Dried Papaya??

[Laluvschins]

Anyone know if dried papaya is okay for your chin? Been hearing that dried fruit of any kind is not good. However I was given advice to give them this to help them improve on their droppings. When I give them a piece they absolutely love it and hasent seem to hurt them but I want only the best for my babies and wondered if I should stop the dried papaya. Thank you!

 

[Cuddlebug]

Dried papaya, like an other fruit (dried or fresh) has too much sugar in it. It can actually cause more digestive problems than it solves since chinchilla digestive systems are not designed to digest sugar.

 

[becky12883]

Fruits and veggies are definitely not a good treat. Dried papaya can have as much as 71 grams of sugar per 100 grams, that means it is mostly sugar (71%). Chinchillas are not designed to digest sugar. Rose hips, a safe treat, contain about 3 grams of sugar per 100 grams (3%).

 

[Jenn]

No fruit or veggies - fresh or dried - for chins. They can't process the sugars in it.

 

[AZChins]

Given in small amounts fruit is not harmful to chinchillas. It is important to give any treats in strict moderation and not give too much or give them too often.

 

[javachin]

I used to give them to my chins when I was brand new to them. But after reading more and with advice on this forum, I stopped using it as a treat. I just stick with herbs, rose hips, wood twigs/sticks, and shredded wheat now.

 

[Spoof]

I agree with AZ chins, I give papaya when I travel. It is a great way to keep them from getting dehydrated because it makes them thirsty so they drink. You'll find a lot of people that show do something similar.

 

[Jenn]

Given in small amounts fruit is not harmful to chinchillas. It is important to give any treats in strict moderation and not give too much or give them too often.

Really? This really does get confusing. I have always heard no fruit because of the sugar...isn't it better to be safe and stay away from fruit altogether, or are there certain fruits that are more acceptable in small amounts?

 

[tunes]

I would not give papaya. Ever eat a piece? It's like putting a bucket of sugar in your mouth. I have not heard of people who show giving papaya, but I have heard of them giving raisins AT the show to promote poops in case the chin binds up from travel/nerves.

There are better, safer treats than a bunch of sugar. What's wrong with their droppings that you need to give them papaya anyway? Giving sugar to fix a gut issue is kind of like smoking cigarettes to help with a cough. If you are providing a good quality pellet, good quality hay, and a good filtered water, there should be no need to "improve on their droppings."

ETA: Jenn - no, a piece of papaya isn't going to kill a chin, however, most people see "It's okay to give papaya" and start giving it by the handful. They skip right over Susan's comment of moderation (and I still wouldn't give it personally) and go straight to here, have as much as you want.

 

[AZChins]

If you get papaya that doesn't have added sugar, it really isn't that sweet. If it is given, the sugared type SHOULD NEVER be given. Most of the papaya at the grocery store and even at health food stores is sugared or coated in honey. That makes it way too sweet and adds too much sucrose to it. It's hard to find it unsweetened because people don't like the dried papaya without added sugar. The sugar also helps to preserve it since the papaya dries out rather quickly. Of course, this is definitely the case for all dried fruit...it's sugary enough without added sucrose!

I've heard of people using papaya to perk up chins, as well as raisins and dried pineapple. It's only a small piece and it's definitely not every single day. One of the reasons why people say to not give it at all is because some chin owners could not give out treats in moderation. I give papaya to new mamas or chins that have been ill, but again, not every day and only one small piece. Definitely not a handful...that would definitely cause some problems!

 

[Spoof]

I have not heard of people who show giving papaya, but I have heard of them giving raisins AT the show to promote poops in case the chin binds up from travel/nerves.

I have used raisins but they are a sticky mess and the papaya serves the same purpose and is much healthier. I use dehydrated and bring a bunch to snack on during trips. Last time I used dried apple because I had just made a batch. When traveling I give it when we stop for the day. They will get thirsty and drink within 20 minutes. This seems to really help them come out of shock and start looking around for other things to munch on.

I should probably say that the piece is no more than raisin sized. For an animal who's stomach is about the size of your pinky, moderation is key.

Here is a comparison between Papaya (raw) and Raisins, one cup of each.

Regular papaya is extremely good for you while raisins are just a crap ton of unnecessary sugar no matter how you look at it.

 

[ticklechin]

Why do people talk about what is given at a show etc when the OP is a pet owner asking a question about a pet chin, the info is not needed since the situation is not even the same, no papaya for pet chins its not needed.

 

[Spoof]

When you search google for topics like this thankfully CnH shows up on top. Then people don't have to ask the same question over and over for different scenarios.

 

[ticklechin]

Forums are for answering questions on specific issues, its what they are here for. Pet owner asking a pet question should get a pet answer.

 

[Dreamlite]

I agree with dawn. If they wanted to know about feeding a raisin to a show chin due to traveling that's completely different from feeding a pet a raisin cause you think its cute. Its 'treating' for a issue that's not there. If a pet that hasn't gone anywhere is given fruit cause of bowel issues there is a different problem than a show chin who hasn't ate anything all day and traveled many hours. Different problems different answers. For a pet there is no need (other than to satisfy the owner) to give a chin anything than hay, pellets and wood.

 

[ticklechin]

And when we are talking about size of fruit piece, I keep hearing a full raisin size, if you actually see a picture of a cecum and stomach like the one pictured here next to a ruler, a raisin size piece is HUGE.

 

[Spoof]

My raisins fresh out of the container are ~8-10mm. I guess I get small ones.

And this belongs in a pet thread?

Regardless, I will continue to answer completely wether it encompasses pet ownership, breeding or pelting. Feeding your pet chin papaya once in awhile isn't going to kill him/her and it is far better than a raisin. If you must feed something and are choosing between the two, please pick the papaya.

 

[Jenn]

Isn't the main point that neither should be fed? For the average pet owner, there are so many other, more acceptable and safer treats to choose from. I think everyone has a different idea of what "sparingly" means and may inadvertently feed too much, especially if they give in to a begging chin. It would just seem to be the safest path to choose to not feed any controversial fruits or veggies to chins.

 

[AZChins]

Back when I started people would feed their chins two raisins a day, and there were no problems except in the instances where people really did go very overboard. I remember the very first chin that I dealt with that was over treated...he had a lot of issues from too much sugar - we're talking not about a raisin a day with him, he was given a bowl of prunes each day to eat!

Moderation can be defined for sure, for the most part people aren't stupid and can understand the basic concept of giving one treat daily. There are always going to be people that are stupid and choose to ignore good advice, but those people are going to do whatever they want to do. They will give chins pizza crust, feed a bag of mixed dried fruit, feed peanut butter or give out chocolate to their chins.

The whole reason why people started saying not to feed any fruit at all is because of the people that just wouldn't listen. Just a few people that gave out too many treats and their chinchillas would stop eating enough good food and would only go for the treats. It seemed to ruin it for everyone else since the chins don't really need the treats and why even bother to recommend them if some yahoo is just going to give the chin an entire carton of raisins? That shortly turned into everyone saying that just a raisin or another small piece of fruit was bad...it seems that everyone just assumed that no one could give out anything in moderation when it comes to chins.

The fact of the matter is that a raisin or a piece of papaya is not going to hurt a chin. Once or twice a week along with a balanced diet is fine and will cause no deleterious health effects. I have used treats for years to help get chins to trust me when they come in from bad situations when they come into rescue. I rotate out treats so that there is more variety and interest in the treats. There are no health issues with any of the chins because treats are given in moderation.

I don't think that anyone should be put down or called a bad chin owner if a raisin or a piece of papaya is given especially if that person is giving it as just an occasional treat.

 

[ticklechin]

Why do these treats have to have sugar in them when there are alternative treats that do not? What chins don't get chins don't miss, its the owner that has the problem.