Ketchup?

[meowmixkittymeow]

This might be a dumb question, but one night while i was eating dinner, Princess Fawn got a whiff of my ketchup and nearly lost it. I just had to give her a dot of it on my finger. Since then, this has become her favorite treat. It hadn't even crossed my mind that it may not be good for her until just now. I just feel bad because she likes ketchup even more than she likes raisins (which is a lot). So what is the general consensus on this one? opcorn:

 

[The1nOnlyMatty]

Ketchup has sugar, so while I am sure there are other ingredients that make it a no no that one definitely does. Also raisins are not really a healthy treat for them either.

 

[AZChins]

High fructose corn syrup and vinegar along with tomatoes...not a really good treat for a chinchilla. Try to keep her away from it. I'd try to get her hooked on a healthier treat like rosehips or shredded wheat. Any treats you do give her need to be infrequent - one treat a day is plenty. The more treats she eats, the less of her food she will want. Giving her too much treats or whatever you are eating could make her a bit picky.

 

[Cuddlebug]

No fruits or vegetables of any kind. They all contain too much sugar and can cause digestive issues in addition to the problems already mentioned. Also, your chin should not be given any type of nuts or seeds. They cannot digest the fat in them and it affects their livers.

Some good examples of healthy treats for chinchillas in addition to those mentioned are a plain cheerio, plain shredded wheat (bite sized), and a pinch of old fashioned slow cooking oats ( don't use the instant or quick cooking kinds).

I usually recommend that treats be limited to one or two per week. That means one or two total, not one or two of each kind.

 

[addictedtochins]

No, you really need to feed her no treats or better treats....and not that many or often either. Their tummies are very small. They don't need to fill it with junk, they need hay and pellets. I fed my 1st chin too much junk and she died. I don't want that to happen to you. You are her Mommy, please take the best care you can of her and learn what is best for her.

 

[3CsMommy]

Ketchup isn't even all that good for true omnivores like us, let alone what some are now calling a "fibrevore" designed to eat strictly hays and grasses. Two rose hips a week, or a rose hip and a 1/4 tsp scoop of an herbal/forage supplement are all my guys get, and we're all fat and sassy up here.

 

[meowmixkittymeow]

I'm not sure how people got that i was giving her a lot of treats, I really only give her a treat like every other day if that. Anyway, thank you for the answers, looks like we're going back to cheerios and i'll have to find rose hips for her too!

 

[Cuddlebug]

Nobody said you were giving lots of treats, we just listed what is good, what is bad and why it is bad.

 

[meowmixkittymeow]

Where does one even obtain rose hips from? The lady at the pet store looked at me like I had three heads and then lead me over to wheels –_–

 

[Chinmama]

HAHA! I sell crushed and sifted rosehips on my site. You can also find them through several other seller in the classifieds section or at some health food stores.