Chinchilla treats, edible toys, etc..

[bianca]

this is a few questions in one:

1) my chinny eats raisins for a treat. i usually give him one a day. are there any other things that he should get as a treat or that i should give him instead?

2) are toilet paper rolls bad for my chinchilla? if i put it in his cage, he will definately chew it, eat it, swallow it. is this safe or risky for his health?

3) can my chinchilla eat plain crackers, plain oatmeal, fruits, dried fruits.. etc... what kinds of "human" foods are healthy for my chinchilla (if any), and how often should he get these foods?

please and thank you!!!

 

[HamNCheese]

1) avoid raisins altogether, actually. They are high in sugar and have a tendency to be bad for the digestive system, giving them soft poos. Chins love 'em, but it's not good for them!

2) Are toilet paper rolls bad? Nope! Just as long as they are plain brown cardboard...not a lot of glue, bleached white, toilet paper still attached, etc. There's debates on whether white cardboard (bleached) will hurt them, but as a rule I'd recommend staying away from anything glossy or with glue on it. Cardboard won't hurt them.

3) crackers: yes, in small chunks. oatmeal: yes, a couple little kernels are ok. fruits: NO! dried fruits: not many, and none that are very high in sugar.

Good rules of thumb to follow with treats:
-Never more than one or two a day.
-With treats such as crackers, cereals, chin cookies, etc. a small (1/4" to 1/2" cube) piece is enough for a day.
-Do not feed them fresh fruits or veggies...chins will probably not eat them anyway, but fresh ones aren't good for their little digestive tracts.
-Grains and grain-based foods are usually OK. Things like plain cheerios, shredded wheat, plain crackers, etc.
-Sticks and wood chews are GREAT! Apple sticks are my chin's favorite, and there are lists online of safe wood types for your chin to chew. They love bark. Plus, if you have access to a safe, untreated tree, you can prep sticks yourself with instructions found online. Chins can have as much of these as you want, as long as it's a safe wood type they can eat it forever and be fine.
-Treats that C&H members make (such as critter cookies) are great, chins absolutely love them, and you can order them from a number of different places.

hope this helps

 

[Brittney]

We buy everything organic in my house. Toilet paper, paper towels, even q-tips. Mine destroy the rolls (brown, no glue or paper stuck on) and it has never hurt them. They also love q-tips. The chew on the paper middle and shred the fluffy tips.

I give mine apple sticks, loofas, cholla (I get it for free ), pumice stones, lava bites, and their shelves to chew on.

The only treat I give them is a half of a unsweetened shredded wheat and it is like once a week at most.

 

[bianca]

thank you so much.
so if i put a toilet paper roll in his cage and he devours the whole thing, it is completely safe and fine? (sorry, im just paranoid because i lost one of my chinchillas yesturday and i dont want to lose this one )

and also, plain pumice stones are okay as well?
thank u for all the help!!!

 

[Gizmo24]

I didnt know chins could have q-tips. Gizmo got one the other week and looked like he was lifting weights! It was cute as ever but i was afraid when he started chewing on the cotton part.

 

[alli713]

Personally I wouldn't give my chins q-tips to chew on.

 

[Brittney]

Mine usually only pull the cotton off of it and they don't eat it, but I quit giving them to my boys because Ande was actually eating the cotton. He has to ruin it for everyone. Bryson is good and only plays with q-tips, he doesn't eat them. Just watch and make sure nothing get ingested.