Can Chinchillas Eat Watermelon? (A Fruit With Multiple Dangers!)

Fruit in general is problematic for chinchillas.

The high sugar and water content can wreak havoc on their sensitive digestive systems.

Can chinchillas eat watermelon, then?

We all know it contains a lot of water, after all. I mean, it’s right there in the name.

With many fruits, the answer is not a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

With watermelon it is. The answer is simple.

Keep reading to learn whether chinchillas can have watermelon. We will cover all forms of this delicious fruit: the flesh, the rind, and the seeds.

 

Can Chinchillas Eat Watermelon?

Chinchillas can not eat watermelon. Technically, they can eat a tiny amount, but I strongly recommend avoiding this fruit altogether. The high water and sugar content makes watermelon a health risk to your little pet.

Chinchillas have sensitive digestive systems that are not able to handle too much water or sugar. And for such a small animal ‘too much’ is not a large amount. Since a watermelon is primarily water and sugar, it is perhaps the worst fruit to feed chinchillas.

 

Why Is Watermelon Bad For My Chinchilla?

As mentioned, watermelon is high in sugar and water. Feeding your chinchilla even a small amount of watermelon can overload its digestive system.

If your chinchilla consumes watermelon, it may become bloating or suffer diarrhoea and sickness. There are plenty of other tasty treats you can feed your chinchilla, such as dried flowers or herbs. In fact, just about anything is better than watermelon.

 

Can Chinchillas Eat Other Fruits

The good news is that chinchillas can eat other fruits. It is best to feed your chinchilla dried fruits such as raisins or sultanas, since they contain very little water.

But if you only have fresh fruit available, you chinchilla will love apples, cranberries, peaches and strawberries, among many others. You do need to make sure you keep the amount of these fruits you feed your pet to a minimum.

All fruits still contain high amounts of sugar and water, just not as much as a watermelon. As a result, you should only feed a bitesize, around the size of your pinkie fingernail, and you should only feed this to your chinchilla once or twice a week, maximum.

 

Other Foods to Avoid

Watermelon isn’t the only food you should keep away from your chinchilla. Other foods your chinchilla should avoid include asparagus, avocado, bananas, broccoli, citrus fruits, other types of melon, peanuts and spinach.

All of these foods listed above will harm your chinchilla’s digestive system when consumed. They contain too much fat, sugar or water and your chinchilla won’t be able to digest them properly.

These foods can cause your chinchilla to become seriously ill and you may notice that your pet becomes bloated or seems to be in pain. Tiny amounts of most of them should be fine, but why risk it when there are so many other things you can feed your pet that won’t cause it harm in such tiny amount.

If you’re unsure of what foods you should not be feeding your chinchilla, it is best to stick to the main diet of hay and pellets. If you want to treat your chinchilla occasionally, you can consult your vet on the best food to feed it, or check out this article on good treats for chinchillas.

 

Can Chinchillas Eat Watermelon Rinds?

You should also steer clear of feeding your chinchilla watermelon rinds. You may think that the skin of a watermelon would be safer to feed your pet, because it is harder and less watery than the flesh of a watermelon.

But watermelon rind does still contain a high amount of water. It also contains high amounts of sugar and fruit acids. The rinds will still wreak havoc on your chinchilla’s digestive system, so I advise staying away from any kind of melon or melon rind.

 

Can Chinchillas Have Dried Watermelon?

Even though dried watermelon has a much lower water content, it still has large amounts of sugar in it. I recommend avoiding this as a treat for your chinchilla, too.

You really don’t want a sick chinchilla. And feeding them foods high in sugar can not only cause them to become unwell, but it can even become fatal. And if you do it in such small amounts that it does not have too much of a negative effect immediately, it can lead to obesity in the long run, and the various health issues that come along with that.

 

Can Chinchillas Eat Watermelon Seeds?

Just like the flesh and rind of watermelon, you should also avoid feeding your chinchilla watermelon seeds. These seeds are full of fat, which is also unsafe to feed your chinchilla in too high amounts (and even just a little is too much for these little rodents).

Your pet will find it difficult to digest the fat in watermelon seeds. Even though the seeds are small, you should still keep them far away from your chinchilla.

 

Can Chinchillas Have Watermelon: Final Thoughts

Chinchillas can eat watermelon, but they should not. The flesh, the rind, and the seeds all contain things that can cause serious problems for your chinchilla’s sensitive digestive system.

The biggest problem with the flesh and rind is the high sugar and water content. Chinchillas can only handle a tiny amount of either and even a miniscule piece of watermelon can have enough to make your pet sick. The seeds contain a lot of fat, which is also something that can cause digestive issues in chinchillas, though ti is not as dangerous as water or sugar.