Flax seeds toxic?

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chinchillin2005

Shadow's mom
Joined
Jul 11, 2012
Messages
199
I was giving my chinchilla a tiny pinch of raw flax seeds for a while and I stopped because he had a change in personality, like he was irritated which he usually never is. Then I found out flax seeds contained cyanogenic compounds which are toxic. I also found that apple contains a tiny bit of it also. So my question is, will my chinchilla be ok from eating some flax seeds? Is apple and oat horse treats/appleasses really safe for chinchillas? I'm never feeding my poor baby flax seeds again but I see that a lot of people use it in their herb mix which I buy a lot.
 
Everything in moderation, or, anything can be toxic if you eat too much of it.

Here's a good article on it.

A pinch of only flax per day is a lot for one chinchilla. A pinch of any one thing is a lot for a grazing animal that should take in 1-2TBS of solid food over the course of 24 hours. Most supplements have the equivalent of 2-5 seeds per tsp of supplement. Not enough to traditionally cause problems.

Did you notice a change after you quit using flax? I'd be worried about it being something else causing the temperament changes.
 
I'm not sure if flax seeds are toxic thou as I have never given them.
Personally, I used to give a pinch of quality oats to my chins as a training treat, I especially used them when they were growing, but I have now reduced it a lot. The only seeds I give them is fennel and thistle seeds as it is good for digestion but no more than a pinch. I also give them a pinch of dried leaves, herbs, and wild flowers as a topper, they really enjoy it and gives them a bit of variety. I give them no fruits but sometimes a pinch of dried roots like carrot, parsnip, dandelion or nettle. All these healthy top ups I only give every 2-3 days and alternate so that there's more gap between each type. Their pellets are 100% grain free and is all a mix of meadow grasses and plants. I only give them alfafa in a cube form once a month and I usually hide it in a chew toy so they gotta work for it :) . I weigh my chins every month and even the vet keeps telling me she's happy to see such healthy chins when I take them for general check ups.
 
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