Dairy?

[Ippo456]

I'm just curious: can chinchillas eat/drink dairy products?

The reason why I'm asking is because I know that chinchillas are part of the rodent family. I have lots of hamsters & I understand that hamsters can have cheese, yogurt, & milk as treats. Same goes to mice & rats.

Just asking & would like to hear some explanations.

 

[alli713]

I would not give dairy products to a chin. I'm not sure if it's safe or not but I would err on the side of caution.

I would think that it wouldn't be good for them however. Especially milk. For instance, some people like to give their adult cats milk, but this actually isn't good for them. Like many mammals as adults they become lactose-intolerant as the body stops producing the enzyme that breaks down lactose.

 

[RDZCRanch]

Ippo...I don't think those are good for those small rodents either. Just stuff people saw in all the cartoons and it makes them think cheese is good for those rodents.

Dairy products are a no for chinchillas. There is a list of acceptable treats. Stick to that. They may not seem tasty to us but the chins think they're absolutely the best thing ever. Don't try to "broaden" the treat list. There's no need.

 

[AZChins]

The chins think of shredded wheat the way that people would think of a hot fudge sundae! They love the bland treats just as much as anything...

They definitely don't need the dairy products and probably would have some pretty serious problems arising from eating them. Their digestive systems are definitely not suited to such things and they don't really have the ability to process the lactose properly. You don't want to upset their delicate systems by introducing cheese or yogurt or other dairy products.

 

[Ippo456]

Thanks for the replies.
I didn't think chinchillas could consume dairies but wanted to make sure.

 

[Ash]

I know cheese isn't good for rats/mice, either, despite the common misconception.

 

[Brittney]

I know cheese isn't good for rats/mice, either, despite the common misconception.

Cheese isn't really good for any animal. Dog's shouldn't be given cheese or any dairy products. Same with cats. They just don't digest it and can end up with GI upset.

I just don't see why companies make those yogurt drops and advertise them for every small animal. It’s not like they are going to pay the vet bill. Oh well.