Chinchilla Health
Chinchillas are relatively easy pets to take care of when you have all the correct information and can achieve a lifespan of 15-20 years. Their diet consists mostly of pellets and hay that is given in unlimited quantities with some treat options. They DO NOT eat vegetables or fruits as this can cause bloat, GI stasis, and other intestinal issues. You can give them certain dried flowers, bee pollen, plain cheerio or shredded wheat as treats.
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Chinchillas have very dense SOFT fur which gets matted if exposed to water so they bathe in dust. If your chinchilla does get wet; towel dry best as possible and provide a dust bath once fully dry.
Like most rodents their teeth continuously grow. They need chews such as apple and willow sticks, wooden ledges, pumice stones, and wood huts. NO PLASTIC, they can ingest this and cause intestinal issues.
That's about it to have a happy healthy chinchilla, the rest is LOVE.
Housing
Weither you choose a huge unit or a smaller one there are certain do's and dont's when it comes to housing. Make sure that there are multiple levels and ledges for animals over 6 months of age. Be aware that falls from great height can cause injuries. These levels should be made of wood, metal, or IF plastic covered in fleece. Plastic is to be avoided at ALL costs. Chinchillas are notorious chewers and will chew through plastic which can cause multiple issues as well as death.
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Bedding should be either fleece, metal, or pine shavings ONLY. Paper material including newspaper, care fresh, or any other form of expanding bedding should be avoided and will void any warranty on animals purchased from me. I recommend doing a cage cleaning each week or as necessary if more than one chinchilla is in the cage.
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Fleece is a wonderful way to decorate your chinchillas home. Non-pill fleece is a safe materail that you can use in your cage for hammocks, tunnels, shelf coverings, chinchilla buddies, etc. Most of which I can provide to you and can be found on my products page.
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These cute little fuzzies are very warm in their fur so they do not like high temperatures. Preferred range is 65-72 any higher risks heat stroke or even death. On the opposite side of the coin they really enjoy cooler temps. This means you will get cold way before they will. It is not recommended that they get below 50 degrees. Due to their thick fur they also do best in rooms with low humidity (50% or less).
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Do Not use Wire wheels or ones smaller than 16 inches in diameter. Invest in a large all metal wheel or chin spin saucer. Another huge do NOT is those plastic death balls. Chinchillas overheat easily and theire are many horror stories of chins getting hot in these balls while playing and eventually pass. Limit any outside of cage play time to 20 mins every other day for animals over 6 months and 15 minutes a week for those under 6 months. Make sure to keep a diligent eye when having play time. Inquisitive animals get themselves in trouble playing with things they shouldn't or chewing things they shouldn't. Some even try to escape the house completely and end up in walls or under cabinets.
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Feeding
The chinchilla diet is very basic it's pellets and hay. Pellets should be a timothy alfalfa blend and given in unlimited quantities. Safe brands include Mazuri, Oxbow, Mana pro, and Blue seal rabbit food. Hay should also be given once a week at minimum up to 3-4 times and can be purchased at most pet stores or your local feed store; alfalfa, orchard, and timothy.
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Water should be given freely in a glass water bottle not a dish or plastic source. Clean regularly and have a back up if neccessary.
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NO FRUITS OR VEGGIES! As explained elsewhere this causes many issues. Including but not limited to GI stasis and bloat. If any fruits or veggies are given to an animal purchased from me this will void any warranty.
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Some safe treats include bee pollen, plan oats, cherrio, or shreeded wheat. Dried flowers and plants including dandilions, lavender, hibiscus, rose hips, and rose petals. These should only be given once a week and only a pinch at a time. Free of any pesticides, fertilizers, etc. You can also find these on my products page