Pet Habitat South Africa

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28 Apr 2014

Feeding Chinchillas The Right Diet

Posted By : Guest

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 is drooling excessively or is not eating his food then this could be a sign of dental problems. Consult with your vet straight away.

Chinchillas have very sensitive digestive systems, and feeding a good quality diet appropriate for chinchillas is essential to their health. Chinchillas eat mostly high-fiber foods such as grasses, herbs, seeds and fruits in their natural environment. The chinchilla as a pet needs a continuous supply of fresh feeding hay.

dry mix (muesli) type food

Recently, there has been a lot of discussion regarding muesli diets, and what was considered a year ago, the ideal complete muesli food for chinchillas, there is now a campaign to ban this type of food from pet stores. Chinchilla muesli is any type of dry mix or mixture foods which normally contains some pellets, rose hip, oats, wheat, maize, herbs and few pieces of dried fruit and/or vegetables. Chinchillas are not designed for these rich or fatty muesli diets, and such diets can easily cause serious digestive upsets.

What is often not understood is that chinchillas need to keep their digestive systems busy with a mix of two kinds of fibre – digestible and indigestible –moving through the gut at all times.

Chinchillas can’t get enough nutrition from fibre as it first passes through the gut. So they pass it through the gut again. Indigestible fibre is moved through their digestive system and excreted as separate, round, hard droppings. This acts to keep the digestive system moving and stimulate appetite.

Digestible fibre is moved up into an organ called the caecum – this is like a giant appendix. Good bacteria in the caecum ferment the fibre (making it easy to digest) which then emerges in the form of clumps of sticky droppings – called caecotrophs. Chinchillas then re-eat the caecotrophs and their systems extract essential nutrition as the digestible fibre passes through for the second time.

Muesli or any dry food mixtures can kill Chinchillas

Failing to provide adequate portions of the right kind of fibre can rapidly lead to illness or death. At Burgess Excel, they call the correct ratio of these two types of fibre ‘Beneficial Fibre’. That’s why muesli-style foods are such a problem. Chinchillas can become fussy eaters, and will eat sweet foods as an easy way to get a glucose fix. As a result, they can pick out unhealthy elements of muesli-style foods and leave the rest. This is called selective feeding and will inevitably lead to an imbalanced diet, lacking in calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D. Above all, this behaviour can lead to a lack of fibre with potentially fatal consequences. When taken with the fact that muesli-style foods are commonly low in fibre to begin with, the problem is compounded.

And finally, the unhealthy ingredients in muesli-style foods are high in sugar and starch. These are difficult for chinchillas to digest and can lead to health problems and obesity.

If you feed Burgess Excel Chinchilla nuggets with special ingredients put together by vets, you are guaranteeing a consistent amount of vitamins and minerals in each bowl, opposed to muesli which varies from bowl to bowl.

A recent scientific study in England concluded that hay intake and water intake were lower when chinchillas consumed dry mix/muesli type foods, which caused urinary tract problems. These scientific findings from the two year academic study conducted by The University of Edinburgh, confirms the link between muesli-style foods, fed with or without hay, and potentially deadly dental and digestive problems that lead to costly veterinary treatment and in some cases can be fatal.

Professor Anna Meredith, who conducted the research at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, said: “Vets have suspected for a number of years that feeding muesli-style foods could lead to health issues and now we have the proof.”

Dietary changes can also cause upsets, so any new foods should be introduced gradually. If you are changing the diet, begin by mixing a small amount of the new food with the older food, and gradually increase the proportion of the new food. Also, treats must be limited to very small quantities to avoid upset.

Give Fresh Hay Daily

Even when you choose a high fiber diet, the pelleted diet must still be supplemented with hay to ensure your chinchilla gets plenty of roughage for the proper functioning of the digestive system. The roughage in hay also helps with keeping the teeth in good condition.

Feed as much good quality hay as your chinchilla wants each day. Hay should be cleaned out and fed fresh on a daily basis to keep it from becoming soiled or moldy.

Hay is rich in calcium, minerals and vitamins (such as Vitamin B2, Vitamin B12, Vitamin E, vitamin D3). A healthy option is to add some dried herbs and flowers to the hay. These tasty and healthy ingredients will make the food more desirable. Safe herbs are Rose buds and hips, Lavender, Calendula, Echinacea and Hibiscus Flowers. These supplements are rich in Vitamin C, lower cholesterol and have antibacterial properties.

Chinchillas love the combination of dried grass, flowers and herbs. Pressed cubes of hay can be given, though I suggest also feeding some loose hay, as it has more long strand fiber (and chinchillas seem to enjoy playing with it, too).

Alfalfa hay should not be fed exclusively to most adult chinchillas; alfalfa is high in protein, calcium, and oxalates, and too much could possibly lead to urinary and other problems (it is good for growth, breeding chinchillas, and as a treat).

Timothy hay and other grass hays are excellent sources of roughage, and should make up the bulk of the hay fed to adult chinchillas. Don't feed any hay that is damp, smells musty, or is discoloured.

Treats for Chinchillas

Chinchillas should be given very little in the way of extra treats -- never more than a teaspoon a day. Raisins and dried fruit are favorites, but high in sugar so should be fed in very small quantities, and infrequently. Try not to feed more that 3 or 4 raisins per week. Rose hips are another recommended treat as they are high in vitamin C and other nutrients (check your health food store).

Though we don't normally think of twigs and branches as anything special, your chinchilla will likely view them as a terrific treat. Twigs from apple trees and other safe trees can be given to your chinchilla. Make sure any wood you use has not been treated with pesticides, and do not give branches from toxic trees.

Burgess Excel Nature Snacks are complementary healthy snacks for chinchillas and other small animals. Excel Mountain Meadow and Country Garden Herbs is a delicious mix of aromatic herbs and flowers, including calming chamomile. It can be fed either as a snack or as a delicious topping on Bunny Nature chinchilla pellets.

As with any pet, one of the most crucial parts of animal ownership is caring for them nutritionally. Fortunately, Chinchillas do not have many food requirements. Just ensure that you always have plenty of timothy hay on hand, provide fresh water regularly, and supplement with the right vegetables and treats and you should have a happy, healthy pet. The Burgess Excel Feeding Plan is an easy to follow 5-a-day guide to ensure your chinchilla gets the right balance of fibre, nutrients, vitamins and minerals for their all round health.

Bunny Nature treats provides the nutrients your chinchilla needs and variety in your pet’s diet to stimulate his mind, avoid boredom and to make sure he gets all the goodies he needs. Besides, who doesn’t love a treat once in a while?

Burgess Excel Chinchilla nuggets may cost a little more than other chinchilla foods, but it’s well worth it for the health and happiness of your pet.

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