What Do Chinchillas Eat?

When cared for and fed properly, chinchillas can make great companions. A proper chinchilla diet is key to good health and a long, happy life for your pet.

So, what exactly do chinchillas eat? Let’s look at everything you need to know about chinchilla food.

What Do Pet Chinchillas Eat?

Chinchillas are South American rodents. Wild chinchillas tend to consume most of their food early in the morning and late at night. Similarly, pet parents should offer their chinchillas food twice a day in the morning and the evening.

Approximately 1–2 tablespoons of chinchilla pellets per day is appropriate.

Chinchillas should also have unlimited high-quality hay such as timothy, oat, meadow and orchard grass all day long. Small fruits such as apples can be offered once a week, and low calcium vegetables such as celery should only be 1–10% of the total diet.

Chinchillas may consume food throughout the day, as they tend to eat more slowly than other small animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs.

Chinchillas have continuously growing, open-rooted teeth. Because of this, a chinchilla diet should consist of unlimited hay.

Chinchillas in the wild eat grass, cactus fruit, leaves, and bark from small shrubs or bushes.

High-quality pellets should also be given to your pet but offer these in limited quantities. Approximately 1–2 tablespoons per day is perfect.

Growing, pregnant, and nursing chinchillas may be fed a larger number of pellets or unlimited amounts to provide additional calories, protein, fat and calcium.

They should also be fed large handfuls of alfalfa hay during the stages of growth, pregnancy, or nursing.

What Can Chinchillas Not Eat?

Feeding your chinchilla excessive amounts of pellets does not supply enough fiber for their microbes in the cecum of the gastrointestinal tracts, where they break down the fiber into vitamins and nutrients.

Feeding just pellets also doesn’t wear down their growing teeth like hay and roughage does.

Your chinchilla should not be given the following:

• Dried fruit—Dried fruit contains too much sugar and can cause obesity, diarrhea, and stomach upset.

• Grains—Grains are low in fiber and high in carbohydrates, which can lead to weight gain and an upset stomach.

• Nuts and seeds—These are high in fat and low in fiber, which can cause obesity and can also be a choking hazard.

• Branches from fruit trees (cherry, cedar, plum, redwood)—These woods are toxic and can be deadly if ingested because they contain cyanide.

• Candy—Candy is high in sugar and can cause digestive issues in chinchillas.

• Dairy products—Dairy is high in fat and most chinchillas are lactose intolerant.

• Caffeine and chocolate—These products are toxic due to theobromine.

• Meat or eggs—Chinchillas are herbivores, and this can cause digestive issues.

• Dog or cat food—Dog and cat food are too high in protein and fat.

• Alcohol—Alcohol is toxic to chinchillas.

When in doubt, call your primary veterinarian before feeding a food item to make sure it’s safe for your chinchilla.

Can Chinchillas Eat Fruits and Vegetables?

Yes!

Fresh greens, such as dark green lettuces, should be given to your chinchilla to provide additional water and fiber.

Make sure to feed low calcium vegetables to prevent the formation of calcium stones. 1–2 cups of greens per day can be added to their diet.

• Romaine lettuce

• Red leaf lettuce

• Green leaf lettuce

• Celery

• Bell peppers

• Butter lettuce

Small amounts of fruit can be offered once a week as an occasional treat. Safe fruits for chinchillas include:

• Apples

• Bananas

• Pears

• Peaches

• Strawberries

Chinchilla Water Requirements

As part of a healthy chinchilla diet, pet parents should offer fresh drinking water daily in a water bowl or bottle.

The bowl and bottle should be cleaned daily and scrubbed with dish soap or run through the dish washer.

It’s especially important to use a tiny scrub brush in the small sipper spout on the bottle to prevent any bacterial overgrowth on the inside. Replace with fresh water every day and refill bowls/bottles as needed throughout the day, so water is always accessible.

Chinchilla Diet-Related Issues

A chinchilla’s diet is important to their overall health and well-being. Deviation from their recommended dietary needs can lead to unfortunate health issues.

Chinchilla diet issues may include:

• Tooth impaction—When chinchillas are not offered enough hay and only consume pellets, their top and bottom teeth can collide. This can cause a tooth impaction. Once this condition occurs, there is nothing that can be done other than to provide pain medication and soft foods.

• Obesity— Overconsumption of pellets and treats can be fattening, leading to obesity, as well as diarrhea.

• Diarrhea—Overfeeding fresh greens can lead to soft stools and diarrhea.

• Bladder stones—Feeding large amounts of high-calcium alfalfa hay to non-breeding, adult chinchillas have been associated with the development bladder stones. Instead, offer your adult chinchilla timothy hay or other low-calcium grass hays, such as orchard or meadow grass.

• Choking—Since chinchillas can’t vomit, small or hard foods such as dried fruit, nuts, seeds, or raisins can get stuck in the back of the mouth or esophagus leading to salivation, gagging, lack of appetite and possible problems breathing.

• Intestinal obstructions—Indigestible bedding, such as wood shavings, can cause obstructions. 

• Bloat—Gas distension in the gastrointestinal tract can occur with sudden dietary changes.

• Constipation—Lack of fecal production can occur with diet changes, lack of fiber, or an inappropriate diet.

• Diabetes—Diabetes can occur in overweight chinchillas eating an inappropriate high carbohydrate diet or a diet high in sugar.

A diet of hay, pellets, fresh greens, and limited treats is essential for keeping your chinchilla happy and healthy.

Avoiding harmful foods and providing a balanced diet helps limit diet-related medical issues and allows your pet to live a long and healthy life.