cheerios

[jsbates65]

the breeder i got my chin from said one or two raisens a day was good, but now i'm getting the sense that this may not be the case. i read that cheerios are a good "treat". . .how many a day is OK?

 

[aznmexaggie]

You are correct; raisins are not an appropriate treat for a chinchilla, and especially not multiple raisins given daily. As hind gut fermenters, excess sugar is not good for their digestive systems.

I stick to one treat/serving a day, if at all. Personally, I would only give one Cheerio a day. If I give rolled oats, I normally give a small pinch. Rosehips and unsweetened shredded mini-wheats are also appropriate treats. Chins also will take a wood chew as readily as they would a treat!

 

[oxchincerelyxo]

I do a real treat everyother day, and give a fake treat (when I give them food pellets as a treat-they're silly and don't know the difference lol). I try and give twigs or willow balls and rosehips as treats instead of cheerios and shreddies. Just my personal style, but they seem to last longer and can be given almost freely (the wood treats that is :thumbsup

 

[Jenn]

I usually do a treat a couple of times per week because I'm too weak to say no to the look Tinkerbell gives me. I give a couple of cheerios. I also do a pinch of oats once in awhile. Otherwise I'll trick her and give her an apple stick which she will grab from me and run into her cage to eat.

 

[Brandon]

I stick to some oats and rosehips once a week but I think Binx likes willow and chew sticks better.. so those are almost like a treat for him!

 

[JennyBug]

I go the cheerio route and my three girls love them! They get half of one in the morning and the other half at night. Just make sure that they are PLAIN cheerios, not honey nut or yogurt!

 

[oxchincerelyxo]

You can also get toy parts (I know right now Riven is selling a bunch) and give them as treats/toys. There are a lot of options out there for good healthy treats and it's fun to mis them all up!!!

 

[StarGaz'N]

I say no raisins also for the same reasons stated by others.

I give the chins wood chews and pummice stones as treats. They seem very happy with that. All chins really need are good quality pellets, hay, and fresh water. Giving treats helps us humans feel better. If you are going to give treats, the other posts have recommended some that are ok.

 

[JennyBug]

I think I must have some rather smart chinnies...
If I try to pass off a pellet as a treat they sniff it and give me that "OK, where's the REAL treat?" look...

Along the same lines, the only time I give anything with any sort of sugar in it is right after giving Baytril. Carmen gets a tiny bit of sugar to wash the nasty taste out of her mouth (she won't take a cheerio, I don't think it gets rid of the taste).