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The Basic Chinchilla Diet
The basic pellets are mostly made from wheat germ, alfalfa meal, oats, molasses, soybean oil meal, vitamins, and minerals. These are most brands of pellets available in pet stores. Since these are usually packaged in 50-pound bags and loose most of their nutritional value within 60 days after being opened, they are not a practical choice for most pet owners. When purchasing chinchilla pellets be sure and look for the expire date, if there is none, ask the pet store manager when the pellets were purchased and to give you a general idea when they would expire. If you have access to purchase pellets from a chinchilla breeder that is your best choice, most breeders use a higher quality pellet for their chinchillas and sell to the public also, and always have access to fresh pellets. I myself use a chinchilla pellet called Mazuri and this pellet is sold only in 25lb bags , but if you have as many chins as i do this amount is practical for large herds! If you break this bag down into gallon freezer bags , you will use 5 freezer bags for each 25lb bag of pellets and Mazuri pellets has a date when the pellet was made when most pellets do not, but which ever pellet you choose to use just be sure it is fresh!
A Good Quality Hay
Most pet stores that sell hay, I have noticed that it does not have an expire date, and old hay will not due for the digestive track of a chinchilla, purchasing mini bales, are an alternative to loose hay. The cubes are dried and pressed hay, and are guaranteed chemical free, and will help keep chinchillas teeth shaped from nawing on the hard blocks, If you have access to fresh chemical free hay, I use a Timothy and Alfalfa hay that i purchase from The Pet Dinner, I will list their webpage in my links.
Fresh Water When giving fresh water the best alternative is bottled spring water, or a pure water filter that will attatch to your water faucett, To rid out any harmful chemicals that may in long term harm your pet. Fresh water should be changed daily, especially if adding water soluble vitamins.
Treats Treats should be given in moderation, due to the sensitive digestion of the chinchilla. One or two rasins a day or dried cranberries, one quarter of a slice of apple, or one quarter of a slice of fresh bannana. A couple of sunflower seeds two or three times a week will help with your chinchillas coat.
Exercise
A good quality wheel is a must for a chins health , One of the best wheels I have seen is Dea Freiheits wheel, ( Pacific NorthWest Chinchillas) her link is listed under my links with a picture of her wheels she sells, it is a very quiet wheel and very sturdy , you should not need to replace this wheel for a very long time!! Another way of letting your chin get some exercise is buy a large rodent ball for your chin to run around the house in , but do not leave in the ball no longer than about 20 minutes being chins can get over heated very quickly!
