Chinchillas are adorable, fluffy little animals with an attractive personality that could be the best small pets to keep. However, chinchillas have very sensitive stomachs. If they are fed the wrong type of food, it can easily cause serious digestive upsets.
In the natural, chinchillas have a fiber rich diet, and the direct source of their food is hat and grass. There are several chinchilla foods being sold in the market, which have the formula that are close to their natural herbivorous diet that you should provide them in the enclosure. These foods also include chinchillas needed additional nutrients for their overall health.
But how do you know which is the best food for your chinchilla? In this article, we write down our top picks food products for chinchillas. These foods are also popular and trusted to use by lots of chinchilla owners.
Top 10 Best Chinchilla Foods 2021
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Best Chinchilla Foods 2021 |
Features |
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#1: Supreme Science Selective Chinchilla Food 1.5kg – Out of artificial stuff |
All-natural ingredients. Sugar free and no artificial colors |
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#2: Kaytee Fiesta Food for Chinchillas 2.5 Pound Bag- Encourages foraging behavior |
Different shapes, colors and textures |
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#3: Higgins Sunburst Gourmet Chinchilla Food Mix – Tasty and healthy food |
Contains plant-based DHA omega 3 |
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Naturally preserved for freshness |
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Both treats and blended are compressed in a single cube |
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Does not contain any artificial stuff and preservatives |
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#7: Kaytee Timothy Hay Flavor Variety Multi Pack, Spearmint, Marigold, Carrot |
Flavor Variety |
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Comes in a re-sealable bag to maintain freshness |
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Tasty and nutritious treat |
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America’s #1 hay brand |
#1: Supreme Science Selective Chinchilla Food 1.5kg – Out of artificial stuff
Supreme Science Selective Chinchilla Food provides a tasty balanced diet and nutritional for your pet. This is the high quality, healthy pallet food with an excellent price.
Vets recommend Supreme Petfoods as a high fiber pellet that support the immune system and good for the digestive system of chinchillas. It meets the nutrients needs of the active animals like chinchillas. It has made with 16% protein, 19% fiber, and 3% fat. Fat levels are very low, preventing your chinchillas from getting obese.
Also, It helps maintain healthy skin and coat for your chinchilla. The most impression feature about this chinchilla food is that it all natural, zero added sugar and no artificial colors, which made it totally healthy for your pets.
Pros:
- Natural ingredients
- Does not contain any sugar and artificial colors
- Rich in fiber and balanced nutritional diet
- Low fat levels
- Reasonable price
Cons:
- Does not contain timothy hay
#2: Kaytee Fiesta Food for Chinchillas 2.5 Pound Bag- Encourages foraging behavior
Kaytee is a leading pet food manufacturer. And this food is a great mix that covers all the health needs for a balanced diet. Due to its larger shape and texture, this food are made for improve the dental health of your pets by encourage them chew more.
It is also helps encourage foraging instinct behaviour in the chinchillas thanks to the different kinds of colors and texture available in Kaytee Fiesta Food. t is also great for supporting your pet’s immunity and digestion system strong and healthy.
It is made of fruit, veggies, seeds and grains. There are also some additional fortifiers added in this chinchilla food such as omega-3, DHA, prebiotics and probiotics.. General speaking, this food contain all the necessary things for a healthy happy life.
Pros:
- Helps to wear down chinchilla’s teeth, improve their dental health
- Encourage foraging instinct behaviour
- Good for immunity and digestion system
- Additional fortifiers included
Cons:
- Some chinchillas may choose to eat the bits and colors that like and leave out the rest.
#3: Higgins Sunburst Gourmet Chinchilla Food Mix – Tasty and healthy food
If your chinchilla get boring of their daily food, then this formula is what you looking for. The food includes cooked veggies, sun-cured hay, and grains. It will be the delicious meal for your pets.
The fiber level of this food is high, what make it good for chinchilla digestion. It also has a crunchy texture to encourage chewing more, and good for the dental health. It contains vegetables and fruits, rich in DHA, omega 3 fatties, and probiotics, which make it good for digestive and chinchilla overall health if given in an appropriate amount.
Pros:
- Variety of ingredients
- Delicious food
- Does not contain artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
- Contains plant-based DHA omega 3
Cons
- Some chinchillas may pick the cheat from the mix and leave the rest
- Feeding lots od this product may lead to obesity
- Fruit contents high amount of sugar
#4: Kaytee Timothy Complete Chinchilla Food – Best budget
If you are searching for a good chinchilla food with a friendly budget, then this product may right option for you. It is high in protein and fiber and low in fat. Its content are 16% protein, 22% fiber, 2.5% and fat.
To ensure the optimal health for chinchillas, Kaytee Timothy Complete food is naturally preserved to ensure the ideal freshness.
It contains Timothy hay and alfalfa meal, which are rich in fiber. Not only that, the food has probiotics that help to improve digestive system for better health. It is also promote your chinchilla’s dental health by support chewing activity.
Pros:
- The formula is developed by nutrition expert for great nutritional profile
- Higher amount of fiber than other products
- Budget-friendly
- No sugary fruits
Cons:
- Does not contain vegetable
- Contain molasses
#5: Kaytee Natural Timothy Blend Cubes
Unlike other mix and blend food in this list, Kaytee Natural timothy blend cubes has the formula that treats and blended in only a singer cube. This will prevent your chinchillas may pick to eat only bits they like.
This food is made of sun-cured timothy hay and sun-cured alfalfa hay, what make it a high fiber source for chinchillas. And trests include fruits, vegetables, seeds, ect. It also provides variety added nutritional.
These cubes contain balanced nitrients. It is compressed to support chewing for dental health of your pets. Timothy Blend Cubes are good for digestion, immune system, and heart of chinchillas. However, there is a note that this food is treat and should not be overfed to your pets.
Pros:
- Contains Timothy and Alfalfa Hay
- Good for dental, urinary and heart health
- Contains necessary Vitamins and Minerals
- Low protein, high fiber
Cons:
- Not a staple food substitute
- High fat or sugar content that should be used as treat.
#6: Vitakraft Chinchilla Cocktail Mixed Fruit Treat
Vitakraft Chinchilla Cocktail Mixed Fruit Treat is pellet that made from timothy hay, rose hips, mountain ash berries, oats, and carob pods. These colourful mixture food include delicious flowers, berries and fresh fruit is surely appeal four chinchillas due to its scent.
Not only made of all-natural ingredients treat based, this food also rich in nutrients, and easy to digest, make it an ideal treat for chinchillas. You can mix it in your chinchilla’s food in small amount to simulate a chinchillas natural habitat and encourage them eat more. Do not overfeed your pet with this food since too much sugar content can make your chinchilla obese.
Pros:
- Does not contain any artificial stuff and preservatives
- Quantity worth the price
- Easy to digest and increases brain activity in your Chinchilla
- A tasty flavour that will make your chinchilla find irresistible.
Cons:
- Avoid overfeeding due to its high sugar level
- Contains negligible amounts of timothy hay
- The bits may too big for chinchilla swallowing
#7: Kaytee Timothy Hay Flavor Variety Multi Pack, Spearmint, Marigold, Carrot
Kaytee Timothy Hay Flavor is the combines the benefits of Timothy hay with the flavor and texture variety that complement any Kaytee fortified food. This food is recommend to use for over 7 months of age chinchillas due to it is high in fiber level to support digestive health and low protein level and calcium for supports urinary health.
These ingredients of the food ingredients are manual selected to ensure the proper ratio of leaf to stem. It is not contain any artificial colors or flavors and also provides added nutritional variety.
Carrot flavour made from Sun-cured Timothy Hay, dried carrots. Cranberry includes Sun-cured Timothy Hay, dried cranberries. Mango: Sun-cured Timothy Hay, dried mangos. Marigold: Sun-cured Timothy Hay, dried calendula (marigold). And mint made from Sun-cured Timothy Hay, dried mint.
Pros:
- Made from high quality Western timothy hay
- Flavor Variety
- Hand selected to ensure a high nutritional value
- Provides added nutritional
Cons: – Some users complain that it is contain lots of dust
#8: Kaytee Forti Diet Pro Health
The feature that I like most about this peoduct is that it is come with a re-sealable bag to keep it fresh for your pet. It is produced with larger and crunchy pieces that promote the dental health and support the natural chewing activity of chinchillas.
You can rest your mine to provide this food for your pets since it is guaranteed to not contain any artificial flavor, artificial color or preservatives. Besides, it also does not contain sugary fruits and decreasing the risk of your pet becoming obese. This food includes prebiotics and probiotics, which will promote digestive health.
Pros:
- Contains protected prebiotics and probiotics to ensure healthy digestive
- Promote dental health
- Large crunchy pieces for good dental health
- Does not contains artificial flavors and preservatives
- It comes in a re-sealable bag to maintain freshness of food
Cons:
- Some chinchilla may not like this food and would not eat it
#9 Kaytee Healthy Bits for chinchillas
Kaytee Healthy Bits for chinchillas is the treat that crunchy, fun-to-eat that you can give you pets sometime. It is made of tree nuts, peanuts, nuts, some high quality seeds, grains and honey. It is a tasty, nutritious treat that you should provide them to satisfy their need to chew due to its crunchy texture.
This is the ideal food and great way to bond with your small pet in the playtime. Not only that, this food contains DHA, which promote heart, brain and visual health. Also including sun-cured alfalfa meal, make it an excellent source of fiber, and natural prebiotics and probiotics for digestive health. You can mix this treat with chinchilla staple food, it can be fed up to 20% of the total food intake.
Pros:
- Crunchy texture support chewing behaviors
- Tasty, Nutritious Treat
- Good source of fiber
Cons:
– Do not guarantee to not contain food colorants, artificial stuff
– High sugar content food that should be fed only as a training reward.
#10: Kaytee Timothy Hay
If you are looking for the high quality timothy hay to daily feeding your chinchillas as the staple food, then Kaytee Timothy Hay is absolutely what you should get. This timothy hay of Kaytee is grown in the ideal ecological location, which ensure the moisture and climate is properly and then it stored in a protected environment to ensure maintaining the quality and superior nutritional value.
It is also manual selected for the standard long fiber to support digestive health. These hay are recommend to use for over 7 months chinchillas since it is the great source of fiber and low protein level. It is made of only one ingredient- Timothy hay sourced. This food will provide a balanced diet and contains no artificial colors or preservatives so you can feed your pets daily.
Pros:
- High fiber content supports digestive health
- Lower protein and calcium supports urinary health
- One of the highest quality hay brand
- Made with the ideal ratio of leaf and stem for the optimal digestive
Cons:
– Do not contain any addition vitamin and nutrient for overall well being of chinchillas.
What factors to look for when choose the best chinchilla food?
It is your responsibility to choosing the proper food for your tiny furry friend since it will deeply affect their overall health. You should know that Chinchillas is one the most sensitive and pretentious animals among other rodents out there.
You even should not overfeed them because this may lead to the ricks that your pets get obese. So, you should consider some factors before you buy food for them. Below are some crucial aspects that you have to get into deep consideration while purchasing chinchilla food.
#1: Type Of Food
Do you really know about different types of food for your chinchilla? And what type is good for them? And other ones that use as treats, which is given not frequently. Treats are indeed a type of tasty food, your pets may fall in love with this but they are not contains high fiber content, what your chinchillas really need.
Also, they come with much amount of sugar, what make your pet fat with the risk of obese. The list below includes some the high quality and daily option of foods that you can consider for your chinchilla.
Most of these foods we write down below contain not only fiber but also additional vitamins and minerals that make it a balanced and healthy diet. So, you have to carefully choosing top rated food for your chinchilla well being.
#2: Nutrition & Ingredients
The other important factor to consider is the ideal ration of nutrients and ingredients in the food. Since chinchillas have very sensitive stomach, they also require the strict and science regimen.
Ideally, an adult chinchilla should provide food with 18-20% of fiber, 16-28% of protein, and 2-5% of fat. Also, you have to look for foods that are made from top-quality and natural ingredients.
Keep your mind that any foods that contain high sugar and fat content should not be given your pets
#3: The quality of Food
It is obvious that all natural and best quality foods, which are not come with any artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives are always ensure the good health and longer lifespan for your pets. They are even better if they naturally preserved to maintain the freshness.
You always should stay away from feeding foods that come added preservatives and colors. High quality meant that you may have to pay more and they could more expensive than lower quality food, but it will bring the result that worth the price.
Moreover, before choosing any foods or brand of food, you have to carefully read the label that packed with the food where all things have written in detail.
#4 Brand of food
Actually, the brands of food may not the important factors. But, in some case it tells about the quality of the food, especially if you are a new owner and you do not have many experiences.
The un-known and not reliable brands that provide cheap foods come with a rick of unhealthy and low quality ingredients. Choosing these foods is not the way to save your money but the menace to health of chinchillas. Beside, they’re filled with fillers that may result in undernourishment.
On the other hands, the popular and trustworthy manufactures have to know by many reliable product and operate for a long period of time may give you warranty of products. They will provide all-natural and top quality ingredients. They are also offering a good customer service.
#5: Flavor
Chinchillas are very picky eaters. They may eat only delicious foods. Due to this, beside the quality and nutrients, you should keep an eye on the flavour of food if you do not want they leave their food.
To find out the tasty foods, you can read the food description that manufactory gave and the review of previous users. When buying foot for them, you should take a smaller packer first. And then observe if your pet like the food or not to buy more in quantity. Also, choosing the food packaging with resalable, this will keep the flavour and freshness of food for longer time.
Conclusion
At the end, we want to emphasize that it is important to ensure your chinchilla gets the diet they need to remain healthy and living a long, happy life. Since the digestive system of your chinchillas is more sensitive and quite difficult than other rodent animals, so they may not suitable with the food that feed your rabbits or guinea pigs.
You have to carefully read the food description and label before decide to provide it for your small pets. To avoid any issues can be occurs that can thrive your chinchilla’s health, just choose one from food from the above-said list and you’re free of stress. Hoping that you will find the best food for chinchilla in this list.