Best Treats for Chinchillas: When it comes to treats for Chinchillas, then there are lots of options out there. But as a parent you should know what to feed your chinchilla. Your cute friend won’t care much until and unless the food tastes good to them. No Chinchilla owner can resist feeding some small treats to their Chinchillas every now and then. In fact, many owners use these treats as a positive re-enforcement while training their Chinchillas. But are all the chinchilla treats available in the market suitable for your small cute pets? What are some of the best Chinchillas treats you can buy?
In the past few years, I have tried many treats available in the market, while some of them were an absolute favorite of my guinea pigs while others went into nearby rescue shelters as my Chinchillas didn’t like it. So, first of all, let us check out the list of treats my Chinchillas loved then we shall further learn more about them.
What treats are safe for chinchillas?
Chinchillas have very sensitive digestive systems, therefore, treats need to be given in extreme moderation—with the exception of apple sticks, mulberry sticks, and pear sticks. Chinchilla-safe wood sticks may be given daily. You must avoid any wood chews/sticks from pit-bearing trees, such as peach. These types of wood are toxic. With chinchillas, moderation means no more than once or twice per week.
What to Feed a Baby Chinchilla
What Should Be Avoided in Special Treats?
Treats that are with high level of sugars must be avoided serving to chinchillas at all costs. It’s not recommended to buy treats from pet stores because most of these treats are not chinchilla-safe, despite them saying they’re ideal for chinchillas.
Chinchillas can not have any high sugar fruits, vegetables, nuts, or seeds. High sugar treats causes a lot of issues in chinchilla health. So, I recommend all the chinchilla owners not to give Fruits regularly in the chinchilla diet. Fruits and vegetables; even when dehydrated, have an excessively high amount of natural sugars, therefore, will eventually contribute to the development of GI stasis and bloat, both of which are fatal conditions with chinchillas. Fruits and vegetables should never ever be given to chinchillas, even in very small amounts. Nuts and seeds contain too much natural fat for chinchilla digestive system to properly digest.
List of Best Treats for Chinchillas
The following is a list of chinchilla-safe treats. All treats must be pesticide-free, cleaned, and thoroughly dried. If anything has a history of being treated with herbicides or pesticides, DO NOT USE. Once again, treats must be given in extreme moderation of no more than once or twice per week.
The following is a list of chinchilla-safe treats:
- Plain Cheerio
- Pellets
- Popcorn
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Plain Bite-Size Shredded Mini Wheat
- Apple Sticks (can be given daily)
- Mulberry Sticks (can be given daily)
- Pear Sticks (can be given daily)
- Apple Blossoms
- Bee Pollen (very small amount)
- Calendula
- Carnations
- Chamomile
- Dandelion Leaf
- Dandelion Root
- Globe Flowers
- Hawthorne Berries
- Hibiscus
- Honeysuckle
- Icana Flowers
- Jasmine
- Bread
- Lavender
- Marigolds
- Marshmallow Root
- Nettle
- Oat Groats (small pinch)
- Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats (approximately 10 pieces)
- Osmanthus
- Papaya
- Papaya Leaf
- Peach Blossoms
- Peony
- Peppermint
- Poplar Buds
- Raspberry Leaf
- Rosebuds
- Rosehips (crushed or whole)
- Tiger Lily
How many Special treats can a chinchilla have?
In general, special treats only form 10% of their total diets. As we know, treats that contain some of the high sugar ingredients which we cannot feed chinchillas. In general, I prefer to serve a small quantity of treat to my Chinchilla. The amount offered depends upon treat to treat. For sugarless fruits, a little slice or so is preferred, and for other commercial treats, I shall suggest some small quantity.
Can chinchillas eat guinea pig treats?
No, guinea treats are definitely not recommended for your Chjinchillas. Many people who have cpigs, thinks that they can share the same treats but the fact is they can’t. The treats made for pigs contains some cereals, sugar, etc. in high amount, which is not so favorable for your Chinchillas.
