Welcome to the Wonderful World of Chinchillas ... along with all the 'parental worries' that go with it!
Shoots, Traditions, Oxbow, and Mazuri (in that order) is what I reccommend. All four of these are of a quality that they can be changed over rather quickly ... it should not take more than a week for the chins to be gobbling it up. IF you can not find a good quality chinchilla food and need time to get it in stock ... feed your chinchillas hay ... a mix 1/2 and 1/2 of Alfalfa and Timothy or 1/2 and 1/2 Alfalfa and Coastal meadow hay. Many times you will find your vet will put your chins on an "all hay and water" regiment when they are sick. If it is good for them when they are sick, it has to be good for them when they are healthy, at least for a short period of time. Always inspect the hay for any sour smells or signs of mold, if you find any, dispose of it and sterilize the container.
If in doubt, throw it out. Do not store hay in an airtight container ... hay needs to breath. Keep it in a cool dry place ... I use a clothes hamper made of 100% cotton material that is in a stand that does not touch the floor.
Chinchillas are nocturnal and tend to eat more during the night after working up an appetite playing.
... had to feed them a raisin each, some special K wheat cereal and a few nuts (which I don't want to do ever again).
Never feed a chinchilla nuts ... their systems are not made to properly digest nuts and the natural oils in nuts can cause a fatty liver which can eventually kill a chinchilla.
Never feed a chinchilla meat or meat byproducts ... chinchillas are strict vegetarians ... not by choice ... but because their system will not digest meat or meat byproducts and it will kill a chinchilla ... usually within 24 to 48 hours.
Caution with cereals made for humans ... they usually have to many preservatives, to much sugar and salt for chinchillas. When choosing human food to feed to chinchillas, read the labels carefully and compare products. An occasional Cherrios (plain) is a nice treat. Mini Wheats for controlling diarrhea and as an occasional treat is good as long as it is not frosted. Baby cereal has less salt and sugar than most adult cereals. Dry baby cereal can be mixed with a little goat's milk as a treat or to feed kits whose mom does not have enough milk or if she is sick and on medication.
Raisins and cranrasins are good treats, but are high in sugar.
Dried rose hips and dried papaya are better and have more nutrients and vitamins.
A few nibbles of a fresh banana or fresh kiwi are nice occasional treats.
Yogurt is a good treat, it contains calcium and replenishes a chinchillas digestive flora. (Mine seem to like strawberry and blueberry best.)
Burnt toast (particularly wheat) is a nice treat and also helps control diarrhea. Note: the black part of the burnt toast (charcoal) is the part that stops diarrhea, so let it start to smoke before popping it out of the toaster. (1/8 of a piece of toast at a time ... after it has cooled)
*Chinchillas do not NEED treats, but we, as humans, like to indulge them when they have been good. Remember a
treat is special and should be treated as such. When introducing your chin to a new treat ... do not introduce them to more than one new treat per week ... you need this time to see if it will have a good or bad affect on your chin. (Chinchillas have allergies, just like humans ... one common allergic reaction is diarrhea.)
I do not use or recommend cob bedding. Never use bedding containing cedar. Never use a bedding that contains "odor controllers" or added scents ... these can kill a chinchilla.
Never give a chinchilla anything that contains odor controllers or that is 'scented' ... these can cause a very serious respiratory infection.
Aspen is a good bedding. Cline dried pine in a good bedding. I use large chip pine bedding for my chins. I have heard of many that use the carefresh, I have not, but I don't think I would want my chins eating very much of it.
I let them out to exercise about 4 times a week also.
30 minutes every day is a minimum I give those who adopt my little ones. Their free playtime is often loved more than their treasured treat times or their dust baths. This can be a fun and relaxing time for you also ... you may even begin to look forward to it as much as your chinnies do!
*Chinchillas do love a schedule ... make one and stick to it as close as possible. Like us, they look forward to the things they like the most ... attention, playtime, treats, dustbaths, hay and food ... pretty much in that order.
I buy them wood blocks to chew on as in cage entertainment/teeth dullers.
Chinchillas teeth grow at an alarming rate (as much as 1/4" per week) and they need certain things in their cages
at all times to keep them worn down to the proper size.
1)
Hay helps to keep the side and back teeth worn down as well as providing nutrients and calcium.
2)
Chew blocks made of pine help keep the front and side teeth worn down to the proper size and helps them with the constant urge to be chewing on something. (The most economical is a pine board purchased and hand-cut/sawed into small blocks ... save your $$ for more important things for your chins.)
3)
A lava stone. The lava stone keeps the front teeth worn down to the proper size and the grit helps to keep the teeth smooth.
A 10 to 15 minute dust bath, 4 to 6 times a week in the summer months and 2 to 4 times a week in the dryer winter months, is needed to keep the fur clean ... you may also catch your little one using a little of it to grind between their teeth on occasions.
Use dust bath dust NOT dust bath sand ... the dust bath sand is much to harsh on the fur of the chinchilla.
Hopefully your little ones will never get sick, but set aside a special account to save money for any chinchilla emergencies ... to be used only in the case of a chinchilla emergency ... chinchillas need to be seen by an exotic pet vet that is familiar with chinchillas ... not all are familiar with chinchillas ... find a good exotic pet vet
before your chin needs one ... it is often hard to almost impossible to find one quickly. They are not cheap and bills can run up fast ... be prepaired ... not sorry and sad.
There is much to learn ... and we are learning new things about them every day.
Jo Ann
