What's YOUR chin's favorite treat?

[suzi1780]

all my girls go NUTS for Staceywolf's cookies, Lizzie my white girl is the worse... as soon as she hears the container open she starts running around the entire cage like a wild thing

 

[Dusty Foot Prints]

Annabelle loves Essentia's critter cookies and chinnie salad. We sprinkle a little of the chinnie salad into her hay and she goes nuts over that. She also likes rosehips, but like others have said, she also seems to think anything we give her by hand, is a treat.

 

[Magic_FROST]

My boys are addicted to Crispix like crack cocaine. Rosehips, chinny tea, cherrios....nothing works like the Crispix cereal pieces. Maybe its the crunch? IDK, but they only get one a day. I could make them sing like Sinatra if I tried just dangling a crispix in front of them, I swear.

 

[Stackie]

My boys are addicted to Crispix like crack cocaine. Rosehips, chinny tea, cherrios....nothing works like the Crispix cereal pieces. Maybe its the crunch? IDK, but they only get one a day. I could make them sing like Sinatra if I tried just dangling a crispix in front of them, I swear.

Considering Crispix is basically corn and sugar, it should not be given to chinchillas.

 

[Magic_FROST]

I did not know they werent okay. My chin vet (who specializes in exotics and also sees my other exotics) said one a day is okay.

I dont know what else they would take, honestly. We've tried a bunch.

 

[Stackie]

I did not know they werent okay. My chin vet (who specializes in exotics and also sees my other exotics) said one a day is okay.

I dont know what else they would take, honestly. We've tried a bunch.

Just because a vet says it's right, doesn't make it okay. I have had vets tell me feed fruits and veggies over pellets.

Treats aren't a necessity. They don't need treats to survive or be happy. Mine like apple sticks over anything else...it technically isn't a treat but they think it is. It's something they can get everyday. I give one treat once a week (I either break a chin cookie in half, give a pinch of rosehips, or a pinch of oats) and they aren't depressed or anything..they are perfectly happy and healthy.

 

[ticklechin]

Mine are so abused, they get no edible treats, just sticks and shredders. Would be cheaper for me to give them edible treats but I know its not good for their digestive tracts or teeth, both of which I have had enough issues with.

 

[Magic_FROST]

hmmmm...

A couple things for me to think about. My vet has never led me wrong, but I guess it could happen.

My oldest chin is very feeble and elderly, and had a horrible diet before he came to me. He was the one the vet said would really benefit from treats, as he wasnt consuming enough calories fast enough to get him out of the condition he was in. After 6+ months (of mazuri and a calorie supplement and a crispix) he was deemed heavy enough to go to just mazuri and one crispix a day.

Along those six months, everybody managed to jump on that crispix train. I have tried various wooden chew sticks, different coco-lava-loofa chews, rosehips, you name it.

I may go completely treat-free but I think with the 12 year old he might really miss his one a day. Does anybody else have a senior?

 

[Chintastic!]

Hands down grapevine is my chinnies favorite. They like other wood but will do anything for a grapevine twig. Other than that they get the occasional rose hip or cheerio. They also love their ryerson supplement.

 

[ticklechin]

I have a 17 1/2 year old, what is the question about senior chins Magic? Does he get treats? No.

 

[ChloandCoco]

Raisins....raisins.....and erm raisins!! plus his willow sticks, his alfalfa blocks and his fruit flavoured wood.

 

[aznmexaggie]

My chins' favorite treats are applewood sticks and as of late, kiwiwood.

I don't hand out treats regularly anymore but I do give the Ryersons supplement sometimes as well as the occasional rosehip, pinch of chin salad, or Lifeline. By sometimes, I mean a few times a month.

My oldest is 11. She maintains her weight just fine with hay and pellets.

 

[Magic_FROST]

senior chin treats

Does your senior have trouble chewing or keeping weight on? Would you wean off a treat slow or cold turkey?

My rescue senior has some severe health problems, and he gets soaked pellets made into a mash and chopped soaked hay daily. If he has been on a treat a day, do I need to worry about any diet upset if I take away the treat a day? Will that do any harm? I know now that its not good for him to have it, but will it be just as bad if I just cut him off? Do I cut one in half and do it gradually? Please understand he was at deaths front door taking a step inside when I got a call asking if I would be his angel several years ago. He had a hellish ride back to health, and I want him around as long as he's happy.

All the rest have been taken off the cereal. Just not him.

I have several other questions for you if you have the time. He was never supposed to make it to 10, but hes made it to 12......I want him to make it to 17 like yours.

 

[tunes]

Magic Frost, try offering him a pinch of old fashioned oats instead. Most chins go absolutely bonkers over the oats and he may not even notice if you take away the Crispex.

What kinds of health problems does he have that he is basically on the equivalent of baby food? Does he have teeth issues? I would imagine if he doesn't, he might develop them because chins need to chew. Mashed up pellets and hay aren't going to keep a "normal" chins teeth down sufficiently. (I put normal in quotes because I don't yet know what your guys health issues are.)

 

[Magic_FROST]

tooth problems require teeth, lol

Arthur does not have any really to speak of. He had several severely infected absences inside his jaw bone from neglect/abuse and really poor care. He has lost a lot of his ability to chew up and down from the resulting arthritis after the surgeries. We have never been able to ascertain if he is completely deaf or has minor hearing. He does have drastically diminished sight in one eye. The vet was able to remove all of the gangrenous tissue growths and the teeth, the antibiotics took care of a lot of the infection and the drugs to help his kidneys get back on track have been complete and hes been off them for almost a year now. The hard part was getting weight and keeping it on him after the ordeal and I dont want him ever to get back there.




He weighs almost 12ozs. We cannot get anymore on him, that really seems to be his plateau. But thats double what he was when I first met him.

Do you provide any special things for your senior? Art has no shelves because he falls. He is strictly one level, no moving objects in his cage. He has trouble when things are moved around, so no remodeling. So he doesnt really have any toys, cant really chew anything. He does have a grass hut he scratches against and a fleece blankie.

I will use any ideas you guys give me.

 

[Amy555]

If he eats Crispix, what about trying a shredded wheat? You could even crumble it into your hand so he could lap it up. My boys love shredded wheats more than any other treat or toy.

 

[3CsMommy]

Check with somebody more versed in senior chins, but I know Ronda sells Equine Senior horse feed, which is a soft(ish) pellet designed for older horses that have lost teeth and subsequently lost weight. It might be a better alternative as a treat. Otherwise, I'd definitely think about adding an herb & oats supplement to the usual food. Maybe just sprinkle a little over some hay and see what he does with it? If nothing else, the variety of textures, etc. seems to excite them about eating, which it sounds like wouldn't be a bad thing in his case.

What an angel you are for fighting with him through all that!

 

[ticklechin]

Magic, does your chin get regular filings of the teeth? Dante the 17 year old goes in every 6 months to a year or so for a simple filing, he eats right after. As far a his cage goes he is a tripod so it has always been set up for one. Other than that he gets what the others get to eat.

 

[tati121]

Raisins....raisins.....and erm raisins!! plus his willow sticks, his alfalfa blocks and his fruit flavoured wood.

Raisins aren't a recommended treat for chinchillas since they're so full of sugar which alters the bacteria in their gut. For the sake of your chin's health, you should cut out all raisins and replace it with different type of woods. As for safe food treats, cheerios, old fashioned oats, rosehips, and unfrosted shredded wheats are good in moderation! As in a couple treats per week

 

[midgemidge2000]

Raisins....raisins.....and erm raisins!! plus his willow sticks, his alfalfa blocks and his fruit flavoured wood.

raisins arn't goood 4 them. try a chero ro some oats instead.