Pet Habitat South Africa

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25 Sep 2014

What Does Your Chinchilla Eat?

Posted By : Guest

Filed Under : Nutrition | Chinchillas

The story of how chinchillas made it into our homes as pets is rather an interesting one. They were initially used as laboratory animals, but it appears that researchers simply couldn’t get enough of them. So, a few were secreted out as pets and from there, the popularity of these animals grew. And, it’s easy to see why. Chinchillas are wonderfully inquisitive and active creatures. They simply love playing. And they don’t ask for a lot to make this playtime special. But, more than anything, what they need is a balanced diet. Once they have this, they’ll do most of the work themselves.

Chinchillas Are Fibrevores

There is a small group of animals known as fibrevores. This group includes rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas. Unlike other vegetarian animals, fibrevores don’t just eat fruits, vegetables and grasses. These animals need such an incredible amount of fibre in their diet to survive that it is almost unbelievable.

As such, your chinchillas are not so fussed with anything as much as they are about grasses and hays. Fortunately, they don’t just need hay to survive, they absolutely love it too. For them, hay can be a snuggly plaything as much as it is food. And that goes for all fibrevores, not just your chinchillas. And, although this makes these pets rather unique, it’s not something that can be taken lightly. Without an adequate supply of fibre in their diet, your chinchillas can become terribly ill. That is because chinchillas have an interesting digestive system which is completely based on the consumption of fibre.

A Two-Part Digestive System

To fully understand why your chinchilla has such a need for fibre, it’s important to understand his digestive system. Chinchillas, like other fibrevores, have a different digestive system than humans do. Instead of a straight process through the body, they have a two-part digestive system. This is based on the two different types of fibre.

First, there is indigestible fibre. Although it sounds like this is something your pet might not need because it is indigestible, nothing could be further from the truth. That’s because indigestible fibre passes from the mouth to the stomach and into the intestines, almost cleaning up bits of debris as it goes. It is then passed through the system without breaking down at all. However, along the way, it has stimulated the production of digestive enzymes and healthy flora. And this is a good thing. Not only does this keep the digestive system regulated, it also helps to ensure that the stomach remains clean and lean – and this means that your chinchilla feels the need to keep munching on his Timothy hay. And that’s a good thing because your pet needs all the digestive fibre it can get.

Digestive fibre, on the other hand, follows a different track through the body. Although it is partially broken down in the stomach, even digestible fibre is more difficult than that to digest. So, it moves into a special, appendix-like organ called the caecum. Here, digestible fibre remains during a fermentation process. The caecum does two things; it ferments digestible fibre which allows it to better absorbed into the body – and it begins the process of shaping this fermented fibre into small, sticky balls of fibre. These fibre-rich balls known as caecotrophs pass through the system, almost as though they are excrement. Only they aren’t waste. Your chinchillas need to re-ingest these caecotrophs now that the fibre is fermented and ready to be easily ingested. Without this, your pets will never be as healthy as they can be.

That’s how your chinchilla’s two-part digestive system works. And, hopefully, it explains why you need to ensure that your pet has plenty of hay in her diet. Without enough fibre, your pets cannot live life to the fullest.

Hay Is the Basis of a Healthy Diet

As you can see, your chinchillas need more fibre than you could have possibly imagined before. It must form the centre of their diet. And, although there are a few other things that you can (and should) feed your chinchillas, hay must form the major part of their diets.

Timothy hay is easily the best product you can feed your chinchillas. This is the dried form of Timothy grass that is widely grown and widely sold for the purpose of feeding fibrevores. It has exactly the right amounts of digestible and indigestible fibre in it which makes it an excellent choice. Plus, it is easy to store – and your pets will love it. You will find them munching on their piles of Timothy hay pretty much any time they’re not eating or playing.

Each of your chinchillas will need a pile of hay at least as large as themselves every day. You can always offer more hay, but you should never provide less. Timothy hay will never make your pets overweight – even if they eat more of it than normal. However, if there is leftover hay in your pets’ home when it’s time for their next feed, you should not count this as part of their daily meal. Your pet needs a fresh dose every day.

What Else Do Your Chinchillas Need?

Besides the water that every pet needs constant access to, your chinchillas have a preferred list of snacks that don’t harm their digestive systems and provide them with added nutritional benefits. That includes kale, potatoes, pumpkins and squashes and sweet potatoes. But, more than anything, your chinchillas are sure to love raisins. But, your pets don’t need too much of these fruits and veggies – and they should never replace the hay portion of their diet. And, if you’re looking for other treats, make sure that you choose products that are specially formulated for chinchillas. Even though your pets form part of a group of fibrevores, each of these animals has slightly different nutritional needs.

If you’re ever concerned about what your chinchillas should be eating, or the balance of foods that will work best for your pets, then feel free to call us. We’re always happy to help – and so will your vet. And, to keep your chinchillas happy and healthy you should always go with the recommendations of trusted professionals.