Keeping Your Pet Chinchilla Healthy

Chinchillas require fewer nutrients and significantly more roughage in their diet. Conveniently, you can provide the ideal diet for your beloved ball of fuzz by purchasing pellets.

Pellets made for chinchillas are available for purchase at your local pet store or from a breeder. Different brands offer different ingredients, so choosing one can seem a formidable task. Before purchasing anything, ensure that it contains the most basic ingredients you need to keep your chinchilla healthy. The basic ingredients are soybean oil, meal, corn, oats, wheat germ, alfalfa meal, molasses, and additional minerals and added vitamins. Chinchilla pellets are long to make it easier for your pet to eat, as chinchillas use their hands to grasp what they are chewing.

Overfeeding chinchillas is basically impossible, for chinchillas stop eating the moment they feel full, unlike some dogs and cats. Decide to either feed your chinchilla once a day or twice a day-once you've established a routine, it is wise to stick to it and be consistent. Inconsistency can cause your chinchilla to be stressed, which is never a good thing.

Your chinchilla relies on routine to get through the day. Choose to use either a hopper feeder or a ceramic bowl to feed your furry friend. If you choose to use a hopper feeder, your chinchilla will not be in danger of being squished by a bowl falling over. A ceramic bowl is heavy enough that won't happen, and your chinchilla won't be able to chew through it like plastic.

If you ever find yourself unable to find pellets specifically for chinchillas, you can always substitute by feeding your pet guinea pig or rabbit pellets. Just make sure that they are very high in fiber and low in fat. If you do end up having to switch to a different type, do so gradually to limit the amount of stress on your chinchilla.

Hay is very healthy for chinchillas to eat as it is high in fiber. Hay comes in two varieties: alfalfa or timothy. You should be able to purchase it at a local pet store in loose or small compressed blocks that are about an inch wide by an inch high and two inches deep. Chinchillas will eat both types-just make sure that there are no chemicals or mold. Chinchillas need fresh hay, so store it somewhere dry.

Hay can be purchased in fifty-pound bags if you happen to have a lot of chinchillas. However, more than likely, you won't need so much. Fortunately, cubes of hay are available in smaller bags. Before feeding some to your chinchilla, break it into smaller pieces to make it easier. Adult chinchillas generally only eat one, though, so don't give your pet too much.

If your chinchilla is suffering from digestive issues, feed it Bermuda grass. So long as there are no chemicals or fertilizer on your Bermuda grass lawn, you can just pick a few blades for your chinchilla.