Feeding the Right Chinchilla Food Your chinchilla is a constantly fascinating pet – especially if you have a pair (and you really should, because they love to live in small packs of their own kind). And, for the most part, your chinchilla will most of the work when it comes to keeping fit and entertaining each other. But, that doesn’t let you off the hook completely. You’ve still got to provide the right foods to fuel your furry friends properly.
Chinchillas Are Fibrevores Your happy, funny pets are not just herbivores; they’re a special kind of herbivore that we like to call “fibrevore.” Yes, they eat only plants, just like other herbivores, but they really need a diet that’s almost completely focused on fibre. In fact, they need more fibre than you can even imagine. Everything else in their diet, except perhaps water, is not nearly as important as getting fibre. Although, you can’t really discount the other bits as only treats, they’ll add not only flavour, but also additional vitamins to your pet’s diet. It’s just that chinchillas have a special digestive system, shared only with other fibrevores that demands they eat a whole lot of hay.
The Digestive Systems of Fibrevores Only a few animals are considered fibrevores, even though many animals primarily eat hay and grasses (think horses and cows). Chinchillas are part of a tiny group of domesticated animals that also includes rabbits and guinea pigs. And, they’re part of this group because of the way their bodies process fibre. There are two types of fibre – digestible and indigestible fibre. And although you might think that fibrevores could really only have the digestible kind, that’s not at all true. Chinchillas, like all other fibrevores, need both. And, it’s usually easier to understand the need for indigestible fibre, before moving on to the slightly more complicated process that digestible fibre follows through the body. Indigestible fibre keeps things moving, so to speak. It passes through the stomach and into the intestines without breaking down to become food and fuel for the body. Instead, it is simply excreted as waste. This is important because it not only ensures that healthy digestive bacteria are constantly
in production, but it also keeps your chinchillas munching on their hay – which is exactly what they need to do. Digestible fibre, on the other hand, follows a completely different route. It goes into the stomach where it begins to break down. From there, digestible fibre moves into an organ called the caecum. This is an appendix-like organ that all fibrevores have in common. And, this is where fibrevores show their unique colours. Fibre in the caecum becomes fermented, breaking down even further that what happens in the stomach. This allows chinchillas to extract all of the fibre they can get from their food. However, because it has already gone through the stomach, it must be excreted from the body – and then re-eaten. While it may seem as though your chinchilla is eating its own waste, this is hardly the case. It’s necessary for chinchillas to eat their caecotrophs, the name for the soft balls of fermented fibre. They hold all the fibre that your fibrevore was unable to extract the first time around. Once consumed, they pass through the system, following the same path as indigestible fibre (except there is plenty of body fuel production that happens). In short, it may sound like a rather complicated way of digesting food, and you’re probably grateful that you don’t have to eat your own caecotrophs, but it is quite natural. After all, the more efficiently your body can work with the foods in front of you, the better.
The Right Diet for Your Chinchilla You’ve probably already guessed that the digestive system that chinchillas have calls for a remarkably specialised diet. Well, except, it’s the most basic diet you could ever imagine. Fibre, as you well know, comes from grains and grasses. And, it just so happens that chinchilla can get the most and best quality fibre from Timothy, which is most commonly known as timothy hay. Timothy hay is the first thing you should think of when it comes to feeding your chinchilla. And, indeed, it’s the primary ingredient in your pet’s diet. Each chinchilla that you have should receive a pile of hay at least as large as himself every day; having two chinchillas means two piles (or one double sized pile – after all they are probably best friends). But, while timothy has all the right fibre content for your chinchilla, there are a few other items that should not be ignored. We recommend feeding you chinchilla according to the five-a-day plan (just as you should have a certain number of servings of fruits and vegetables for good health). Once you’ve covered the timothy hay part of the plan, the rest is really rather simple. There are snacks, which may be largely composed of timothy hay and herbs and there are daily pellets that – as long as they are specifically created for chinchillas, will go down a real treat. In addition, your chinchilla will appreciate a few fresh leafy greens for a bit of variation. Keep in mind that not all vegetables are suitable for chinchillas – and you should contact your vet if you have any concerns about which ones to avoid. For the most part though, leafy greens are a real win. And finally, there is fresh water to deliver to your chinchilla’s hutch at morning and night. Given a healthy diet, plenty of exercise and an otherwise happy and stimulated life, your chinchilla should remain in good health for her entire life. But, just like any other domestic animal, your pet needs professional attention if she becomes ill or suffers any trauma. Sometimes, diet alone is simply not enough. If you’re ever concerned about the health of your chinchilla (or any other pet), it is always
best to head to the vet rather than waiting it out. After all, some diseases can be life threatening – and that’s the last thing you’d want to happen to your loveable pet.
To find out more about our Burgess Excel Feeding Plan for fibrevores, please follow this link – http://www.burgesspetcare.com/brands/excel-feeding-plan/