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[nattack]

My chin is eating "Timothy Complete" by Kaytee. Is this a good quality pellet?


This is just the plain pellets with out all of the extra junk usually mixed into small animal food. My Dad insists that since it's made out of timothy that he doesn't need hay separately...But I'm not convinced...

I need to start feeding him the hay as well right? Will chins actually eat those "hay cubes?"

 Should his diet be more hay or pellet and what kind of treats would you all recommend other than raisins and other dried fruits?

...Also does anyone have any idea why it's OK for chinchillas to eat raisins? I know that most animals aren't supposed to eat them...dogs...ect. Although I can't exactly recall why...or maybe that was just grapes?

Just curious

[dianah]

yes, you need hay. there should always be a free supply of hay in the cage. not only for nutrition but also to keep their teeth down.

as for the hay cubes, some chins like them, some don't. i would not use them as a sole supply of hay but as an addition to loose hay.

healthier treats for chins are rolled oats (teaspoon once or twice a week), some people give a piece of shredded wheat - unsweetened.. i've not actually tried this one. raisins or other dried fruit are not recommended even though chins love them as there's quite a lot of sugar in them which can cause them to have diarrhea - this is quite dangerous in such small animals as they can get dehydrated and die very quickly.
i think it's ok to give a raisin every couple of weeks.
go easy on the treats. i know it's tempting because you can see just how much they enjoy them but too many can cause trouble.
chins very much enjoy stuff to chew as well, so if you could get him willow balls or apple twigs, he will be a very happy chinchilla.

raisins/grapes in dogs can cause renal failure so that's why doggies are not allowed them.

[jbcstratton]

You can also feed cheerios for treats also sparingly.  If  your feed is timothy based you can also get some alfalfa hay to give them every other couple days.  The cubes come in timothy or alfalfa as well.  I also dry my own sticks for treats.  It is easy to do and the sticks from the store can get pricey.  If you would like more info on this let me know.

[dianah]

oh, i would love to do my own sticks! do you have your own untreated wood or do you purchase it from somewhere?

[nattack]

Hmm I didn't think hay would wear their teeth down. I'll be sure to grab a bag of Timothy ASAP though.

If I were to feed alfalfa as well this is something I should do every so often whereas with the Timothy he should always have right?

Ok, he was definitely having too many raisins...I'm so used to small animals that are prone to diabetes; it seemed really unusual that it was OK for him to be getting so much sugar.

What does diarrhea usually look like for chins? I ask because my rabbit got it severely once and it didn't look at all what I thought it would. I had no idea until I had gotten him to the vet.

He has a ton of stuff to chew on...He destroys those willow balls WAY too fast though.

@JBC I'd love to know how you dry sticks and what to use.

[dianah]

yes, loads of timothy, some alfalfa every so often!

i know, they go through chews at a record speed!

i think diarrhea looks like liquid poo - i am not sure though as mine have never had it - someone will correct me if this is wrong. the closest i got was when chinchi was on medication and critical care food and his poo got soft and was sticking together.
just keep checking his poo regularly - it should be slightly moist with rounded ends and he should poo all the time! if they ends are a little thin and sharp, they're going soft which usually means you need to cut down on treats. if they're small and dry, the chin's constipated - i find a raisin helps!
change in poo can be due to diet or stress or - sometimes - illness so it's a very good indicator of your chins condition. 

[jbcstratton]

I get my stick off local trees, bear in mind you have to use chin safe wood (ex. apple, pear, willow, grapevine, poplar)  You can look up safe woods by googling chin safe woods to find what is easily available in your area.  I cut them about 3-4 inches then wash them off and boil them in water (I add about a tsp salt) about 10 min.  dry them off a bit and then bake on a low setting (250) about 1-2 hours depending on the size of the branches.  Branches should almost snap when done.  Also keep in a paper bag after drying as plastic will hold in moisture and they could mold.  Be aware though when baking the branches, some give off quite an odor.  Apple and pear tend to be not to bad in my opinion.  Good luck and any questions I'll check back.

[jmdebb]

i just wrote a bunch of stuff and i lost it..ugh... so i'm gonna cheat...

that food is not good quality food... i have many listed on my site...

my link is below.. just go to the information page and i list about 5 or 6 quality foods.

hay is a necessity, you could also use some other safe hays to help keep their teeth filed they chew each hay differently so that help alot
broome
orchard grass
botanical
meadow
oat wheat barly
oat

sugar is not really a good treat,, many people do use it, but it can cause liver problems down the road [and stones i think]  personally i don't use dried fruit.. you can cause some herbs. i also have listed on my sight safe herbs you can use for your chin. just go to my food page on the bottom there are about 10 safe treats..

tj... do you cook alot of wood.. would you consider selling wholesale... pm is you would...
j

[nattack]

Ok I'll let him finish off this bag and see what I can get locally.

You have some fancy treats on your site so I'll have to order some in the future

He seems to love cheerios though!

I wish I knew more about the trees in my back yard...

Chin diarrhea sounds fairly similar to rabbit diarrhea...thank you for the poop health guide! ...I feel a little crazy after having a ferret and having to check poop all of the time...so I know all too well how important that is.

[jbcstratton]

Just make sure you get some new food before the old is gone so you can transition them to the new.  You should mix 25% new 75% old for a while, then 50-50 then 75-25 so you don't have constipation or diarrhea issues.

[jbcstratton]

Jmdebb were you asking me about the wood sticks?
Brandy

[dianah]

brandy, what if the trees have been sprayed at some point? how would you find out?

also, i've read that you can give them pine cones. i live in the country and there's plenty of pine around, do i need to boil & bake these too?

[jbcstratton]

Pine has to be kiln dried.  I have also read pinecones (they have to be pinecones, other trees make cones like cypress) are fine for them if boided and dried very well, but should given be more like a treat.  I take a kiln dried pine board and cut up little squares and drill a hole and hang them on a wire in the cage.  Good for them to chew and on a wire is like a toy.

[jmdebb]

yes brandy i was asking you.. i sell wood on my site, but i buy it..so if i could get it cheaper, i could sell it cheaper!!... i don't know how much you work with, so i thought i was ask... not trying to be rude or anything...

and yes some pinecones are safe.. [i seem to want to say there might be different types so you would want to make sure its a safe type] but like wood, it has to be chemical, pesitcide..etc.. free and also processed.

[jmdebb]

oh dear, yes changing foods can cause the soft poop..  ugh.. then it sticks in there fur.. double ugh!!!

anyways, just wondering why you always checked your ferrets poop.. asking cuz i have two [had 2 many moons ago] and i don't check it really.. i mean i know if theres green slime in it i need to get it checked.. but other than that....... i just don't want to be missing some info i need to know.. thanks..

if you do buy from my site.. and i don't mean to say .. only my site has the quality foods, cuz i'd be a lying fool, but i just do recommend getting him on quality food and safe treats, no matter where you purchase them.. and for the record in case you buy them, [from me or anyone else ] the cookies,,, do have sugar, so i just want to let you know to be careful with those also.. i mean it's natural, but still...... [i do use them.. so i use some sugary treats,, just not dried fruit]  the mrs. p cookies are nice and hard, which i love.. i have the assumption because of their hardness they are good for their teeth, but we all know what happens when you assume right...