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[Joyce]

   Some wood chews are OK for chinchillas and some are not!  I have always been under the impression that the wood from any fruit tree where the fruit has a pit is NOT SAFE FOR CHINCHILLAS!!!!!!!!!!
I would think that peach wood is one of those  "NO NO" woods.  A peach has a pit.
  A friend sent this link to me today and was very upset by it, he has 6 chinchillas and is an employee of PetSmart.  When the store began selling these peach wood sticks for chinchillas, (and the package says OK for chins on it) he had a fit!
It also says they are OK for ferrets.  From what I am told by a friend and ferret rescuer (owns 25 ferrets) these are in no way shape or form safe for ferrets.  They cannot chew these sticks because it wears down their teeth and they need their teeth!  They are not like chins.

  Gosh what to do?  I'd hate to see chins getting sick from peach sticks.  How sad.   

You may need to copy & paste below link to your browser, if it doesn't work these sticks are on petsmart.com

http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441816772&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302035928&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023695&bmUID=1168892376528#detail

[Stacy]

I have read some where that peach was ok. I think I read it in a book some where so it may have been wrong anyway.

[jmrothermel]

Wow, that is terrible   I would call headquarters and say something.  I can also call, the more people that call maybe they will do something.  I wonder who manufactures these, I'll call them too.

Jacqui

[Joyce]

   Now I am more confused.  I whipped out my 2 favorite books "The Joy of Chinchillas", by Lani Ritchey, Elizabeth Current Cogswell and Roxane Beeman, 
and "After Forty Years", by Alice Kline.

In After Forty Years it states

Remember the rule on fruit tree branches is DO NOT feed the branches from trees that bare fruit that has a pit.  This is especially true when the sap is flowing in these trees.  To clarify, we suggest that branches being used be confined to apple and mulberry.  Redwood and Oak and many other woods  from the forest & yards should be avoided.  Again we suggest con-fining your use to clean, soft, pine bocks in pieces small enough so the animals can handle them but cannot sit on them

In The Joy of Chinchillas it says

Large pesticide- free and non-toxic wood branches of peach, apple, birch, aspen, maple,willow, manzanita,and hazelnut are suitable for perching on and chewing.  They are also good entertainmant value.  Never use cedar, plum, cherry, oleander or redwood, because these can be toxic to chinchillas.

Anyway, I wrote to Lani asking her about this.  I will post when I hear back from her.  My own personal opinion is NOT to take a chance.  Better safe than sorry so my chins won't be getting any of these peach sticks to chew anytime soon. 

[Joyce]

  Lani said she would not touch any of the stone  pitted fruit(s) woods for chewing.  That they may be safe with today's varieties but how do we know. 
She says to ask these companies for safety testing results from feeding trials done on chinchillas, rabbits or ginnea pigs and to be obnoxious about asking for them! 

OK Guys, so what do we do?  PetSmart (and I am sure many other places) sell these peach sticks and they are made by Super Pet. 

[ChinchillAZ]

You can always contact the manufacturer directly.
http://www.superpetusa.com/contactus.html

[chinclub]

Well that explains a lot!  I have never been a fan of Super Pet.  They also make the Chinchilla Sand we know doesn't work and actually damages chinchilla fur.  They also make their chinchilla cages that are full or plastic shelves we all know will cause intestinal blockages if our chinchillas chew on them.   
These companies do not do much if any research before they put a product out there.  Many times its something they had before and just repackaged with a new animal on it.    Look at all of the chinchilla foods being sold that are full of fruits, corn, and even nuts.  We know fruit in food is bad and animal grade corn and nuts will kill our chinchillas and yet you can find them in "chinchilla" foods in lots of pet stores.

All the more reason why I do not go into a pet store if I can get what I need anywhere else!

   OK, let me get off my little soap box now. 

[Jo Ann]

 Jamie, You jumped off and I jumped on!   
OK, I went on and posted a comment ... I hope they allow it to be seen ... here is the URL ... don't know how long it will stay up or if they will even post it: 
http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441816772&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302035928&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023695&bmUID=1168892376528#detail 
Click on "Be the first to write a review."
 
Jo Ann

This is what I posted:
 
Peach Chew Sticks ...for Chinchillas!?!, January 16, 2007
by LuvNChins from Vinton, Virginia
 

"I am horrified when I see products like this!
They are NOT safe for chinchillas.
I wish manufactors and stores would make sure it, and other products are safe for a chinchilla before you mark it as such!
To quote from an athority on chinchillas:
Remember the rule on fruit tree branches is DO NOT feed the branches from trees that bare fruit that has a pit. This is especially true when the sap is flowing in these trees. To clarify, we suggest that branches being used be confined to apple and mulberry. Redwood and Oak and many other woods from the forest & yards should be avoided.
This is from the book "After 40 Years Alice Kline Talks About Chinchillas".
I can NOT even give this product ONE star! (But I have to to be able to post this.)

 
Would you recommend this product to a friend?: No
 

[chinclub]

That is good!  I'll write one too.  Maybe if we bombard them they will get a clue.

[Joyce]

   Way to go Jo Ann & Jamie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Jo Ann, that was EXCELLENT.  But it looks like they already took it off. 

I think the only way you get through to them is like Jamie said, IF WE ALL TAKE A STAND and do like Jo Ann has done.  Call or write (email or snail mail), this is the only way they will ever do anything about it!  They do not want this kind of reputation, cannot afford it.  Tell your vets, and your chinchilla friends out there!  Tell the manager in the store that sells these products. Write to Super Pet and PetSmart.
A friend of mine who has 25 ferrets and does rescue said that there used to be a horrible ferret food sold in pet stores.  This food had ingredients in it that were clearly not safe for ferrets to eat.  Well apparently the "ferret world" out there took action and bombarded this company with emails & letters & calls............the food is no longer manufactured!!!!!  They did a great job to let these places that sold the food as well as the company that made the food KNOW that it was not good for ferrets.
Let's do the same for all of those innocent chinchillas out there guys!!!!!!  Get these peach sticks OUT.

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Geez this kind of thing gets to me too. I did write a review but saw no others there. Not surprised.

I got a call from my vet last night, this lady and son was in with a new chin. They had spent 300.00 on set up and animal from a pet shop, recommended by the keeper who said he used to raise chinchillas. . Well the cage was one with ramps the same as the cage, bars.
The tiny little thing got her legs caught and broke both back legs.
The story the pet shop gave her was unreal.
The chin was still in back because the breeder shipped her way to young they said, at 4 months old.
Though they said she seems younger, no on knows for sure.

From the treats to cages and toys, pet shops haven't got a clue for the most part. I avoid them like the flue.
It's just to hard on my nerves.

[Jo Ann]

I don't know how many of you know what a "pet store chin" goes through, but here it is, as it was explained to me ...
Most start out from ranchers or large breeders ... as their "left-overs" ...
In other words ... they keep the best to put into breeding and/or to show ... 
Sell the next best in line to other breeders or private owners ... 
Then ...as a general rule, what is left ...
are the chins the rancher/breeder does not want their name associated with ... 
They are sold in large groups 20 to 50 at a time for a cut-rate price to a distributor ... 
The distributor puts the males one place and the females another ...
When a store needs one ... they deliver/ship it ... 
None of the paper work goes with it ...  :-[
The pet stores have no idea of it's background/history, it's birth date and half of them don't even know if it is a male or female.    They do not know how to properly house or handle a chin, so they can not instruct the person purchasing them.  When ask, they usually tell them "There's a book over there you can buy that will tell you."   
Of course some/many of the books are written by authors who have never owned a chinchilla! 
So here we have this poor little chin that has been handled maybe 2 or 3 times by the breeder/rancher,
2 or 3 times by the distributor ....
miss-handled by the employees and visitors to the pet store umpteen times... 
The poor little thing is terrified, housed improperly, fed improperly, handled improperly ...
And then they wonder why it bites them  OR  does not want to sit quietly in their lap like a puppy!

Chinchillas have no business being in pet stores ... But ...
As long as people buy them and the store can make money off of them, they will continue to sell them.

OK ... time for me to get off the soap box ...

 
Jo Ann

Oh, I checked back on the site, if you login you can see your comment, but no one else's ...   ...  we just have to keep telling them ... the more that tells them, the more they will have to realize ... they have been put on notice and if someone has a chinchilla that dies because of this product ... they can NOT say they did not know and they will be open for a law suite!   Let them know this!

[Joyce]

  These pet store chinchillas are shiped in TINY boxes/crates just about the size of the chin itself, the only thing in the box with them is a hunk of raw potato!  Very disturbing. 
I guess this is it's food & water for the days in travel.
One of the boys that works at the large chain pet store here shared this information with me.  It made me cry. 

[Summer]

OMG that is horrible! The thought of those poor chins.    That make me  To think my poor chinpo went though some like that.

[Jo Ann]

Has anyone else posted a review on the peach sticks at Pets Mart?

I do believe they deleted mine.   

But ...

I just sent this:

"I posted a review on your wood chew sticks cut from peach trees, said to be safe for chinchillas. 
Yet, I do not see it available to read. 
May I ask, why is this?

Sincerely,
Jo Ann McCraw
Luv 'N Chins
www.luvnchins.com/ "

to their customer service division.   

I think they are going get tired of me ... but I'm going to keep on bugging them.   

BUT ... I can not do it alone ... the more of us that write/comment/review the sooner they will have to sit-up and take notice.   

 
Jo Ann