Can Chinchillas Eat Hazelnuts? Is It Safe Or Useful Nutrients?
In the wilderness, chinchillas mainly eat fibrous food for easier digestion. They may also eat other varieties of foods, such as fruits, veggies, or nuts. But when in captivity, it is your responsibility to give your chinnie a suitable diet.
Yes, chinchillas can eat hazelnuts, but only under strict moderation. It should not be included in their regular diet. You can only give a little portion as occasional treats.
I will tell you the nutritional value of hazelnuts, the potential risks of feeding them, and how often you can feed them to chinchillas. Let’s begin.
Do Chinchillas Like Hazelnuts?
Chinchillas may not be very picky about their diet. They will primarily stick to their fibrous diet if possible. But if food is scarce, chinchillas eat a lot of less-fibrous foods.
Nuts are usually high in fat, and hazelnuts are no exception. Due to the higher fat content, they taste delicious. This is the main reason chinchillas like hazelnuts.
In fact, they will munch on hazelnuts as long as they can. A study by Robert Glogowski, Danuta Dzierżanowska-Goryn, and Krzysztof Rak showed that the inclusion of dietary fat increases food intake in chinchillas. But it can affect their digestive system and can cause health issues down the lane.
As fat isn’t good for chinchillas, many pet owners get worried about feeding almost any nut to their chinchillas. This is where the question arises: can chinchillas eat nuts at all? Well, nuts aren’t dangerous for chinchillas as long as they stay within the limit.
Can Chinchillas Have Hazelnuts?
Chinchillas can eat hazelnuts. But in small quantities. You have to keep some facts in mind before feeding hazelnuts to your chinchilla.
Hazelnuts are a highly popular snack for humans. But as the chinchilla diet is completely different from ours, you should never allow your chinchilla to munch on hazelnuts often.
The reason behind this is the chinchilla digestive system. Chinchillas have a rather simple digestive system compared to other animals. They need a lot of fiber in their diet. If the fiber content in a food is low, it becomes harder for the chinchilla to digest the food.
Besides, high protein and fat content are also harmful to chinchillas. On one side, a high-fat diet makes gut movement difficult. Other digestive issues, such as bloating, can occur due to the high-fat content in food. Besides, it can cause obesity in chinchillas.
So, you should always avoid fatty foods in the chinchilla diet. As hazelnut is high in fat, protein, and sugar and low in fiber, it would do more harm than good to your chinchilla.
Nutritional Value of Hazelnuts
The following chart contains nutrition facts about hazelnuts, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Check it out to get a clear idea of why hazelnuts aren’t good for chinchillas.
| Nutrients | Amount per 100g |
| Water | 5.31g |
| Energy | 628 kcal |
| Protein | 15g |
| Total Fat | 60.8g |
| Carbohydrate | 16.7g |
| Total Dietary Fiber | 9.7g |
| Total Sugar | 4.34g |
| Calcium | 114 mg |
| Iron | 4.7 mg |
| Magnesium | 163 mg |
| Phosphorus | 290 mg |
| Potassium | 680 mg |
| Vitamin C | 6.3 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.563 mg |
Health Benefits of Hazelnuts for Chinchillas
Though hazelnuts have a lot of fat, they have some good nutrients for chinchillas, too. These nutrients can be beneficial for your little chin.
● Low Water Content
Hazelnuts have a low water content compared to many fruits and vegetables. So, if chinchillas eat hazelnuts as occasional treats, they won’t suffer from diarrhea.
● Carbohydrate
Carbs provide energy to chinchillas and hazelnuts have more than 16% carbohydrates in the form of dietary fiber, sugar, and starch. So, a moderate amount of hazelnuts can be a good energy source for chinchillas.
● Moderate Amount of Calcium and Phosphorus
Among the minerals present in hazelnuts, calcium is super important for chinchillas. It improves their dental health and makes their bones stronger. Baby chinchillas need enough calcium so that they can grow healthy. The ratio of calcium and phosphorus should also be balanced.
As you can see in the above chart, hazelnuts are rich in phosphorus as well. So, these nutrients are beneficial for chinchillas.
As pecans have almost the same amount of phosphorus, chinchillas can eat pecans. Well, a small amount of pecans for chinchilla is suitable. But you should never feed too many nuts to chinchillas.
How Many Hazelnuts Can I Feed to My Chinchilla?
You might be thinking about how many hazelnuts would be safe for chinchillas then. Though there is no concrete number, it should be limited to one or two hazelnuts per week.
According to a study by Laura Smith from the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, treats like nuts or dried fruits should be less than 10% of daily food intake. Feeding more than that can be risky for your chin’s health.
How Often Should I Feed Hazelnuts to Chinchilla?
Let me tell you what I do. I usually give hazelnuts to my chinchillas as occasional treats. And I keep this limited to once or twice a month. If the chinchilla is doing great in training sessions or behaving well, I give it 1/4 or half hazelnut throughout the day. So it doesn’t put too much stress on the digestive system.
How to Prepare Hazelnuts for Chinchillas?
Giving hazelnuts as a whole to chinchillas can be risky. Your chinchilla can choke, which will be fatal for the pet. So, I chop the hazelnut into bite-sized pieces. As a result, my chinchilla can easily eat the hazelnuts without choking.
Potential Risks of Overfeeding Hazelnuts to Chinchillas
It should be clear by now that hazelnuts aren’t that good for chinchillas. Here is a quick overview of the problems hazelnuts cause to chinchillas.
● Digestive Issues
A study by Florin Stan showed that the change in the nutritional composition of the chinchilla diet can cause digestive disorders. Besides, it will also affect the digestive organs, such as the stomach, intestine, etc.
Chinchilla’s stomach is a bit different from any other rodent. And it can’t digest too much fat easily. As a result, chinchillas will suffer from bloating, gastroesophageal irritation, or other digestive problems.
● Obesity and Diabetes
Another common risk of feeding fatty foods to chinchillas is obesity. If your chinchilla gets used to fatty foods, it will quickly gain weight. That can lead to diabetes, hyperthyroidism, etc.
My chinchilla started gaining weight in the beginning when I loved to give him fatty and sweet treats. But soon, I controlled myself and stopped giving too much fatty food.
What Veterinarians Say On Feeding Hazelnuts to Chinchillas?
According to Palmerstown Vets, hazelnut intake should be limited for chinchillas. You should only provide hazelnuts as treats and that should not be more than two to three teaspoons in a week.
Final Thoughts
A wide variety of nuts, including hazelnuts, are popular as delicious snacks. This leads many chinchilla owners to offer hazelnuts to their furry pets.
Feeding too many hazelnuts to chinchillas can be dangerous. This high-fat snack can cause digestive issues and obesity in these little rodents. But as they are delicious and have some useful nutrients, you should offer a small amount of hazelnuts to your chinchillas.
