Well, your chinchilla probably does, too.
Although most chinchillas prefer various other berries.
The problem is that berries, in general, are not good for these furry little pets.
They contain too much sugar and water.
Is that also a problem here, or can chinchillas eat goji berries without issues?
Keep reading to learn if chinchillas can eat these tasty treats, or if goji berries also land on the long list of human-healthy fruits and vegetables that just aren’t that good for chinchillas.
Contents
Can Chinchillas Eat Goji Berries?
In general, you should not feed chinchillas fruits as a snack or treat. However, goji berries are an exception. They are low in sugar and make a great treat for your chinchilla. One it is sure to love.
Goji berries have a few advantages as chinchilla snacks over other fruits. Let’s take a look at what makes these tasty berries the perfect treat for chinchillas.
Why Goji Berries Are The Perfect Treat
Goji berries make a great treat for your chinchilla. Unlike other fruits, these berries are low in sugar, while also being high in vitamins.
Feeding your chinchilla 1 to 2 goji berries a week can help to keep it feeling healthy and full of life.
Benefits of your chinchilla eating goji berries include maintaining a healthy heart, which is also important for blood flow and circulation. The large amount of vitamins can help to boost the immune system and goji berries are even known for preventing cancer.
If your chinchilla isn’t too keen on goji berries at first, or doesn’t like trying new foods, you can always hide them in your chinchilla’s everyday food.
This will help it become used to the taste. No doubt, it won’t be long until they start to become a favorite treat. However, I wouldn’t recommend feeding goji berries to younger chinchillas, because they can affect their digestion.
The Problem With Many Human Treats
Feeding your chinchilla human treats like dried fruits, chocolate, or fresh fruit can wreak havoc on their digestive system and cause issues like diarrhea.
Too much fat and sugar from these treats can also create other health concerns like liver damage, tooth decay, and obesity. This is why it is important to make sure you’re feeding your chinchilla the right treats.
Dried Berries Are Better Than Fresh
When purchasing goji berries for your chinchilla, my advice is to buy dried berries rather than fresh ones. Not only will dried berries last longer, but they are also much easier for your chinchilla to eat.
Fresh goji berries are harder for your chinchilla to eat, because they can stick to their teeth. Chinchillas also like harder foods that they can nibble on, because their teeth never stop growing and harder foods can help grind them down.
Can Chinchillas Eat Any Berries?
Although you could technically feed your chinchilla any kind of berry, or even any kind of food, I don’t recommend feeding it any other type of fresh berry other than goji berries.
This is because fruit is high in both sugar and water and these will prevent your chinchilla from digesting its food properly.
Because chinchillas are originally from the Andes mountains, where the climate is cool and dry, their bodies have evolved to retain the water that they consume.
If you feed your chinchilla foods with a high water content, like most berries, they will end up with too much water in their system, which can result in diarrhea.
What Dried Fruit Can Chinchillas Eat?
There are plenty of dried fruits that you can feed your chinchilla as a healthy snack. It’s safe to feed your chinchilla dried fruits 2 to 3 times a week and they usually enjoy fruits such as dried bananas, apples, or pineapple.
Make sure you feed these to your chinchilla in small amounts, because fruit is high in sugar. You don’t want to give your chinchilla any digestive issues or cause it to become obese. This can happen, even with fruits which are very healthy for us humans.
You could try feeding small amounts of dried fruit to your chinchilla as a reward, for example, while teaching it to perform tricks. This will limit the amount of sugar it gets and also give it a tasty treat to look forward to after impressing you with its new trick.
Chinchillas Eating Goji Berries: Final Thoughts
Chinchillas can eat goji berries. In fact, they are probably the best berry for them to get as a treat, because they do not contain as much sugar as other fruits.
Fresh goji berries are ok, but they contain a lot of water. Chinchillas retain water, so dried goji berries are better.
Leave a Reply