Can Chinchillas Eat Nuts? (Listed What’s safe For Them)
Rodents, like chinchillas, have a very sophisticated digestive system. You can’t feed just about anything to these little furry creatures. Their steady diet should consist of 15% protein and 15% fiber. That’s why their popular food choice is hay and pellets.
But what about other food? Can chinchillas eat nuts? The answer is a bit complicated. Chinchillas can eat nuts but only on an occasional basis. Nuts are hard for them to digest and don’t meet their nutritional requirements. They might nibble on it with a delighted smile, but that does not mean it’s good for them.
With that being said, over the years, I have developed a way to give my chinchillas this nibbly treat in a safe proportion. Join me as I tell you what’s safe and what is a no-go for our little friends.
Are Nuts Okay for Chinchillas?
Many pet owners strongly believe that chinchillas’ diet should be restricted to only hay and pallets. But that is not always true. Like humans, even pets need occasional diversity. That is when nuts enter the picture.
Yes, you can feed nuts to your chinchilla. I have been doing that every once in a while and my furry friend is just fine. However, you shouldn’t add it to their daily diet. One nut a week is all they need. More than that will only cause more damage than any benefit.
Apart from that, nuts cannot meet chinchillas’ nutritional requirements. A chinchilla’s daily needs require the following. Understanding their daily nutritional needs will help you to understand whether you can feed nuts to your furry friends.
| Components | Requirements |
| Carbohydrate | 35% |
| Sugar | 4% |
| Fat | 2-5% |
| Protein | 15% |
| Fiber | 30% |
What Nuts Can Chinchillas Eat?
Nuts are one of the most nutritious plant-based foods in the world. But does that benefit your chinchilla? Research conducted in 2013 by Jennifer Prebble revealed that the chinchilla diet should consist of high fiber. Nuts contain a moderate portion of dietary fiber.
However, not all nuts are safe for this creature. They might happily munch on any type of nut you feed them because, in the wild, they are accustomed to tasting new foods.
Moreover, in the domestic environment, the chinchilla digestive system has changed. For pet chinchillas, you have to be very conscious about food.
So, here’s a table listing safe nuts for chinchillas and their approximate nutritional values per 100 grams:
| Nut Type | Calories (kcal) | Fat (g) | Protein (g) | Carbohydrates (g) | Fiber (g) | Sugar (g) |
| Almonds | 579 | 49.93 | 21.15 | 21.55 | 12.5 | 4.35 |
| Hazelnuts | 628 | 61 | 15 | 17 | 9.7 | 4.3 |
| Pistachios | 562 | 45 | 20.5 | 27.7 | 7 | 8 |
| Chestnuts | 131 | 1.38 | 2 | 27.8 | 3 | 0 |
| Macadamia Nuts | 718 | 75.77 | 7.91 | 13.82 | 9 | 4.71 |
| Brazil Nuts | 656 | 66 | 14 | 12 | 8 | 2.3 |
| Monkey Nut | 567 | 49 | 26 | 16 | 9 | 4 |
| Pine Nut | 673 | 68 | 14 | 13 | 3.7 | 3.6 |
| Acorns | 387 | 24.1 | 6 | 41 | 4 | 0.36 |
These are the nuts and seeds that are best suitable for any chinnie. But what about other nuts? Can chinchillas eat walnuts? Well, walnuts are not poisonous, so you can feed walnuts to chinchilla.
But I have never done it with my pet because it has less fiber and more fat.
Can chinchillas eat raw nuts?
Yes. Chinchillas can eat some raw nuts, but they must be given in moderation. Raw nuts are high in fat and oils that may cause obesity, diarrhea, or other digestive issues.
How to Prepare Nuts For Chinchillas?
As a pet owner, you should always be careful about your pet’s food intake. Nuts aren’t ideal food for your fur ball. But if you know how to prepare them, you can feed them to them for an occasional change of pace. Here is how I feed my chinchillas nuts:
Choose Raw Nuts
Usually, raw nuts are best for rodents. Even if you get roasted nuts, you will have to peel the skin. The nut should not have any salt or added flavor. Because salt and flavors may cause digestive issues for your chinchilla.
For my pet, I always get raw almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, or chestnuts. They have a higher fiber count than any other nut.
Portion Control
Too much fat and sugar is not good for your chinchillas. From the above table, you can see that almonds, hazelnuts, and pistachios contain a huge amount of fat, and chestnuts contain high sugar. So, you have to control the quantity you are feeding your pet.
I always go for one or two small pieces of nuts a week. The nutrition it will get from this small portion won’t disrupt its diet and also keep it happy with this occasional treat.
Small Pieces
Chinchillas can not consume the whole nut. They have 20 small teeth, which prevent them from crushing the nuts into fine pieces. So, chinchillas might just choke on it. What you have to do here is cut the nut into small pieces and leave it in their feeding bowl.
Risk of Feeding Too Many Nuts to Chinchillas
Though nuts are a good occasional treat for your chinchillas, feeding them too many nuts has certain risk factors. I didn’t know these facts and almost made a grave mistake with my chinchillas.
Moreover, I was lucky that my veterinarian warned me in time. So, here I am going to shed light on these risk factors:
Digestive Problem
The stomach of chinchillas is relatively small. Its structure isn’t complex like humans. The stomach lacks a gallbladder and specific enzymes. Which means they can not digest just about anything.
Nuts are one of the things that they cannot digest easily. So, when you feed it too many nuts, it won’t be able to absorb it. Your chinchilla will face bloating, inflammation, and even gastrointestinal stasis due to this.
Obesity
Chinchillas’ digestive system is adapted to a high-fiber, low-fat diet. But nuts mainly contain a high amount of fat, carbs, and sugar. The fiber component is very low. So, excessive intake can quickly contribute to weight gain and nutritional imbalance in your small rodent.
Your chinchilla’s obesity can bring other health concerns with it, too. For example, fatty liver disease, heart issues, and respiratory difficulties. Apart from that, obesity may even make your chinchilla lazy and shorten their lifespan.
Hepatic Pathologies
Some nuts, like almonds, contain hydrocyanic acid. If chinchillas ingest this chemical on a regular basis, it may result in hepatic pathologies. It is a type of liver disease. Hepatic pathologies have the potential to cause serious sickness or even death.
But if you feed almonds to your chinchilla occasionally, then there is nothing to worry about.
Popular Nuts To Feed Your Chinchilla
Below are some of the popular options you might want to consider for your furry friend!
Almonds
Almonds are the first thing you can consider for chinchilla. Almonds have the highest fiber count than any nut. But since it also has a fair amount of fat and carbs, you need to monitor the portion count. One small piece of almond a week is all I give my chinchilla.
Hazelnuts
It comes in second in terms of fiber. However, it has a lot of calories. So, if you feed your chinchilla too many of these nuts, there is a huge chance that your pet will become a round ball. I prefer giving hazelnuts to chinchilla every once or twice a month.
Pistachios
Pistachio is my favorite nut. Sometimes I feeding chinchilla small amount of pistachios. Of course, they can not eat the shell. So I crack the shell and take the nut out before giving it to my pet.
Typically, this nut is not nutritionally suitable for chinchilla. Overfeeding will cause digestive issues, bloating, and even constipation. I like to give one or two small pieces of these nuts every other month not more than 5g.
Chestnut
Chestnut may visibly seem like the best option here. It has fewer calories, fat, carbs, and zero sugar. However, the protein and fiber count is also not satisfactory. This means chestnuts do not bring any benefit. Rather, due to less nutritional value it will break your pet’s health.
You can only add this food item to your chinchilla’s diet for an occasional change of taste.
Macadamia Nuts
Chinchillas can eat Macadamia nuts. However, you cannot give it to them more than once or twice a month. Even without the shell, Macadamia nuts are usually very hard to swallow for chinchillas. If you don’t crush it properly your pet rodent might even choke on it.
Acorns
Most rodents are actually fond of acorns. That’s also the case with chinchillas. Of course, you need to crush both the shell and the nut itself before giving it to your pet. Again, like all other nuts, you need to restrict the portion you feed. I would recommend you feed one acorn every 15-20 days.
Pine Nuts
The same response applies here, too. Pine nuts have very little amount of fiber and a huge amount of carbs, protein, and sugar. Even though these nuts can be given as an occasional treat, they should be avoided as a daily meal. Eating too much pine nuts sometimes leads to gastrointestinal issues.
Brazil Nuts
You can feed your chinchilla Brazil nuts. Except for fat, the other nutritional components of these nuts are quite balanced. However, the nut is quite big so you should only give one-third of the nut to your furry pet every once in a while.
Monkey Nuts
Monkeys or peanuts are probably the most famous nuts in the world. It is an important part of many animal’s diets. Chinchillas should not eat peanuts. I would recommend that you avoid it altogether if possible.
It’s not that your chinchilla wouldn’t eat it. Peanuts are small in size. Your pet can easily break them before swallowing. So, there is no issue with cooking. But peanuts are not nutritious for them. These nuts have a lot of calories, fats, and sugar but only a small amount of fiber.
All these components will only make your little friend gain more weight. The small amount of carbs and fiber may help develop bloating and constipation. If you want to give them these nuts then give it only one nut every week or so.
Nuts To Avoid For Your Chinchilla
Not all nuts are suitable for a chinchilla. Below are two nuts you should definitely avoid feeding them and why.
Cashews Nut
Cashews are not suitable for chinchillas. They belong to the drupe family, which includes foods like plums, apricots, and peaches. These sorts of foods have toxic pits. The cashew nut is no exception to that. If you feed this nut to your chinchilla daily then your pet will face major health concerns.
Can chinchillas eat roasted nuts?
No. You should not give your pet chinchilla roasted nuts as they contain additional oils and salt. This may be harmful to a chinchilla’s digestive system.
Can chinchillas eat salted nuts?
Chinchillas should not eat salted nuts as they are high in salt content, which may cause dehydration and other health problems.
Can chinchillas eat expired nuts?
No, you should not feed your pet expired nuts. Expired nuts can develop harmful bacteria or toxins that may cause digestive problems or even death. It is crucial to feed chinchillas with fresh, high-quality food for their health and well-being.
Can baby chinchillas eat nuts?
No, you should not give nuts to baby chinchillas. Because their digestive systems are still developing, they require a diet mainly consisting of Timothy hay, pellets, and pure water.
Conclusion
You can feed any nut to your pet chinchilla occasionally. The portion should also be small. Because the high protein, fat, and carbs present in nuts are just too much for your pet to handle. For safe dietary choices, you should stick to almonds or hazelnuts at first and then gradually add other nuts.
But remember, before making any changes, you should consult with your vet. Especially if you haven’t ever fed nuts to your chinchillas. Apart from having a sensitive digestive system, each chinchilla has distinctive dietary needs. You should not abruptly make a decision that might harm your pet friend.
