Water And Supplement Treats For Your Chinchilla
Like
humans, chinchillas need water. Their water should be fresh and changed
daily. This is crucial because if this is not followed, bacteria can
grow and it would affect the chinchilla's health. It's not a good idea
to have them drink from standing water in a bowl. They'll be sure to
catch bacteria that way. Also, they may accidentally tip the bowl over
and then you have a wet mess. A preferred vehicle for drinking water
would be a water bottle. The bottle should be placed on the side of the
animal's cage.
If you
do use a water bottle, it should be cleaned thoroughly to avoid any
germs or bacteria. Clean the entire bottle with hot water and have
another one on stand-by. The chinchilla will drink the water more if
nothing has been added to it. So, if you want your pet to drink plenty
of water, it should stay as it is.
Since
a pet chinchilla is special to their owner, it's not surprising that
they would want to reward their animal with a treat. However, the owner
must know that this can only be done in moderation. Too many of these
can cause the animal's sensitive digestive system to go out of whack.
Not only will they gain weight, their lifespan would be short-lived.
If
you're going to give your chinchilla treat, give them raisins. This is
something that chinchillas love to eat. They should only be given three
to four raisins a week. If the chinchilla is a baby or a young one,
half a chinchilla will do. Dried fruit, without sulfite preservatives,
is fine. Examples of this are a blueberry, a grape or a tiny apple
slice. If your chinchilla has diarrhea, you can give them wheat (spoon
shredded size) or rolled oats minus the preservatives. Raw, black oil
sunflower seeds that are used for feeding birds are good for the
animal's outer coat. You should not feed your animal cabbage, corn or
lettuce. These would be heavy on the digestive system.
When
feeding them, the treats should be fed separately from anything else,
including pellets. If you mix them, they will not eat the pellets and
just go for the treats instead. If you give them something to gnaw on,
let it be white pine or apple wood. These wood types are good for their
teeth and won't cause damage. Pine boards can also serve as a bottom
platform for a chinchilla's feet when they're walking on a wire mesh
material in their cage. Any other type of wood may not be suitable for
them.
Stay away from
cedar, plum, plywood, cherry, fir, spruce and any other wood that can
be harmful to their teeth. If you're not sure which wood type is good
for them and which isn't, check your local pet store. They can assist
you with your animal's needs.
If
you have a young or expectant chinchilla, their diet will have to be
altered from the normal regimen. If you're not sure on what to feed
them, check with your veterinarian or chinchilla breeder to get more
information. As you get acclimated to what your chinchilla needs, they
can be assured of an uneventful and healthy lifestyle.
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