Blueberries are a “superfood” for humans. They contain antioxidants and other important nutrients like vitamin C and potassium. They can help prevent inflammation and serious health problems like cancer and heart disease. Can chinchillas eat blueberries and are they as good for them as they are for people? Yes, your chinchilla can eat blueberries as a treat, but a chinchilla should only eat a very small quantity of blueberries and other fruits. We’ll look at the nutritional needs of chinchillas, and why they should only eat blueberries and other fruits as an occasional treat.
What kind of animal is a chinchilla? The cute, furry chinchilla is a social rodent from South America. They are related to guinea pigs and porcupines. The chinchilla is what’s known as a selective folivore and granivore. This means that they are herbivores (plant-eaters) that mostly eat leaves and seeds in the wild. So, what should a chinchilla eat to be as happy and healthy as possible? What do chinchillas eat in the wild?
Studies of wild chinchillas in their native South American habitats show that they mostly eat a very high fiber diet of leaves, both fresh and dried. They also eat some seeds, stems, and roots but leaves are the most common type of food that they eat. Some chinchillas in the wild may sometimes eat an insect, but they are primarily plant-eaters. A wild chinchilla’s diet varies from season to season, and many chinchillas live in harsh, cold, high-altitude environments, where finding food can be difficult at certain times of the year. Chinchilla nutritional requirements Veterinary health experts note that the chinchilla has a very specialized diet. As much as 80% of your chinchilla’s diet should be grass hay, like timothy. If you feed your chinchilla commercial pellets, they should be made from hay, with no extra added ingredients. Pellets are intended to supplement a pet chinchilla’s hay diet, not replace it. Fresh vegetables can be a good addition to your chinchilla’s diet, but they should be small add-ons to the main diet of hay. Fresh fruit like blueberries can be given as a very small treat, but your chinchilla should not eat a lot of food that’s high in sugar. Let’s look at the different types of fresh fruits and vegetables that are good for pet chinchillas to eat. What kind of vegetables can chinchillas eat? Image Credit by Brett_Hondow, Pixabay Around 10% of your chinchilla’s total diet should be fresh leafy greens and herbs. Some vegetables like corn are high in sugar like fruit, so they should not be a normal part of your chinchilla’s diet. While the bulk of your chinchilla’s daily food intake should be hay, you can include around ½ cup of greens per 2 pounds of body weight each day. The greens should have low amounts of calcium and oxalates to prevent the formation of bladder and kidney stones. Good vegetable choices for pet chinchillas include:
Arugula
Watercress
Romaine lettuce
Cilantro
Dill
Radicchio
Collard greens
Bibb lettuce
Mustard greens
Red leaf lettuce
What fruits can chinchillas eat? Image Credit: pasja1000, Pixabay What sort of fruit can you give your chinchilla as a very occasional treat? One or two blueberries won’t harm your chinchilla. Any other fruits should be fed in very small quantities. High-fiber fruits are best. A good example would be one slice of apple with the skin on. Other good fresh fruit choices for treats are melons, pears, strawberries, and peaches. One or two pieces of dried fruit, like raisins or cranberries, can be a good occasional treat for your chinchilla as well. You can buy dried blueberries too. Some owners feed their pet chinchillas dried herbs and flower petals. You can offer small treats of dried thyme or chamomile. Most chinchillas love sweet treats like blueberries and other fruits but remember that less is better. Your chinchilla’s digestive system is made for roughage like hay. Too much fruit and other rich foods can cause serious digestive problems and other health issues like obesity and dental disease. Can chinchillas eat human food? Image Credit: Lyona, Shutterstock Besides fruits and vegetables, can chinchillas eat other people food, such as processed food products, as a treat? A chinchilla’s very specialized digestive system and dietary requirements make feeding people food a bad idea, as much as your little guy might like the taste. With a few minor exceptions, avoid feeding your chinchilla processed foods. What are the exceptions?
Some chinchilla experts say one or two pieces of a plain cereal like multi-grain Cheerios, shredded wheat, or rolled oats can be OK for your chinchilla to eat as an occasional treat.
Make sure that any cereal is plain and low in sugar, with no frosting or other sugary ingredients.
One or two pieces of plain popcorn are also OK as an occasional treat.
Aside from these healthy people food options, it’s best to avoid all other human foods, so skip the cheese, yogurt, and other snacks to keep your chinchilla as healthy as possible.
Featured Image Credit: Julian Ackroyd, Unsplash
Blueberries are a “superfood” for humans. They contain antioxidants and other important nutrients like vitamin C and potassium. They can help prevent inflammation and serious health problems like cancer and heart disease.
Can chinchillas eat blueberries and are they as good for them as they are for people? Yes, your chinchilla can eat blueberries as a treat, but a chinchilla should only eat a very small quantity of blueberries and other fruits.
We’ll look at the nutritional needs of chinchillas, and why they should only eat blueberries and other fruits as an occasional treat.
What kind of animal is a chinchilla?
The cute, furry chinchilla is a social rodent from South America. They are related to guinea pigs and porcupines.
The chinchilla is what’s known as a selective folivore and granivore. This means that they are herbivores (plant-eaters) that mostly eat leaves and seeds in the wild.
So, what should a chinchilla eat to be as happy and healthy as possible?
What do chinchillas eat in the wild?
Studies of wild chinchillas in their native South American habitats show that they mostly eat a very high fiber diet of leaves, both fresh and dried.
They also eat some seeds, stems, and roots but leaves are the most common type of food that they eat.
Some chinchillas in the wild may sometimes eat an insect, but they are primarily plant-eaters.
A wild chinchilla’s diet varies from season to season, and many chinchillas live in harsh, cold, high-altitude environments, where finding food can be difficult at certain times of the year.
Chinchilla nutritional requirements
Veterinary health experts note that the chinchilla has a very specialized diet. As much as 80% of your chinchilla’s diet should be grass hay, like timothy.
If you feed your chinchilla commercial pellets, they should be made from hay, with no extra added ingredients. Pellets are intended to supplement a pet chinchilla’s hay diet, not replace it.
Fresh vegetables can be a good addition to your chinchilla’s diet, but they should be small add-ons to the main diet of hay. Fresh fruit like blueberries can be given as a very small treat, but your chinchilla should not eat a lot of food that’s high in sugar.
Let’s look at the different types of fresh fruits and vegetables that are good for pet chinchillas to eat.
What kind of vegetables can chinchillas eat?
Around 10% of your chinchilla’s total diet should be fresh leafy greens and herbs. Some vegetables like corn are high in sugar like fruit, so they should not be a normal part of your chinchilla’s diet.
While the bulk of your chinchilla’s daily food intake should be hay, you can include around ½ cup of greens per 2 pounds of body weight each day.
The greens should have low amounts of calcium and oxalates to prevent the formation of bladder and kidney stones.
Good vegetable choices for pet chinchillas include:
Arugula
Watercress
Romaine lettuce
Cilantro
Dill
Radicchio
Collard greens
Bibb lettuce
Mustard greens
Red leaf lettuce
What fruits can chinchillas eat?
What sort of fruit can you give your chinchilla as a very occasional treat? One or two blueberries won’t harm your chinchilla.
Arugula
Watercress
Romaine lettuce
Cilantro
Dill
Radicchio
Collard greens
Bibb lettuce
Mustard greens
Red leaf lettuce
- Arugula
- Watercress
- Romaine lettuce
- Cilantro
- Dill
- Radicchio
- Collard greens
- Bibb lettuce
- Mustard greens
- Red leaf lettuce
Any other fruits should be fed in very small quantities. High-fiber fruits are best. A good example would be one slice of apple with the skin on.
Other good fresh fruit choices for treats are melons, pears, strawberries, and peaches.
One or two pieces of dried fruit, like raisins or cranberries, can be a good occasional treat for your chinchilla as well. You can buy dried blueberries too.
Some owners feed their pet chinchillas dried herbs and flower petals. You can offer small treats of dried thyme or chamomile.
Most chinchillas love sweet treats like blueberries and other fruits but remember that less is better. Your chinchilla’s digestive system is made for roughage like hay.
Too much fruit and other rich foods can cause serious digestive problems and other health issues like obesity and dental disease.
Can chinchillas eat human food?
Besides fruits and vegetables, can chinchillas eat other people food, such as processed food products, as a treat?
A chinchilla’s very specialized digestive system and dietary requirements make feeding people food a bad idea, as much as your little guy might like the taste.
With a few minor exceptions, avoid feeding your chinchilla processed foods. What are the exceptions?
Some chinchilla experts say one or two pieces of a plain cereal like multi-grain Cheerios, shredded wheat, or rolled oats can be OK for your chinchilla to eat as an occasional treat.
Make sure that any cereal is plain and low in sugar, with no frosting or other sugary ingredients.
One or two pieces of plain popcorn are also OK as an occasional treat.
Aside from these healthy people food options, it’s best to avoid all other human foods, so skip the cheese, yogurt, and other snacks to keep your chinchilla as healthy as possible.
Some chinchilla experts say one or two pieces of a plain cereal like multi-grain Cheerios, shredded wheat, or rolled oats can be OK for your chinchilla to eat as an occasional treat.
Make sure that any cereal is plain and low in sugar, with no frosting or other sugary ingredients.
One or two pieces of plain popcorn are also OK as an occasional treat.
- Some chinchilla experts say one or two pieces of a plain cereal like multi-grain Cheerios, shredded wheat, or rolled oats can be OK for your chinchilla to eat as an occasional treat.
- Make sure that any cereal is plain and low in sugar, with no frosting or other sugary ingredients.
- One or two pieces of plain popcorn are also OK as an occasional treat.
Featured Image Credit: Julian Ackroyd, Unsplash
