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[kneesaa]

Hi, I bought a bag of sunseed sunatural natural chin food. I was surprised that it has all sorts of natural food in it. Like beet pulp,chamomile, dried cranberry, just to name a few. But its not like the other bags that you see at the pet stores. This has vitamins minerals and fiber. But I wanted to see if anyone else has seen this or tried this. Thanks Shannon

[Jo Ann]

   Lots of thing say "made for chinchillas" or safe for chinchillas when it is not.  To me, with what I know, I think this is one of them.

In my personal opinion, and most major breeders and researchers I have talked to over the years ... anything other than pellets in a chinchilla food is not good for them.

I googled this brand of chinchilla diet.  The additives they have in this particular one would normally be considered treats.  Chinchillas are like children ... offer them a bowl of spinach and a bowl of ice cream and the child will take the ice cream and leave the spinach.  The same is true for chinchillas, usually, they will eat the treats and leave the stuff that is good for them, not good. 

Treats are treats and should be treated as such ... for special occasions and bribes only.   

As for the vitamins ... vitamins loose their strength when expose to light ... the package allows the food/vitamins to be exposed to the light.  (This is also the reason I do not add vitamins to water bottles.)  Paying for vitamins that are exposed to the light is like paying for the hole in a donut ... it's empty ... not there any more.

Mazuri (often found in WalMart and some pet stores), Traditions (order on line or get from a large breeder) and Oxbow (from the vet)  are the three I always reccommend.

Always make sure your chin gets what is best for him, not what the manufactures put in there to make it appealing to the humans buying it.  Manufactures make things that appeal to the human's eyes and conscience by using pretty colors and shapes and by using words such as 'deluxe', special, best and excellent.  These are all used to appeal to you, not for the good of your chinchilla.   

There is a manufacturer that puts out a 'chinchilla beginners kit' that contains a cage with wires that are to large, shelves and ramps made of plastic and other things that can kill a chin.

Most manufactures see that chinchillas are in the rodent family so they assume chinchillas can have everthing rats can have ... these tactics and lack of research  can often be the death of your chinchilla.

   Jo Ann

[kneesaa]

Doe's anyone know if bay leafs are good for a chinchilla? I will get some mazuri for the chins today.  Thanks Shannon

[Jo Ann]

    That's a new one on me.       

Even for humans, the uses are generally just to add flavor and aroma to certain foods.   Some people scatter them around in their pantries to keep millworms/mill moths away from packaged food. 

In ancient history, they were use to make wreaths that were placed on conquering hero's heads.  The wreaths were also used to honor scolars and poets of that time period.

Anyone have an answer? 

What made you ask if bayleaves were good/acceptable for chinchillas?  What are they suppose to be used for with a chinchilla?   

   You've got my curiosity up.

   Jo Ann

[kneesaa]

It's in the sunaturals. There is a bunch of leafy greens and stuff in it. What caught my eye is that it didn't have the extra raisins, or those colored snack things like they have in the other bags. This stuff as raspberry leaves, dried peas, red clover, so much natural stuff that I thought I would try it. It has the bay leaf in there to so that was why I asked. This stuff looked OK. Even when I looked on line it was better than the other stuff sunseed tries to sell as chin food.  Thank you Shannon

[kneesaa]

I saw on another forum that they said that it is to low in crude protein and so they didn't recomend it. I think it was chinchillaz.  So I got a bag of mazuri. My chins are happy. Thanks Shannon

[Debbie.nl.ca]

I tell all my customers that all a healthy chin needs is a quality pellet, hay and fresh water. Anything else you feed them is a treat and will take up space in their tiny bellies, leaving less room for the more nutritional feed.

[ABC Chinchillas]

All chinchillas need (and what has been proven to be best for them) is a plain high quality pellet, fresh water and Hay.

[Jo Ann]

   Manufacturers make products appeal to the one that is buying them.

"... caught my eye ..."

  Manufacturers know humans are the one buying a product, so they tend to make it look appealing to humans, which is not always best for the animals.

This stuff as raspberry leaves, dried peas, red clover, so much natural stuff that I thought I would try it.

Just because it is "natural stuff" does not mean a chinchilla can have it.  Corn is natural also, but pet grade corn is not that good for chinchillas, according to the researchers at CA Chins.  The process many things/foods go through before they become a part of the product (with additives and preservatives) can make "natural stuff" not so natural after all.

Chinchillas are from the Andes Mountains and have very sensitive tummies.

The bay leaf is probably added for the aroma more than anything.  Smell of the dried bay leaves in your kitchen, then smell of the Sunatural pellets you have.  Do they smell similar? 
Kinda makes you wonder what 'aroma' they are trying to hide with the bay leaf.   

I tell all my customers that all a healthy chin needs is a quality pellet, hay and fresh water. Anything else you feed them is a treat and will take up space in their tiny bellies, leaving less room for the more nutritional feed.

   Amen!

    Jo Ann