Chewing

[nikki123]

I've had my chinchilla for about a month now and she won't chew on anything I get her! Her teeth look fine as I have checked them out and she is eating normally. She will try chewing home my papers or my books but has no interest in anything else. I've tried a few different wood chews that she won't even touch (unless she's picking it up to throw) and some of the calcium chews from my local pet store and she will nibble those for a bit but then she is over it. I don't want her teeth to grow out to much and I'm concerned at her lack of chewing!

 

[Amethyst]

Since you say you've only had her a month she should be still settling in. However it could also be she just doesn't like what you are offering, most chins don't like the toys you can buy at the pet store, the wood tends to be over processed and possibly lack flavor? Try lots of different wood, chins do have preferences as to what kind of wood they like. Check out the vendors on here, I know Ronda makes awesome wood and has a variety. You can also try hanging toys vs toss toys, I know my guys wont touch certain wood unless it's hanging, if I hand it to them they throw it.

Another thing is unless you had x-rays taken then you didn't know for sure the teeth are fine, though eating normally is a good sign. In chins all the teeth grow not just the front ones, including roots of the teeth and the only way to see those is to do an x-ray. More likely though as I said she might just not like the wood options offered so far. Also the calcium chews are not good, too much calcium in the diet can lead to bladder stones.

 

[Chinmama]

Some chinchillas are very picky about what they will chew, and some chinchillas just aren't heavy chewers. My ZZ doesn't chew as much as I would like for him to, but he seems fine. Just keep an eye on her and see how she does.

 

[Minccino]

Chins are picky creatures! Mine won't chew heavily on the pet store wood chews either, and he won't touch manzanita wood at all. His favorite is mulberry. He also likes Apple wood and palm ribbon. So yeah, I would also suggest ordering a variety of different woods online.

 

[nikki123]

Update:
I finally tried lava bites and Aurora chewed the whole thing in a couple hours! Since she started chewing the lava bites she gained interest in many of the things she would not previously chew! Now she's a little chewing machine and it's such a relief! Thank you for the replies!

 

[preslor]

I found that my chinchilla, on the store bought chew toys, will only chew lava bites. She also chews a lot on the Lava Landing. She will also chew on wood that isn't the normal pet store stuff. But she mainly sticks to the harder rock type stuff.

 

[Teddykay]

Since you've only had her for a short period of time, she might just not feel comfortable chewing on things yet. Buy varieties of chewy things!! My chin loves Apple sticks (small Apple wood sticks from Walmart in bird/rodent isle) and also the Pumice Chin Chew Box (pumice cube from Chinworld.com)! Try those!

 

[lightningturtle]

Try lots of different wood, chins do have preferences as to what kind of wood they like. Check out the vendors on here, I know Ronda makes awesome wood and has a variety. You can also try hanging toys vs toss toys, I know my guys wont touch certain wood unless it's hanging, if I hand it to them they throw it.

I second the recommendation, especially for a sampler like Ronda's. Dessy is all kinds of picky what she chews, and while she'll go for most sticks she won't touch a toy that isn't hanging.

Chins are just finicky sometimes!

 

[Chinups]

One of my chinchillas took a few months before he became interested in wood chews and toys. He was more timid that my other one, who chewed everything instantly. Now, they're both avid chewers. I wouldn't give up, just keep introducing different chews until you find the one that works best.