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[z168]

What food do you give to yours? Does it always consist of pet store food or vegetables are also good?

 And what kind of treats are good and what are not? I used to give raisins and i was told it promotes diabetes. Now i give goji berries and rose hips

[jbcstratton]

You can also give old fashion oats, cherrios, and shedded wheat.  Always with moderation as with all treats.  My chins seem to love all this and it's easy to find.
Brandy

[Jhenderson27]

I use Mazuri Chinchilla diet.  You can not give them fresh veggies.  Their systems are not designed to digest them.  Feed only a very high quality chinchilla pellet like oxbow or mazuri or tradition.  Also supply them with as much fresh hay as they want or fresh hay cubes.  I choose to use loose hay as they seem to enjoy it better but i throw a cube in there every so often to give them something to gnaw on.  A raisin once and awhile is fine.  Mine love it.  Its a special treat.  I choose to give them cheerios broken up into a few pieces.  It seems to make it go a little longer and they feel more treated.  I use shredded wheat in the same way or if i need to harden up a little bit of wet poo.  Don't skimp on a good quality pellet, its the basis of a healthy chins diet.  If you need any advice everyone on this board is FANTASTIC.  Petsmart sells Mazuri for a decent price but check out www.chinworld.com  They have a great deal they run.  14.00 bucks for Mazuri food, Hay cubes, Blue Cloud dust, and some treats.  Its one of the best deals I have seen. Also provide them with plenty to chew on to keep their teeth short and healthy.  I use lava bites and apple twigs.  Everyone does different things but this is just what has been working for me.

[RollinEK]

I feed my chins Nutrena Nutralite. On rare occasions i treat them with a raisin or craisin, most of the time its cherrios.

[z168]

thanks for all the info. I was told to give Mazuri but wasnt available in petco. I will check my local petsmart

[Jhenderson27]

Petco only carrys kaytee.  Petsmart sells Mazuri.  Remember a 2 week phase in time with the old food. : )

Enjoy!

[z168]

Petco only carrys kaytee.  Petsmart sells Mazuri.  Remember a 2 week phase in time with the old food. : )

Enjoy!

so that why the petco lady gave me a funny look when i asked about mazuri haha

[Jhenderson27]

Yeap.  Use Petco only for something in a pinch.  They are pretty high priced.  Or at least the one here in my area.  I got my first 2 chins from them and am lucky they turned out to be lovers.  I buy all my food in bulk now from country max.  I don't know if you have those where you are but check online.  TJs chinchlla store, Chinworld, Ryersons, etc.  A bunch of those places sells excellent foods at a very great price bc they buy in bulk and bag their own.   Save yourself some money and help out some chin shops.  Also they have some good toys, supplements, hay, etc.  Make it an all in one stop shop!

[Blondy40]

I agree fully with promoting chin shops...I have two I purchase from...they specialize in treats and toys especially for chins so you know that it is safe!
and of course everything in moderation...The toys are great that the chin shops sell as they are good for them, they can get their chewing in as well as playing! IN my profile are the web site addresses if you care to take a peek...you WONT be disappointed! 
I have given mine maybe once every couple of months a baby carrot..a tiny piece of a baby carrot and they play with it and do chew on it but it has not affected them in a bad way...like I said..they don't get any fresh veggies very often..and it is only a carrot I give them!  I have also been very fortunate as both of my boys came from PetSmart...no problems with them and I feel that I saved them from glass at a pet store. Good Luck with your decisions..each of our situations are different..but you certainly will get great advice on this sight! Everyone on here seems to be a chin-o-holic! Isn't that fantastic???!!!  

[jmdebb]

i have many quality foods on my site for what i think is a pretty good price.. alot cheaper than most people... mazuri, tradition, manna pro... etc..

i also have many treats, toys and other items.. check it out... no harm done if you don't like it.   

buy something from me, spend $25 in items, mention this thread and i'll give you a couple free apple and oat cookies.. chins love them!!

jean.... my link is below.

[Courtney]

I give them Mazuri. For treats I give;
raisins -occasionally
cranraisins
pumpkin seeds
sunflower seeds - occassionally
dried fruit
treats I get at the pet store
alfalfa cubes
cheerios
nutrical, vitamins, but they think of it as a treat, they love it.
nuts

[jmdebb]

I give them Mazuri. For treats I give;
raisins -occasionally
cranraisins
pumpkin seeds
sunflower seeds - occassionally
dried fruit
treats I get at the pet store
alfalfa cubes
cheerios
nutrical, vitamins, but they think of it as a treat, they love it.
nuts

courtney, not trying to sound like a _______, but nuts are not safe for chinnies, you might not want to use them anymore.. and also you might want to be careful with the alfalfa cubes, too much calcium is not good, and also the dried fruit--lots of sugar, and alot of stuff at the pet stores are not safe...  not telling you what to do, just giving you the warnings of some of the treats you use.

j

[Courtney]

Okay, thanks! I didn't know about the nuts.