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[Rosiems12]

I have some dried coconut and wondered what thoughts were about chinnies eating it as a treat? I read that dried coconut can possibly re-hydrate and expand in their tummies...has anyone else heard/read that? Besides rehydration, in general, is coconut a safe treat?

Thanks!

p.s. I have tried MANY fresh veggies and/or herbs...but both my chins won't eat them! They only seem to like dried banana, dried carrot, and rasins/cranberries as treats!!! It's hilarious...Henry will actually push my hand away if I try to offer him a bit of fresh veggie! I am not concerned with amounts here as they RARELY get treats...but, I thought it would be nice to offer some variety

[dianah]

i probably wouldn't. there's a possibility of bloat that you're describing (my rescue chin very nearly died of bloat last year - this was related to her previous diet but it was absolutely scary, she was getting all the treatment she could have and there was absolutely nothing else i could have done. the amount of time i spent by her cage stroking her and crying... thankfully, she got better but the vets weren't exactly hopeful) and coconut is rather high in fat which is not great for their liver.

why not give them rolled oats or rosehips? do they like them?

[Debbie.nl.ca]

I don't worry about the not liking treats   As long as they are eating hay & pellets.
Have you tried cereals? Oatmeal is the better one but cheerios and spoon size shedded wheat are a nice change.

I wouldn't use the coconut either, so full of natural sugars.

[jmdebb]

techically they don't need treats, but we just love giving them.

i have read different stories on the veg's, personally i don't use them,  as debbie said, to much sugar in coconut and fruits, and just fyi, nuts are a big no no.

some other safe items, in moderation always:

rosehips, rose buds, peppermint, chamomile.. just to name a few

[Rosiems12]

Thanks for all the tips!!! Another funny food they ABSOLUTELY HATE is peppermint!!! I have tried on many occassions to give both Henry and Sweet Pea bits of peppermint...and henry gets pushy and litterally knocks my hand away! Sometimes, he will sneeze too when around peppermint!

Rose hips and oatmeal are other treats that they really enjoy. I just thought it would be nice to give some variety every once and a while 

and...Hay and pellets remain the staples of their diet

THANKS! I will stay away from the coconut then

[animalluver]

I was in a pet store the other day and I saw this coconut home that looked fun, since my older chin just HATES hammocks! It was erring on the expensive side, though, so I just bought a coconut at the grocery. What I did was I split it in half and used spoons and knives  to scrape out all of the fruit and I just gave them the shell. It's a good chewtoy and I like to think maybe the flavor rubbed off, just without the fat