she was going to breed for snake food but realized the personalities and general social-ness of the rats and couldn't-now she had like 20-30 rats and has downsized on snakes).

I get Mazuri straight from the company and have gotten free shipping on the 25 pound bag so far ($19.99+FREE). Whatever you pick, see if you can get it without a "middle man". If it's shipping to you anyways you may as well get it from the source (it's likely cheaper and fresher too)
link if your interested in mazuri-
http://www.mazuri.com/chinchilla.as...dGETgnp8TUyVcwXskKHBRObEs6UdIb06CtRoCprHw_wcB

 

[Godofgods]

i was avoiding foods like mazuri because they use cane molasses (sugar) in there food. And my guy was diagnosed with diabetes. I tried APD because i thought it was no sugar, but it turns out to have a little after all. But it appears to be a small amount because i have noticed that my chins problems have gone away on this food.

America Pet Diner from the source is what i was looking at. its like $7-8 a bag (2.5 lbs). While still high it beats the $20-30+ a bag that other ppl are selling it for. But ADP is out on a farm so they don't have good access to shipping companies. Hence there $19 shipping. If i could buy it in baulk tho and store it safely without losing nutritional value it could even out tho.