Blue Flag Chinchilla

Water

"Water from your tap is fine" . . . until you have problems with your water. Chinchillas are quite sensitive to protozoal and bacterial GI infection. Use filtered (<1 micron), boiled, distilled or bottled water. To be sure they are kept clean, we always wash our bottles before refilling.

Food

Pellets! There are several brands of chinchilla pellets available that are highly recommended for pet chinchillas - preferably one with relatively low fat and protein contents. Make sure the feed contains just plain pellets with no 'junk' - banana chips, raisins, etc.

We have found that the brands of chinchilla pellets that we are able to obtain locally do not meed the needs for our breeding and growing animals. And have had much success feeding chins in these stages a high-quality rabbit diet.

Adults consume approximately one to two tablespoons of pellets per day. Because they are nocturnal, it is best to feed them in the evening. Uneaten pellets should always be removed before new pellets are given. If there seems to be excess waste, lessen the amount of pellets given as necessary. Likewise, if all pellets are eaten, increase the amount.

Be sure to wash food dishes at least a couple of times each month.

Because chinchillas have very sensitive digestive systems, one brand of feed should be chosen and consistently fed. If a change from one brand to another is necessary, it is recommended that the change occur over a two week period by slowly decreasing the old feed and increasing the new. However, we have not had any problems switching the feed of healthy animals 'cold turkey'.

Keep feed in an airtight, rodent-proof container in order to keep it fresh and uncontaminated. Chinchilla pellets begin to lose their nutritional value after about three months, discard any feed older than this. (These older pellets make great fertilizer for your perennials - especially iris).

Hay

Hay is an important part of your chinchilla's diet. Either loose timothy or alfalfa may be offered. In either case, be sure that the hay is free of dust, mold and weeds. As an alternative, pressed alfalfa or timothy cubes may also be fed. Several other types of grass hay are also avaible and are acceptable as long as they are high-quality hays.

For a pet chinchilla, a good quality timothy hay is recommended. It has the appropriate calcium:phosphorus level for chinchillas. The lower fat and protein / higher fiber levels are also desirable.

Treats

Chinchillas love their treats, but only feed in moderation as many health problems may result from excess. Also, since chinchillas have such sensitive digestive systems, it is best to select only two or three of their most eagerly desired treats and consistently offer them instead of constant bombardment with a whole smorgasbord of goodies. Again, only offer treats in moderation and we do not recommend feeding them at all.

Corn, peanuts, chocolate, citrus fruits, any "fruit with a pit", and junk food are totally unacceptable. These items cause problems for the chinchilla's digestive system - they may be difficult to digest, toxic, may cause binding of the intestines, or may be too high in fat or sodium.