Diet clarification

[Anjftw]

I have had my sweet chin for about a week and a half, but I could really use some clarification on what her diet should be! I want her to have the best and we would never want to give her food that could potentially make her ill.

As it stands, my hubby was the one who purchased her (from PetSmart) and an employee helped him pick out accompanying items. Now that I've been researching the forums and other chin websites, I see conflicting info. Some people suggest a raisin occasionally. Some say no fruit EVER. I see this more often though it seems. I've also seen that they shouldn't be given nuts because too much fatty oil can cause liver damage. Does this include pumpkin seeds?

The treats we have are a mix of dried fruit and nuts, but they were supposed to be considered suitable chinchilla treats at the pet store. Haha, sheesh.

We do give her a treat sparingly, but should we not be giving her any of those treats?

Also, her pellet mix has other goodies mixed in with it (example being sunflower seeds, but looking at the ingredients list it looks as though it has some dried fruit in it!! Ugh). Kaytee Fiesta Max for chinchillas are the pellets.

On top of that, I understand no veggies either. Again, our hay has dried carrot in it.

So I guess I'm looking for further clarification and suggestions on treats specifically.

I'd read Oxbow chinchilla pellets are good, so I was thinking of replacing her pellets with those. If I do this, do I also need to make the switch gradually?

Thank you in advance for any responses all!

 

[tunes]

Rule of thumb is - if it comes from a pet store - don't use it. Manufacturers slap pictures of chins on anything they think someone will buy. They don't care if it's safe, they want to make money.

I would return the fruits and nuts. If you haven't opened it, return the hay. If you have, dump it and buy straight hay. If you can buy Oxbow locally, go for it. They are a very good brand of feed. Definitely dump the Kaytee. All that junk in there will just make her want to eat the "candy" and not the good stuff.

If you can't get it locally, check the classifieds here. There are different people on here who sell different brands of feed, any of which are chin approved. You can usually get enough for several months with shipping for what you can get a little bit for in the pet store. You will also find that the folks in the classifieds sell chin safe wood chews, toys, etc. Rhonda has really good prices on wood, as does AZChins, and she also makes wood toys.

If you're looking for hammocks and supplements, try Tanya at Fuzzie's Kingdom. She's got the best hammocks, houses, and chubes I've ever seen. They cost more, but they last literally forever. She's also got really good SAFE supplements (as opposed to that pet store mix of junk) and her organic hay is a big hit here. There are other people who offer supplements and supplies listed there too. Our suppliers are good and we only allow active, participating members to sell their goods here.

 

[Riven]

I personally wouldn't do the raisins, they don't need them.

If you feed the need to give treats you can give a plain shredded wheat once a day or a pinch of old fashioned oatmeal.

Oxbow is a good choice for foods. Good for you for wanting to make sure your chin has all of the things it needs. You'll find that a lot of the suppliers here can help set you up with a higher quality of product for a lower price set right to your house, like dust.

 

[ticklechin]

A apple twig is a great treat, lasts longer.

 

[jbcstratton]

Oxbow, Mazuri, manna pro and some others are all good foods. You may be able to find a larger bag at a tractor supply or a feed store near you. I asked mine and they ordered it in for me in 25 pound bags.

Timothy hay that is plain is standard for most hay, find a brand that smell and looks good, try it with your chins and stick with it if they like it. You can give other hays like alfalfa, oat, meadow grass and others but more as a treat and variety.

Simple treats like old fashion oats, plain cheerios or shedded wheat go over well here.

Good luck with finding what they like.

 

[Cuddlebug]

No fruits, nuts, seeds, veggies, or dairy. Nuts, seeds and dairy are high in fat. Chinchillas digestive systems are not made to digest fat and it will cause fatty liver disease. All fruits and veggies are bad, drying them does not remove the sugar and sugar can cause bloat and other digestive issues.

The treats, feed and hay already mentioned by other members are good, healthy alternatives. However, I would limit treats to one or two per week, not per day.

 

[Anjftw]

Thanks everyone for your input! We ditched the old treats and hay. We're also working on switching her pellets completely to Oxbow. She loves it so far! I'm planning on ordering some rose hips for her as a treat.

I was also wondering though, are there herbs that are okay to give as treats?? If if it's a plausible treat option, any recommendations? We'd like to grow our own for her so we know that it 100% does not have any pesticides or icky stuff.

 

[Chinmama]

Tanya at Fuzzie's Kingdom has a good selection of safe herbs: http://www.fuzzieskingdom.com/herbs/treats/natural-treats-rabbit-chinchilla.html.