It is not necessary to give a chin any treats, but it's hard not to when you see their precious begging face ... I think little kids must learn from them.
Now, to be serious...
All chins are different, each have their own personalities (like humans) and they also have allergies (like humans).
Keep a booklet/log/list/calendar where you mark down important information. Make a list of "Can have" and "Do not feed" and keep it next to the cage.
When you give a chin a new treat be sure you give him the same one every day for a week to make sure he is not going to have any ill effects from it. If he develops diarrhea or any other ill effect, discontinue giving it to him and make sure you list it as a "Do not feed."
Remember: A chinchilla will consider most anything you give them by hand a treat.
Some treats:
dried papaya (a good source of vitamins)
dried rose hips (a good source of vitamins)
dried macaroni
mini wheats, not sugar coated (fiber and nutrients)
oyster crackers
animal crackers ... not very often, they contain sugar
raisins ... not very often, high sugar content (vitamins and fiber)
cranraisins (dried cranberries)... not very often, high sugar content (vitamins and fiber)
banana ... 3 or 4 nibbles of a fresh one (vitamins) [dried ones usually have preservatives added]
kiwi ... 1/2 of a very thin slice or 3 or 4 nibbles of a fresh one (vitamins)
yogurt ... mine like the blueberry and strawberry the best (calcium and flora for the digestive system)
Keep in mind the portion must be small! In comparison to size to us, a raisin is small ... but to a chinchilla, a raisin is the size of a basketball!NO-NO treats are even more important than OK treats .... NO-NO treats can sometimes kill.
Chinchillas are strict vegetarians ... not by choice, but due to the fact their digestive systems can not process meat ...
meat or a meat byproduct will kill a chinchillaVegtables that cause gas in humans also cause gas in a chinchilla, but his system is so tiny, at the least it is very painful at the most, it can kill.
Some
vegtables that cause gas are: sweet potatoes, broccoli, beans, cabbage, onion are just a few ... there are many more.
Fruits that have a high acid content, such as, tomatoes, lemons, grapefruit, oranges, etc. are a NO-NO.
Nuts are a BIG NO-NO, a chinchilla's digestive system was not made to process the natural oils found in nuts and can cause a fatty liver over time. A fatty liver will kill.
I am sure others can add to both lists.
Jo Ann
