treats

[bianca]

so when i went to buy supplies at the pet store, there was a chinchilla breeder there. she recommended these as treats because they help to clear out the system of the chinnie, causing them to poo....they are just little pieces of dried papaya..

is this okay? my chinnie LOVES them and i only give them to him about 2-3 times a week. other than that, he always has apple sticks and hay in his cage to snack on.

 

[aznmexaggie]

Hay provides the fiber necessary to keep their gut moving. Papaya is not necessary for chinchillas. Some rabbit owners of long-haired breeds use papaya because the enzyme is supposed to help break down hairballs but chins do not have this problem and don't need papaya. Not to mention, it is rich in sugar and there are much safer alternatives to treats.

 

[Jazicat]

My chinchilla just got sick with a bacteria which can be caused by too much bacteria so I would also be very careful about high sugar treats like any dried fruit.

 

[ticklechin]

Papaya is a sugar treat, the amount the chin would have to eat to take in enough enzyme to do anything would be huge. If you were actually treating something like a impaction, papaya enzymes are used-most of the chewable tablets have no sugar added. Chins do not need preventative hairball treatments such as papaya enzyme.

 

[chinnychinchinchilla]

i dont think its good for them because all dried fruit is very high in sugar and sugars not good for chinchillas.