Diet

PELLETS

Right now, there is no perfect pelleted diet for chinchillas. The pet food companies will not do the appropriate research because there is not a big enough market for chinchilla food. Most of the diets are a modified rabbit pellet which seems to be sufficient, most likely because rabbits and chinchillas have very similar gastrointestinal tracts. As these cute creatures become more popular pets, the pet food companies may pursue research, but, until then, any kind of chinchilla pellet is fine. I prefer to stick with one that does not have added things like seeds, colored particles, etc, and just go with a plain pellet. Try to feed the same brand all of the time and if you do decide to switch feeds, do it slowly by mixing the new food with the old brand for approximately 1 week so the chins do not get diarrhea.

HAY

Much research has been performed on chinchilla teeth and dental disease. Chinchillas are hypsodonts, which means that they have continuously growing incisors and molars. If the teeth are not properly worn down by constant chewing of coarse material, they can overgrow. Instead of growing out of the mouth like we see with some rabbits and guinea pigs, the teeth actually reverse their direction and will grow from the roots. This means that you may not see the signs of tooth overgrowth until it is to late. The roots will grow up into the facial sinuses and even into the orbit (eye socket). Clinical signs such as runny eyes and protrusion of the eye will occur. The best way to prevent dental disease is to feed lots of coarse, loose timothy hay. It keeps their teeth as well as their GI tract healthy by providing the necessary fiber in their diet. Alfalfa hay is too high in calcium and potassium and can cause GI upset if chinchillas eat too much of it. Also, it is usually not coarse enough to prevent dental disease. An occasional alfalfa cube for a treat is fine, as long as the feces remains a normal consistency. Other types of grass hays are also appropriate for chinchillas. I often mix brome hay, orchard grass, or oat hay with my timothy to give the chins some variety. For other treats, a raisin a day will keep your chin happy and loving you. I also like to give my chins unsalted sunflower seeds and Cheerios. Just keep an eye on the feces when you give them treats and if they start to have soft stools, stop the treats altogether and give them lots of hay. I feed my chins Mazuri pellets and free choice timothy hay.

WATER

Chinchillas are taught between 4 and 6 weeks of age to drink from a water bottle by their parents. These guys usually do not know what to do with a bowl of water. Always check the water bottle to see that it is working properly. I like to have 2 bottles on each cage if I know that I will be gone for a long day or overnight because you never know what may happen. I have had chins start to chew on their bottles for no reason and all of the water leaks out. The water should be changed at least every other day.