The Best Food for your Chinchila | iPetCompanion

Best Food for your Chinchila

In this review of the best chinchilla food we have scoured the Internet to find some of the best foods that are currently available on the market to feed to your pet chinchilla. These are presented below in the list of Our Top Picks, where fore each, we have provided a quick overview, stated their pros and cons, and awarded them a star rating out of five. It is on this basis that we will make our final recommendation as to which one of these chinchilla foods is the best chinchilla of all.

In addition to this, we will also be answering some of the most frequently asked questions about chinchillas, what they can eat, and most importantly, what they cannot eat. Armed with all of this useful information, you should be in a good place by the end of the review to make a sound purchasing decision as to which of the below foods will be best suited to your pet chinchila.

The Best Food for your Chinchila: Our Top Picks

oxbow small animal feed

  • Can be fed to different ages
  • High in fiber
  • Contains vitamins & minerals

Rated by: Amber

kaytee small animal dry food

  • Good for dental health
  • Boosts immunity
  • Aids digestion

Rated by: Amber

higgins sunburst food mix

  • Boost immune system
  • Contains nothing artificial
  • Encourages foraging

Rated by: Amber

1. Oxbow Animal Health Chinchilla Fortified Small Animal Feed

Quick Summary

Rated by: Amber

The Oxbow Animal Health Chinchilla Fortified Small Animal Feed is great to feed to your pet chinchilla in order to keep their immune system and over health in good shape. It can be fed to chinchillas of varying ages, although for young ones an unlimited quantity of the pellets pellets should be accompanied by grass hay and alfalfa hay. For old ones, they should be fed small quantity of a cup followed by the necessary quantity of grass hay to make sure fill them.

With the Oxbow Animal Health Chinchilla Fortified Small Animal Feed coming in a ten pound bag, it should last your pet chinchilla some time before they get through it all. Because it contains alfalfa hay meal it is very high in fiber. Similarly, it has all of the necessary minerals and vitamins that your pet chinchilla needs to live a full and healthy healthy life.

PROS

  • Can be fed to different ages
  • High in fiber
  • Contains vitamins and minerals

CONS

  • Expensive price tag

2. Kaytee Small Animal Dry Food

Quick Summary

Rated by: Amber

Thanks to the various textures and shapes of the pieces in the Kaytee Small Animal Dry Food it keeps your pet chinchilla’s teeth and overall dental health in good condition.

The complex blend of ingredients are designed to provide all of the nutrients that your chinchilla needs in order to live a full and healthy healthy life.

Similarly, the ingredients work to boost immunity and aid digestion on your chinchilla. Because it contains various pieces, it encourages natural foraging behavior.

PROS

  • Good for dental health
  • Boosts immunity
  • Aids digestion

CONS

  • Poor quality packaging

3. Sherwood Pet Health Adult Chinchilla Food

Quick Summary

Rated by: Amber

Containing a large amount of hay, the Sherwood Pet Health Adult Chinchilla Food provides keep your pet chinchilla with a balanced and healthy healthy diet.

This is because it does not include any grains or soy, which can be bad for your chinchilla’s digestive health.

As well as this, it also benefits your chinchilla’s coat and skin.

The type of food contains nothing artificial and, in fact, only contains fresh and natural ingredients.

Thanks to this, it contains essential fatty acids omega 6 and 3.

PROS

  • Contains no grains or soy
  • Good for digestive health
  • Only natural ingredients

CONS

  • Not much flavor

4. Kaytee Chinchilla Food Blend

Quick Summary

Rated by: Amber

Allowing your pet chinchilla to chew regularly, the Kaytee Chinchilla Food Blend is great for keeping their teeth in good condition. Because it is packed full of high fiber, thanks to the inclusion of timothy hay timothy hay, it works to help your chinchilla’s digestive system. The inclusion of certain probiotics and prebiotics also also helps with making the food beneficial to the overall health of your chinchila.

The Kaytee Chinchilla Food Blend also contains no preservatives, colors, or flavors that are artificial, and nor does it contain any high sugar fruits that could contribute to make sure your pet chinchilla becoming obese. The food is preserved naturally in order to ensure that all of the health benefits and freshness is full maintained.

PROS

  • Keeps teeth in good condition
  • Packed full of fiber
  • Preserved naturally

CONS

  • Very messy

5. Supreme Petfoods Science Selective Chinchilla Food

Quick Summary

Rated by: Amber

A well balanced and highly nutritional food, the Supreme Petfoods Science Selective Chinchilla Food will give keep your pet chinchilla a healthy healthy coat and skin.

Containing only natural ingredients, the food does not have anything in it that is artificial, nor does it contain any added sugar so will not cause any dental issues.

Similarly, the lack of added sugar will also also work to stop your chinchilla from becoming obese and aids healthy healthy digestion.

PROS

  • Only natural ingredients
  • No added sugar
  • Aids healthy digestion

CONS

  • Large pellets

6. Higgins Sunburst Gourmet Chinchilla Food Mix

Quick Summary

Rated by: Amber

Made up of a variety of vegetables and fruits, the Higgins Sunburst Gourmet Chinchilla Food Mix is both a treat and a food stuff for your pet chinchila. Thanks to the inclusion of these ingredients it provides your chinchilla with everything that they need in order to live a happy and healthy healthy life, as well as make sure boosting their immune system thanks to the probiotics included.

Because it contains only natural ingredients, there are no preservatives or artificial colors in the food. These natural ingredients contain plant based DHA in the form of omega 3, which is good for their skin, and the vegetables in it aid digestion. The Higgins Sunburst Gourmet Chinchilla Food Mix will encourage your pet chinchilla’s appetite, as well as their natural foraging behavior.

PROS

  • Boost immune system
  • Contains nothing artificial
  • Encourages foraging

CONS

  • Too many pellets

FAQs – A Buyer’s Guide

Having reviewed each of the chinchilla foods from the above list of Our Top Picks, we will now, with the help of industry experts, answer some of the most frequently asked questions about chinchillas, what to feed them, what does a chinchilla eat, and most importantly, what not to feed them. We will also also have a look at some great names that you can give them if you have just started looking after a chinchilla.

What is the best food for chinchillas?

In addition to all of those foods that featured in the list of Our Top Picks, some of our other favorites include the F.M. Brown's Tropical Carnival Natural Chinchilla Food, the Vitakraft Vitanature Chinchilla Food - Natural Timothy Formula, the Supreme pet foods Charlie Chinchilla Food, the Mazuri | Nutritionally Complete Chinchilla Food, and the Kaytee Timothy Biscuits Baked Treat.

With chinchillas having such a specific diet because of them being picky eaters and having a sensitive digestive system, it can be a somewhat difficult task to find a food for your pet pet chinchila that they will enjoy eating whilst also also benefitting their health. The ones we have just listed are some of the most nutritious and best chinchilla foods that are currently available on the market. When it comes to giving your chinchila a treat, they enjoy root vegetables and dried fruits.

However, giving them treats should be kept to a minimum, as they are often high in sugar, which can lead to them becoming overweight, and thus more likely to suffer from certain health conditions.

What chinchillas can eat?

With chinchillas being herbivores, ensuring that they have plenty of grass and plants in their diet is very important. Your pet pet chinchillas diet should consist of 3 percent fat, 4 percent sugar, 30 percent fiber, 15 percent protein, and 35 percent carbs. It is important to ensure that they have no more than the 3 percent fat in their diet as doing so can cause all sorts of issues with their liver, including liver damage.

Although your pet chinchilla will both enjoy and benefit from eating plants, if they eat any that are too lush, this might give them issue with their stomach, so the amount that you feed the should be closely monitored. Providing your chinchilla with a good supply of hay is also also important as it makes up the vast majority of their diet. This is because they need this in order to keep their digestive system healthy.

Without enough clean drinking water, your pet pet chinchila will soon become very ill. In order to ensure that their water remains clean at all times. It is a good idea to put it into a drinking bottle. As many experienced chinchilla owners will attest to, they particularly enjoy eating vegetables such as squash, carrot, sweet potatoes, kale, potato, alfalfa, and celery. Fruits that they enjoy eating include sultanas, apples, raisins, blueberries, and grapes.

What foods can chinchillas not eat?

Before giving your pet pet chinchila any need type of food it is always advisable to go seek the advice of their vet, as they will clearly be able to give you a list of what you can and cannot feed to your chinchila, and give you more general advice on what do chinchillas eat. Some of the foods that are potentially harmful to chinchillas are listed below. However, this is not an exhaustive list and so some dangerous foods may not be covered in this.

Foods that your pet chinchilla definitely cannot eat include spinach, cabbage, broccoli, corn, peas, banana, rhubarb leaves, nuts, rhubarb, sunflower seeds, avocado, lettuce, and asparagus. Introducing any sudden or drastic changes to your chinchilla diet can have serious negative effects and so this should be done slowly and gradually over time. Any sort of seeds or nuts should be avoided as they contain lots of fat, which can cause health issues.

What should I name my chinchilla?

For good inspiration for a name for your pet pet chinchilla you should look at their traits and behaviors. As well as being really fast, they enjoy taking baths in dust, and their tail allows them to balance really well, so maybe you can think of some ideas relating to these? The noise that these small animals make range from a barking type noise to a squeak that is similar to the noise produced by a mouse. Could these help you think of a name?

With chinchillas being native to South America, you could use this as inspiration for a name. Some examples of this include Chile, Peak, Andes, Peru, Rocky, Stone, Rock, Peludo, Linda, or Roedor. Those were more general names, but if you want to go down the same path of inspiration but for a girl, why not think about Luz, Mariana, Carito, Azucena, Santa Maria, or Catalina.

South American inspired boys names could include Santiago, Hugo, Diego, Marcos, Juan, Salvador, Rodrigo, Alejandro, Mateo, or Piero. None South American boys names that you could give to your pet chinchilla include Quinton, Andy, Richard, Burt, Eddie, Jeff, Simon, Ulysses, Tom, Rick, Jeff, Irwin, George, or Gus. This goes to show that you do not need to look far for some good inspiration.

The Best Food for your Chinchila Of All

Having reviewed each of the foods for chinchillas from the above list of Our Top Picks and answered some of the most frequently asked questions about them, it is now time to make our final recommendation as to which of these is the best of all. Based on all of this, we came to the decision that the Kaytee Small Animal Dry Food is our favorite, despite the fact that the packaging that it comes in is of poor quality.

This reasons why we like this particular chinchilla foods so much is that it is good for their dental health given the various shapes of the food pieces, the ingredients in it boost their immune system, and they also aid digestion, so that your pet chinchilla’s digestive system is in good overall health.

About the Author Amber

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