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29
JUN
2014
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Chinchillas are attractive pets – they’re friendly, cute, and low maintenance. Chinchillas are suitable for many ages, in big cities or the country, for both new pet owners and those dedicated to chinchillas. However, chinchillas are not the same as cats and dogs. You wouldn’t take care of a horse the same way you’d take care of a dog. You wouldn’t take care of a hamster the same way you’d take care of a goldfish. Similarly, chinchiillas have some needs that are different than the needs of other types of pets.
One of the most common problems with owning an exotic pet (reptile, chinchilla, bird, etc) is that very often is it difficult to find information on proper nutrition. Although caring for a chinchilla seems simple, feeding them is not quite as straightforward as buying a bag of dog food at the pet store. Chinchillas are strict herbivores. Unlike dogs and cats, chinchillas’ digestive systems are built to efficiently digest toug.. [More]
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Tags :
Chinchillas And Hay in South Africa , Feeding Chinchillas In South Africa , Chinchilla Food South Africa , Chinchilla Diet South Africa , Chinchilla Nutrition
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24
JUN
2014
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Your chinchillas may start off as quite timid pets, but with plenty of love and enriching activities, they can become quite lively creatures. Chinchillas can be quite inquisitive and should be introduced to new activities and games for the duration of their 10-15 year life. Here are just a few enrichment activities.
Enriching activities for your chinchilla?
Chinchillas are prey animals, and they will spend plenty of time hiding until they become comfortable with their surroundings. They’re likely to enjoy hiding away almost as much as they love running and jumping. The enrichment activities that you choose for your chinchilla should address these natural desires – and their need to chew. You may want to consider:
Creating tunnels,
Adding boxes to hide in and jump from,
Ensuring that different levels of the housing are moved occasionally, or
Providing a chinchilla safe wheel (with a smooth surfa.. [More]
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Tags :
Enrichment Activities for Chinchillas , Chinchilla Food South Africa , Caring for Chinchillas In South Africa , Feeding Chinchillas , Chinchilla Toys , Chinchilla Cages South Africa
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07
JUN
2014
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It’s important to feed your chinchilla the right food. Chinchillas like all animals have quite specific dietary requirements and shouldn’t be fed food meant for other animals. Food that is meant for rabbits, or a generic food designed for all small mammals will not have the right balance of nutrients for your chinchilla. Vets report that 80% of chinchillas that come into their practice have a health problem that is directly related to poor diet. Common ailments are constipation, overgrown teeth, obesity and other problems related to these primary issues. The good news is that many of these are easily prevented if owners understood a bit more about what their chinchillas should be eating and why.
Consider a day in the life of a wild chinchilla. He would spend 70% of his time searching out or 'foraging' for food while keeping a beady eye out for predators, to make sure he wasn't going to end up as someone else's dinner! His diet would be mainly made up of grasses, .. [More]
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Tags :
Taking Care of Chinchillas South Africa , Choosing Right Chinchilla Food , Chinchilla Food South Africa , What Is Right Chinchilla Food , What Do Chinchillas Eat , Feeding Chinchillas , Chinchilla Food Sour
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06
JUN
2014
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Fibre facts:
Fibre is the most important ingredient in rabbit food. It is essential for normal wear of teeth. So much so that FEDIAF state “For the health and well-being of a rabbit good quality hay should be fed at all times”.
Daily fibre intake is essential to the rabbit to maintain normal:
gut function
dental wear
fermentation in the caecum.
Fibre comes mainly from plant cell walls.
Plant cell walls containing lignin, cellulose and silicate phytoliths are also important for salivation and dental health.
Plant cell walls consist of polysaccharides associated with;
glycoproteins
phenolic compounds
acetic acid
lignin
Fibre definitions:
Digestible fibre – a young growing plant cell has primary cell walls, which contains fermentable or digestible fibre. This fibre supports caecal fermentation.
Indigestible fibre – older plants develop secondary cell walls, which cons.. [More]
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Tags :
Fibre Facts On Pet Food Labels , Fibre Facts & Definitions , Pet Rabbit Food South Africa , Chinchilla food South Africa , Pet Guinea Pig food South Africa , Timothy Hay South Africa , Teff Hay , Rabbit Hay ,
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28
APR
2014
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This is a question we are often asked… Can I feed my Chinchilla Rabbit Pellets?
The answer we always give is a resounding “no”. Chinchillas have a similar digestive system to rabbits and fibre is a core part of their diet. However, their nutritional needs are quite different which is why Burgess formulated Excel Nuggets specifically for Chinchillas. Consistently feeding rabbit nuggets or rodent pellets to a chinchilla can cause illness, so please opt for a food that has been specifically formulated to meet their needs.
This is also why we would suggest that rabbits and chinchillas are not kept together as pets. As with rabbits, a chinchilla’s teeth will continue to grow throughout his life. They can become overgrown and this can be fatal. A good, coarse fibre filled diet, including Burgess Excel feeding timothy hay, will help to keep teeth in good shape in addition to wooden chew objects for gnawing.
If you spot that your chinchilla i.. [More]
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Tags :
Feeding Chinchillas The Right Diet in South Africa , Chinchilla food South Africa , Chinchilla pellets , Muesli Chinchilla food , Lucerne pellet , Muesli Chinchilla food , Chinchilla breeder , Timothy Hay
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