Treats are not necessary and should be given sparingly. A chinchilla can live on hay and water alone (a vet will often put them on hay and water only when they are or have been sick). There are treats that are good for chinchillas and give them added vitamins and nutrients, such as: dried papaya and dried rose hips are both full of vitamins.
I give mine a very thin (transparent) slice or a cube (about 1/2 the size of a sugar cube) of
apple is good,
IF you know the apple tree it came from was
not sprayed with insecticides. The only ones I trust are grown by me or someone I know personally, that I know does not spray their trees.
Three or four chinnie nibbles of a
fresh banana ... my chins practically demand them and make sure they remind me if I am late with it.
They even grind their teeth while eating it, to let me know how much they love it. The same with
fresh kiwi. I do not use the dried bananas or dried kiwi because of the preservatives that may be in them, but I have heard of and know many who do give them to their chins dried fruit ... it's a personal choice.
The even
more important thing to know is what
NOT to give them.
1] Nuts is the #1 thing NOT to give your chinchilla ... it's system is not made to properly digest the natural oils in nuts and, over time, can cause a fatty liver, which is usually fatal.
2] No citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, grapefruit ... their systems do not like it.
3] No acid fruits or vegtables such as tomatoes.
4] No broccoli, cabbage, sweet potatoes, beans or any vegtable that causes gas in humans ... it does the same in chinchillas ... these cause gas to develop in their digestive tract. For a chinchilla gas is not only painful, but usually lethal.
4]
No meats or meat byproducts ...
a chinchilla is a vegetarian by nature, not by choice. Chinchillas can not digest meat or meat by products and will usually be dead within 24 to 48 hours of eating it.
I'm sure there are allot more that can be added to the list of what is safe to eat and what is not safe.
Jo Ann
