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welcome | facts | choosing | feeding | looking after | care | links | leaflets The chinchilla has a very sensitive digestive system which has evolved through the frugal high fibre diet of grasses, fruits, leaves, bark, roots, stems, insides of cacti and available bugs and grubs. Chinchillas need lots of fibre so hay should be available to your chinchilla at all times. This is essential to keep the digestive system healthy and also to help wear down their continually-growing teeth. The chinchilla diet must be very low in fat and they should never have sunflower seeds or peanuts in their diet. They can easily become overweight if they have too much fat and over the long term, it can actually be fatal. Click on a link below to find out more about what Chinchillas eat:
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Chinchillas need feeding every day. A good quality, heavy,
earthenware food bowl is essential to keep the food dry and clean,
and prevent the chinchilla from tipping the food on to the floor of
the cage. Their bowls must be cleaned after every use. As you will
want to play with and handle your chinchilla, only give him a Treat
such as a piece of apple or carrot in the morning and then give him
his main meal in the evening when they are more active. They also need
fresh vegetables and fresh hay every day to provide them with the fibre,
vitamins and minerals they require for good health. They also need
a gnawing block and safe twigs to chew to help wear down their teeth.
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Rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas are known as foragers and grazers therefore feeding a coarse mix, with it’s variety of ingredients, would greatly enhance their ability to perform natural behavioural patterns, by allowing the animal to decide what it eats and when. However, when feeding a course mix, it is essential that all the ingredients
are consumed for the animal to receive a balanced diet. If the animal
is provided too much food, it may be able to satisfy its hunger by
only consuming its favourable ingredients. This may lead to the animal’s
nutritional intake suffering.
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If feeding a coarse mix and the animal is selectively feeding, there are several ways in which this can be controlled. The animal’s diet can be reduced gradually to encourage them to consume more of the ingredients. If the animal is set in their ways and continues to selectively feed then feeding the animal half the required amount twice a day will prolong the overall feeding time, therefore encouraging the animal to consume more of the diet. If after all these steps have been taken, the animal continues to selectively
feed, it would be advisable to change the diet to a mono component diet
in order to ensure that the animal receives a balanced diet.
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| Mono Component Diets - Pros / Cons Mono component diets are specifically designed to prevent an animal from selectively feeding. All of the extrusions are of identical nutritional composition and similar shape and size. Therefore the ability for the animal to selectively feed is eliminated. It could be argued that providing a naturally foraging animal with a mono component diet is reducing its ability to perform natural behaviour. However, if the animal persistently selectively feeds, in order to ensure good nutrition and to promote efficient gut function and dental wear, taking away the animals opportunity of being fed a course mix is the best option for animal and owner. To Summarise: It is always easier to encourage an animal to eat a good diet from birth. Therefore, if the animal is introduced to different ingredients correctly at a young age, then the likelihood of it selectively feeding later in life is reduced. To find out more about high quality,
nutritionally complete Chinchilla food, click here
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Hay is a vital component of a chinchilla’s diet to aid digestion and help wear down its teeth. Choose a good quality hay, which has been dust extracted and heat-treated to prevent health problems. To find out more about high quality Hay, click here
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Treats are so called because that’s just what they should be – a “treat”. If fed correctly they are not detrimental to a chinchilla and they will love them. However, treats are designed to be an extremely small element of the animal’s diet, and overfeeding may lead to health problems such as obesity, dental problems and heart disease. Some natural treats you can provide for your chinchilla are fresh grass (but NOT grass clippings), carrot, apple, celery, peas, swede, blackberries, raspberries and raisins. However, too much green food will cause diarrhoea. If you feed your chinchilla human food, remember to avoid foods that are high in calories, sugary or contain too much fat. A number of specially made Chinchilla
treats are also available from your local
pet shop.
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Changing Your Chinchilla's Diet If you wish to change your chinchilla’s food, you
must introduce it gradually into your chinchilla’s diet. Mix
about one quarter of the new food with three quarters of the old food
on the first day and then gradually increase the new food and decrease
the old food over a 10-day period. This should make sure that your
chinchilla has no tummy upsets.
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Ensure there is fresh drinking water available at all
times. The best way to provide fresh drinking water is to use a gravity-fed
water bottle attached to the front of the cage. Use one of the large
ballpoint bottles to prevent dripping and ensure a constant supply
is available. Water bowls are not suitable as they are easily tipped
over and can get contaminated.
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