treat

[kendra]

I'm just curious if hawthorn berries and juniper berries are ok as periodic treats? I found a natural grocery that carries rosehips at reasonable prices, but saw these and started thinking if they would be safe as well.

Thanks!

 

[greychins]

I personally wouldn't give them. While I admit that I don't know anything about either of those specific berries... the word "berries" makes me think of natural sugars, which chins shouldn't have - so I'd personally stay away.

But... some people give goji berries to their chins among other things... so you may hear otherwise. But me -- I get in enough rescues with health issues that the chins here get very little that isn't wood or something that's pretty much widely considered safe (i.e. cheerios, shredded wheat, rolled oats, etc).

 

[kendra]

thanks, I may have asked before but couldn't find it, I'd just been to the store and thought about them!

For the most part I treat with just handing pellets, hay, or wood, or the known quantities of chin safe treat, although I have given a goji berry once in a blue moon. They just looked small and easy.

 

[Spoof]

With any type of herb or treat/berry you give a chin you'll want to do some research on it. Google is your friend!

When you are googling the herbs remember that chins weigh around one pound. Something that has a limit in humans, say at 1g per 100lbs needs to be appropriately sized in dosage for chins.

We say rosehips and most vit. C based treats are safe because excess passes in the urine. Many minerals/vitamins do not. Something to keep in mind when picking up new things to try. )

 

[kendra]

what are good versus bad "ingredients"? For example, I see people post the ingredients of feeds and things like sugars are not good, vitamin c can be good- this could be a silly question so sorry if it is! I like to google new and interesting things a lot but would love direction as to what to look for good and bad.
thanks all

 

[summerdays]

i'm pretty sure hawrthorne was on the safe list? they also have antioxidant properties


Summer

 

[ChinnyMom]

i asked the same question recently to Ronda (member and vendor here on the forum), and she said that hawthorn berries were safe. i don't know about the juniper berries though.

with hawthorn berries, chins will only eat the outside and leave the inner part. guess it's like whole rosehips, they don't care for the seeds or itchy yellow fluff inside.

 

[Randy-Chin]

I have been giving hawthorn berry, leaf and flower along with juniper berries for over 5 years with my chins.

Hawthorn is great for keeping the heart system in top shape.

I use hawthorn leaf and flowers in my herbal supplement.