Curious

[Akunaferret]

So I recently read in another person's post not to give your Chin raisins. I thought it was ok to do so but not a whole lot. Am I wrong in this?

I give Flynn two raisins about every other day after play time. Should i stop that and maybe get the yogurt balls?

I know you're not suppose to give them too many as it can result in diarrhea, his previous owner gave him one or two every other day as well. And just curious why can't he have raisins? where can I find this info?

thank you all so much, sorry if I'm posting too much :S

 

[Stackie]

No, you should not give raisins at all. They are way too sugary - chins do not need sugary anything. The sugar can cause the bacteria in their gut to overgrow, causing a GI upset that can include diarrhea, bloat, and other GI issues. A recent article posted also talks about cavities in chins- the sugar in raisins can contribute to the formation of cavities.

Yogurt balls should not be given, either. Chins can not process dairy.

Safe treats you can give your chin are rose hips (people here sell them, as well as some health food stores), old fashioned oats, bite size unfrosted shredded wheat, plain cherrios, (you can get all those from a grocery store) and apple twigs (people sell these on here as well) are very much loved and good for their teeth. Any treat should be given in moderation- which means only a few times a week.

 

[Akunaferret]

Thank you very much. Thats odd that they can't have the yogurt balls, they cell them at the local pet store down the street with pictures of Chins on it. Then again they have a ball there with a pic of a chin that is FAR to large for a Chin. I'll stop giving him the raisins, thank you very much ^_^

 

[Stackie]

Thank you very much. Thats odd that they can't have the yogurt balls, they cell them at the local pet store down the street with pictures of Chins on it. Then again they have a ball there with a pic of a chin that is FAR to large for a Chin. I'll stop giving him the raisins, thank you very much ^_^

There are many things in pet stores that are marketed for chins that are not safe. The companies do not care about the health of your chin, all they care about is making money. It's a shame because new owners or uneducated owners see the pictures of chins on the unsafe things, and buy them thinking they are doing a good thing for their chin when in all actuality, it's only hurting them. That's why it's a good idea to support the vendors on this website- they sell safe things for our chinnies and by buying from them, we can keep them in business while knowing our chins are getting safe items. ) In general, pretty much everything sold in pet stores that say are for chins, aren't safe for them at all.

 

[~SG~]

Then again they have a ball there with a pic of a chin that is FAR to large for a Chin.

I thought all balls were NO NO's for chins??

 

[Sandi]

The balls are no-no's!
Akunaferret - I just want to add that if you haven't had the chance to do so there are FAQ's in each section of this forum with great & helpful info, please take the time to read them. When I first came on the forum the FAQ's helped me tremendously! :thumbsup:

 

[Akunaferret]

I thought all balls were NO NO's for chins??

I didn't know this till I read the thread on Death Balls, took me a few to realize what they were talking about. I took it off the budget. I was going to get him one so he'd have more time out of his cage as i don't trust him to just roam around the house, but if they mat his fur and could kill him, then there is no way in heck I'm going to get one. I'm very happy I joined this forum, I was going to get one next week, who knows how long my little one would have lived if I got it.

 

[Akunaferret]

The balls are no-no's!
Akunaferret - I just want to add that if you haven't had the chance to do so there are FAQ's in each section of this forum with great & helpful info, please take the time to read them. When I first came on the forum the FAQ's helped me tremendously! :thumbsup:

Thank you very much. I shall go through each one and read them. The more I know, the more he'll be safe.

 

[mishellyshel]

you should put a playpen on your list then! while it is a little more than the ball of death, i will give you the ability to allow your chin in a safe environment. if you use the search function at the top of the page, you can search for playpen and lots of threads will come up. i have a basic white pen type. i dont use the cover that you can buy for it as my chins have not really tried to jump out. i am always in the room with them, usually cleaning out their cages. i put little toys, tunnels, boxes, etc for them to play in. they love it and it allows me the peace of mind that they get their exercise and are safe. i have previously used my bathroom and make sure it was chin safe, however they pretty much destroyed it in the beginning, munching on molding and pooping all over and peeing, etc... although they all loved the running around in the tub area.

also, i have a chin that when i first got him almost 6 years ago, i fed him raisins and bad treats. he has since been diagnosed with maloclussion and one of his teeth actually fell right out at the vets office. more than likely it is because of his diet and it just breaks my heart that all the pain he has gone thru with suffering from dental disease was because of my poor decisions. but i didnt know better then. i do now. i do give just him a goji berry, organic. they have much less sugar than a raisin and they are soft enough that he can chew. but even those should be given in moderation.
the rest of my chins only get 1/2 shredded wheat per day and an herbal mix that has a few oats & crushed rosehips and a blend or organic herbs & flowers. once in a while i will give them a cheerio or piece of chin cookie from members here but every nite they get their herbal mix pinch, 1/2 shredded wheat and 1 nice apple or mulberry or whatever wood I chose. the LOVE the wood.

 

[Brittany]

also, i have a chin that when i first got him almost 6 years ago, i fed him raisins and bad treats. he has since been diagnosed with maloclussion and one of his teeth actually fell right out at the vets office. more than likely it is because of his diet and it just breaks my heart that all the pain he has gone thru with suffering from dental disease was because of my poor decisions.

Would you mind explaining more on if you think the diet led to the malo or the tooth falling out? I'm just curious because this is the first time I'm hearing about diet contributing to tooth issues (makes sense though). I love learning new things!

:thumbsup:

 

[mishellyshel]

Brit--read this thread:

http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18968

when i first got richie, i knew nothing and he got lots of raisins and nuts and just not good treats and not a lot of hay (was always feed good pellet) and i think the sugar attributed to his tooth decay & subsequent mis alignment of his jaw. now he may also have a genetic problem, since his origin is unknown, but i cant help but wonder if much of his distress is due to me.

 

[~SG~]

would grapes / raisins with a low brix be safe as a rare treat? (yes I have the equipment to check brix on hand)

 

[Brittany]

would grapes / raisins with a low brix be safe as a rare treat? (yes I have the equipment to check brix on hand)

No, don't do it. Since there are SO MANY safe and healthy treats why even bother with potential issues from something that is not healthy? Before I became "chin-educated" I also overtreated with raisins. I haven't treated with anything but unfrosted shredded wheat and a bit of lifeline for over a year now and my chins LOVE it, so you don't even have to worry about them "missing" their favorite treat.

PS- Thanks Michelle for the info

 

[Stackie]

would grapes / raisins with a low brix be safe as a rare treat? (yes I have the equipment to check brix on hand)

Absolutely no fruits or vegetables should be fed to chinchillas.

 

[mishellyshel]

if i did my research correctly, this will give you a simple comparison

1/4 cup of raisins = 59 grams of sugar

1/4 cup of goji berries = 12 grams of sugar

1/4 cup of unfrosted shredded mini wheats = 2.7 grams of sugar

the goji berry is one of the lowest dried fruits on teh glycemic index, also the sugar is converted differently than that of simple sugar. there is a lot of research on it.
i only mention the berry because it is very similar in size, shape & consistency of the raisin. with all this information, keep in mind that even if you chose to use them as treats, these are the kind of treats that are to be used very sparingly. hope that helps. you would be better to go with the unfrosted shredded wheat or crushed rosehips or pinch of oats as a treat.

 

[staceylwolf]

I sent ya a PM. I make chin cookies and will gladly send a free sample to you so your little one can still have a treat after play time

 

[~SG~]

Do you have a thread where you sell?
I would be interested too!

 

[Akunaferret]

Thank you very much, i sent you a responce. I have one more question and hopefully someone will see it. I have the crap fiesta mix and I plan on changing it. He won't eat the pellets in it, but will he eat the pellets in the LM Animal Farm one?

 

[Ash]

I'd switch to a good quality chinchilla feed like Oxbow or Mazuri or one of the good rabbit feeds, such as Nutrena, Tradition, Purina, etc.

 

[staceylwolf]

I feed Tradition pellets. I order from Ryersons.