Honey, Sugar, Molasses...

[Lovette's Kara]

I read on another thread that honey is not very good for chins, and sweets/sugary stuff in general, but then wouldn't molasses also not be good for them?

I am just curious, but I kinda wondered about it. I figured that in most cases, its a binding agent to the pellets, but I dunno...

 

[tunes]

Black strap molasses is a different kind of sugar, and as you mention, is used as a binding agent. Chinchillas are hind gut fermenters, so the usual sugary things do not digest well.

I'm drawing a blank on the honey (sorry, it's late) but if I remember correctly, it's not only the sugar content, but something else as well.

 

[Lovette's Kara]

Black strap molasses is a different kind of sugar, and as you mention, is used as a binding agent. Chinchillas are hind gut fermenters, so the usual sugary things do not digest well.

I'm drawing a blank on the honey (sorry, it's late) but if I remember correctly, it's not only the sugar content, but something else as well.

I saw the honey info here: http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1705

 

[tunes]

I did a search and saw that thread also, but I reallllly wish we could still access the CnQ database, because there was a bunch of information about the honey on there. I just can't remember exactly what it was.

 

[Kalandra]

Peggy, perhaps what you were thinking about was botulism. Honey is considered bad in the young (human and animal) because honey can contain botulism spores, which can secrete a toxin.

 

[tunes]

That's it! Thank you Julie!

 

[Lovette's Kara]

I know that you are not supposed to believe everything you read on the net, and since I really can't find anything else suggesting it, I don't really know if I believe it, but this one site states "Molasses free and ... It has absolutely no molasses - so will not taint the fur (important with show animals) and molasses is not good in large amounts for chinchillas (and other animals) especially when it is in a main feed"
(http://www.chinchillas2shop.co.uk/justgrass.htm)

What does it mean by taint the fur? If its not good for Chinchillas, why do so many brands of Chinchilla food have it? And if they didn't have it, would it be problematic in some way?