On our site, you’ll see that we sell dried goji berries for chinchillas. This leads a lot of our customers to ask, can chinchillas eat strawberries? Or any other kind of berry?
It’s a complicated question for a few reasons, but if you want an easy answer then it’s probably better if they don’t. Some chinchillas can have very small pieces of strawberries occasionally and be okay while others may have diarrhea and feel sick after having a strawberry.
Let’s jump in and compare options for treats for chinchillas to strawberries and then we‘ll follow that up with how they fit into a healthy diet for chinchillas.
How Are Fresh Berries and Dried Berries Different?
A chinchilla’s diet is very dry (hay, pellets). They don’t do well with a lot of fresh foods due to the water content. This can actually be very hard on their digestive system! For this reason, a lot of chinchillas do better with dried treats.
When you think about a piece of dried fruit, you need to remember that the sugar is more concentrated. So a smaller piece of dried fruit can have more sugar than a larger piece of fresh fruit.
Can Chinchillas Eat Strawberries Fresh and Dried?
If you want to give your chinchilla a strawberry, never give them more than a small piece. If they can’t hold the piece in their hand that means you’ve given them way too much. A treat the size of your hand would be a big treat! Fruit the size of their paw is plenty, and only once in a day.
A chinchilla’s digestive system is sensitive. Don’t give them a piece of fruit every day. Occasionally you can give them a tiny piece (pea-sized) and only if your specific chinchilla is able to handle it. Dried strawberries or fresh strawberries could work. We will talk more about how to introduce foods soon!
What Treats Are Best For Chinchillas?
There are lots of ways to treat your chinchilla that don’t involve anything upsetting their digestive system. Giving your chinchilla toys or something new to chew on provides fun that lasts much longer than a small piece of strawberry.
There are plenty of balls, rings, sticks, and logs that provide exciting exploration to a chinchilla. These are often the best treats! They give your chinchilla something to think about and work on.
Wild chinchillas spend their days foraging through roughage and chewing on different textures. The more you can create an environment like that for your chinchilla, the happier they will be!
Something more in the traditional treat category is hay cubes! Hay Cubes are a great way to treat your chinchilla because they’re made mostly of hay which is just what your chinchilla needs. Hay Cubes give your chinchilla a new texture to explore without upsetting their stomach.
How To Introduce Something New To Your Chinchilla
If you decide to give your chinchilla a small piece of strawberry or any other new treat, stop after one. Don’t give them more the next day. Wait a week to make sure that it digested alright. Don’t suddenly change up the frequency of treats either.
With our Dried Goji Berries, we only recommend one a month for chinchillas. Be very cautious with foods outside of their usual low-sugar and dry diet.
When you're introducing a new type of pellet food or even hay, it’s best to transition by giving your chinchilla half of the old food with half of the new food. This makes the transition easier and it also stops your chinchilla from simply turning their nose up at the new food entirely.
Signs Your Chinchilla Isn’t Digesting Well
If you notice any of these signs that your chinchilla isn’t digesting a new food well, check with your exotic vet!
Little to no appetite
Constipation
Diarrhea
Change in stool appearance
How To Keep Your Chinchilla’s Diet on Track
If you give your chinchilla too many treats, they won’t feel well enough to eat enough hay! For some chinchillas, it’s best not to have any treats. The goal is to always keep a steady flow of fiber and roughage moving through their system and avoid anything that slows this down or interrupts it.
Your chinchilla’s primary food source must be hay. Hay needs to make up the majority of their diet for both their digestive system and their dental health.
A chinchilla’s teeth are always growing. They rely on chewing enough roughage to keep them worn down. Lots and lots of hay will do the trick. The chew toys we mentioned previously are also great for keeping their teeth busy.
Chinchillas can have chinchilla food pellets but only 1-2 TBS a day. Some chinchillas really love their pellets but make sure you don’t give them too much and they will refocus their energy on the hay pile.
In Conclusion: Can Chinchillas Eat Strawberries?
Can chinchillas eat strawberries? We remain wishy-washy. Sorry, there’s no absolute yes or no that you’re going to get out of us today.
Some chinchillas can have a piece of a strawberry occasionally, while others will do better without them. Is your chinchilla staying well enough to eat enough hay with small amounts of treats? Then you’re probably in the clear.
Check with your exotic vet for more advice and help with your specific situation!
Chinchilla research is continuously growing! If you have any doubts or concerns contact your exotic vet.
We are not veterinarians, and none of our information should be construed as veterinary advice.
