Chinchilla Nutrition

Chinchillas are rodents that very similar to rabbits when it comes to their appearance and are very active and playful in nature.



Diet is an important aspect for all living beings and thus, chinchilla nutrition is no exception. A lot of problems related to chinchillas’ health are a result of dietary influences, wherein pet owners make the mistake of feeding them food that is fed to rabbits or other rodents. You, therefore, need to stick to a diet that is especially recommended for chinchillas.



Chinchilla nutrition is important in order to keep your chinchilla healthy and it therefore needs special attention. Chinchilla nutritional requirements consist of a lot of vitamins and fiber in the diet. To reduce their susceptibility to diseases related to the intestines, it is important that their diet consists of pellets and hay.



You will be required to feed them hay and give them an unlimited supply of the same. Also, when you buy pellets for them, make sure they are fresh and specifically prepared for chinchillas.

Chinchillas also are addicted to junk food just as most of us are and they will want to eat all the tasty tidbits that you have to offer. These, however, are not at all healthy and thus, should be avoided completely. Do not feed them with any seeds as they contain a lot of fat and oil. You should give them fruits, cereals, grains and breads in very limited amounts as they are not at all good for them. The amount of food you serve varies from every chinchilla and will be based upon their age and level of activity. If your pet chinchilla is very active, he is more likely to eat more as compared to a chinchilla who is relatively less active. A normal chinchilla that is healthy and not pregnant or sick should be fed about 2 tablespoons of chinchilla pellets every day. If they do not eat all the pellets in a particular day, you should change these and add fresh ones the next day. Chinchilla vitamin C is an essential aspect of chinchilla nutrition so that they can have healthy gums and to ensure that the teeth do not loosen. Apart from vitamin C, there are a number of chinchilla vitamins that are important and need to be included in their diet. Vitamin D is one of them and is required so that they are able to absorb calcium and phosphorous in the body.