Don’t believe me?
Get some dried hibiscus and brew it into a tea.
This simple drink concoction is hugely popular in Mexico and was one of my favorites when i went there on vacation (right after Mezcal, of course).
But I’m not the only fan in my household.
My little chinchilla loves hibiscus, too! Not the tea, but the dried flowers.
But are they good for her? Many flowers are actually harmful to these delicate little creatures.
Keep reading to learn if chinchillas can eat hibiscus, if they should, and if there are any health benefits to them.
Contents
Can Chinchillas Eat Hibiscus Flowers?
Dried hibiscus flowers make a great treat for chinchillas. They’re a tasty snack that you can feed your pet in small amounts, or even sprinkle them over food to garnish it.
A big reason hibiscus flowers are a great treat is all the health benefits they provide. Let’s take a look at what they do for your chinchilla.
Hibiscus Benefits
Hibiscus flowers have high calcium and phosphorus levels which can actually help to relieve your chinchilla from any sickness. Not only this, but the flower also contains a lot of vitamin C, which can boost your chinchilla’s immune system and help prevent it from becoming sick in the future.
Dried Hibiscus
It’s best to only let your chinchilla eat dried hibiscus. Fresh hibiscus can affect your pet’s digestion, which may cause issues such as diarrhea.
You may also want to limit the amount of hibiscus you feed your chinchilla in one go. Feeding it too much at once can upset its stomach.
Try to only feed your chin one or two dried hibiscus leaves at any one time, and limit this treat to a couple of times a week.
Because hibiscus is a tropical flower and comes from a warm climate, most of us are not able to just go out and pick the flower from the wild.
If you don’t feel like growing the flower at home, but still want to give your chinchilla this fancy treat, fear not. You can buy dried hibiscus from your local pet store or even online.
You can feed your chinchilla dried hibiscus every 2 to 3 days. You can even create your own floral mix for your chinchilla and add other dried flowers in.
This will give your chinchilla some variety with its treats, so that it does not become bored with the same old treat every time.
Another way to feed your chinchilla hibiscus is to garnish its food. You can sprinkle a small amount onto its food pellets. This will make its food much more interesting and enjoyable.
Make sure you introduce any new foods gradually to your chinchilla. It may not like the treat at first, or it may need some time for its digestive system to get used to the new food.
If your chinchilla is under six months, it is better not to feed it any hibiscus until it is older. Their digestive systems can be more sensitive at a younger age.
What Plants Are Poisonous To Chinchillas?
There are many plants that are poisonous to chinchillas and you should avoid feeding them these plants at all costs.
Common plants that are harmful to chinchillas include foxglove, lily, periwinkle, aloe vera, poppy, tulip, tomato plant, daffodil, olives, holly, boxwood, apple leaf, mistletoe, ivy, geranium, clematis, forget me not, and lavender.
Feeding your chinchilla any of these plants can cause it great harm and may even kill it.
If you’re a new chinchilla owner then my advice would be to research what foods your chinchilla can and can’t eat. Not only will this reduce the risk of harming your chinchilla, but finding the right foods to feed it will also ensure that it stays healthy.
What Flowers Can Chinchillas Eat?
There are plenty of flowers that your chinchilla will love eating. When it comes to foods like flowers, it’s best to limit them as a treat rather than including them in your chinchilla’s main diet to avoid any digestion issues.
Along with hibiscus, other flowers your chinchilla would love to nibble on include chamomile, marigold petals, rose petals and rosebud.
Your chinchilla will enjoy eating dried flowers and this is also easier for you when it comes to storing the flowers, because dries ones last much longer. Who wants to constantly have to buy fresh ones?
Chinchillas Eating Hibiscus Flowers: Final Thoughts
Hibiscus flowers can be a great treat for chinchillas. As with all treats, you should only feed them in small amounts and not every day.
My chinchilla loves hibiscus (as do I when in tea form) and I love the health benefits it provides my pet (end me). In other words: there is always a bag of dried hibiscus in my cupboard.
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