A Chinchilla’s diet consists of hay, chinchilla pellets and water. Timothy hay is perhaps the best kind. Always make sure the hay has no weeds or anything that could possibly kill your chin. Alfalfa is also another alternative but due to it’s high protein content it needs to be alternated with Oat, Wheat & Barley Hay or another low protein high fiber grass hay.

The best kind of water you can give to your chinchilla is bottled water. It has no chlorine in it, and no parasites that can be found in tap water(please make sure it is spring water.). If you do use tap water, always boil it the night before giving it to your chinchilla. That is just as good as getting bottled water. Filtered water is a good preference as well, since it filters 99% of the giardia parasites out of the water.

For pregnant females, give them a some cranberry juice after they give birth to their babies. Some females don’t have milk for their babies because of lack of calcium in their diet. As well calcium deficiency leads to other problems, such as hunchbacks, teeth problems, etc… Calcium can be found in Alfalfa and calf manna and many people use this product and their chins like it. Also give vitamin C to your pregnant chins or chins that are not pregnant.

Treats for chinchillas can be dried fruit or yogurt. Never give them fresh cranberries, fresh fruits or nuts of any kind, unless in small amounts. Never give too much green food, like leafs of lettuce, because this can constipate your chinchilla and make it very unhealthy. Raisins are also a very big thing for treats for chinchillas as well as dried banana. Apricots, papaya, and pineapples are also good (dried of course). Papaya and pineapple are good sources to help prevent hair balls in chinchillas. Never give too many treats to your chinchilla in one day, this can make the chin sick, but it is good if your chinchilla has constipation it is good to give them raisins to loosen stool.