BRITISH FAMILYCOMPANY

Chinchilla Care Guide An easy-to-use reference guide to looking after your chinchillas.

The British Family pet experts

A British family company Our strong family values and traditions are core to the Burgess story. For generations we have produced the finest quality foods for people, pets and animals.

200 year heritage in agriculture Our 200-year heritage in agriculture has helped forge strong relationships with the farming community and the ingredients for our recipes are sourced locally wherever possible.

Experts in animal nutrition The health and happiness of pets is our number one goal and our expert knowledge in animal nutrition helps us achieve this. Of course as pet lovers ourselves, we’re also passionate about making great quality, tasty foods.

Dr Suzanne Moyes

MVB MRCVS

Total Burgess Mill Staff 1930’s

Burgess Pet Care Guides | Chinchillas

Welcome to the Burgess Care Guide for Chinchillas. Please read through this guide and keep it handy for reference.

www.burgesspetcare.com

Burgess Excel Care Guide for Chinchillas

Contents:

Introduction to Chinchillas 4

Why Chinchillas Make Good Pets 5

A General Guide to Chinchilla Nutrition 6

Balanced Nutrition 7

Burgess Excel Nuggets 8

Housing & Exersise 10

Behaviour and Companionship 12

Health 14

Burgess Pet Care Guides | Chinchillas

Chinchilla

LIFE EXPECTANCY: 10-15 years

CHINCHILLA Male – Boar NAMES: Female – Sow Young – Kit

WEIGHT: 400-800g (females tend to be larger and heavier than males)

ANIMAL FAMILY: The Rodent Family

BEHAVIOUR: Most active at dawn and dusk. Often snoozing for most of the day. They are very sociable and live in herds in the wild.

DIET: High Fibre, hay based

HOBBIES: Chewing, getting into small spaces and escape artistry!

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Burgess Pet Care Guides | Chinchillas

Introduction to Chinchillas

Why Chinchillas make great pets

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Did you know?

Burgess Pet Care Guides | Chinchillas

More and more people have been choosing chinchillas as pets and we think we know why...

• Great Companions When handled properly from a young age

chinchillas can become close companions for owners for on average 10 - 15 years.

• Clean! Unlike many pets chinchillas are usually clean, quiet

and odourless, making them ideal house pets.

As chinchillas are prey species they need handling with care and consideration. They are quite shy and are therefore more suited to adult owners. Chinchillas also need owners who can offer them plenty of space to exercise in a safe environment.

Chinchillas are adapted to living in mountainous habitats and have long back legs that allow them to jump up to 6ft!

General Nutrition

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Burgess Pet Care Guides | Chinchillas

Chinchillas are herbivores and designed to eat a high fibre, low energy diet. The main part of their diet should be made up of good quality, dust extracted, tasty feeding hay which should always be available.

Burgess Excel Chinchilla Nuggets is a great complementary feed that can be fed as part of the Burgess Chinchilla Feeding plan and alongside any of the Burgess Feeding Hay range. We recommend that you feed the nuggets in small amounts in line with the feeding guide on pack in a heavy bottomed ceramic dish (or one attached to the cage so it can’t be tipped over) alongside clean, fresh water from a sipping bottle which is checked twice daily. Burgess Excel Mountain Meadow Herbs and Country Garden Herbs can also be sprinkled through feeding hay to add interest and encourage foraging.

Some dark, dried leafy greens can be fed to chinchillas, however it is important to be very cautious about introducing these as many chinchillas don’t tolerate them. If you do introduce them do so in only very small amounts. Please seek advice from your vet before introducing any fresh greens into your chinchillas’ diets.

The Feeding Plan

Balanced Nutrition

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Burgess Pet Care Guides | Chinchillas

Nature Snacks Help encourage natural foraging behaviours.

Beneficial Fibre Helps to maintain healthy digestion

Prebiotics Food with prebiotics in will help to support your chinchillas’ digestion

Fresh Water Fresh, clean water is essential to your chinchillas’ health

Fibre from feeding hay Feeding hay is essential to maintain your chinchillas’ dental health

Prevent selective feeding, with added mint for extra taste

TASTY NUGGETS

Contains natural prebiotics to help support healthy digestion

PREBIOTICS

Contains natural antioxidants help support a healthy immune system

NATURAL ANTIOXIDANT

High in fibre to help maintain healthy digestion

BENEFICIAL FIBRE

No added sugar

NO ADDED

Burgess Excel Chinchilla Nuggets are a complementary, nutritionally balanced food for chinchillas with:

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A Complementary Food for Chinchillas

Composition: Wheat • Lucerne • Soyabean Hulls* • Oatfeed • Hipro Soya* • Peas • Wheat Feed • Brewers Yeast • Soya Oil* • Mint (1.25%) • Arbocel • Dicalcium Phosphate • Salt • Limestone • Monocalcium Phosphate • Short Chain Fructooligosaccharides (0.2%). Analytical Constituents: Beneficial Fibre 31% • Crude Protein 17% • Crude Oils and Fats 4% • Crude Fibre 16% • Crude Ash 6.5%. Nutritional Additives: Vitamin A (retinyl acetate) (E672) 30,000 iu/kg • Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) (E671) 3,500 iu/kg • Vitamin E (dl Alpha tocopherol acetate) (3a700) 140 mg/kg • Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid monophosphate) (E300) 825 mg/kg • Copper Sulphate Pentahydrate (E4) 30 mg/kg • Iodine (Calcium lodate anhydrous) (E2) 1.17 mg/kg • Sodium Selenite (E8) 0.67 mg/kg • Ferrous Sulphate Monohydrate (E1) 200 mg/kg • Manganese Sulphate Monohydrate (E5) 187.5 mg/kg • Zinc Sulphate Monohydrate (E6) 257.1 mg/kg • DL- Methionine 1,240 mg/kg. Technological Additives: Tocopherol Rich Extracts of Natural Origin 100 mg/kg.

Burgess Excel Chinchilla Nuggets

Burgess Pet Care Guides | Chinchillas

Prevent selective feeding, with added mint for extra taste

TASTY NUGGETS

Contains natural prebiotics to help support healthy digestion

PREBIOTICS

Contains natural antioxidants help support a healthy immune system

NATURAL ANTIOXIDANT

High in fibre to help maintain healthy digestion

BENEFICIAL FIBRE

No added sugar

NO ADDED

Burgess Excel Chinchilla Nuggets are a complementary, nutritionally balanced food for chinchillas with:

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Burgess Pet Care Guides | Chinchillas

Housing & Exercise

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Burgess Pet Care Guides | Chinchillas

How big should my chinchillas’ housing be? Your chinchillas’ housing should be as big as possible, but as an absolute minimum it should be at least one metre high, two metres wide and two metres deep.

What goes in my chinchillas’ housing? Your chinchillas’ housing should contain lots of levels and platforms, however, there should be no drops higher than 24 inches as chinchillas can often fall off platforms due to their poor eyesight and clumsiness at times. Nesting boxes or fleece cubes should be provided for each chinchilla, and a larger enclosed space to allow them to rest together. The housing floor should be covered in dust extracted material or shredded paper.

Chinchillas are easily bored so their housing should contain lots of stimulating toys and safe items to chew. Any ledges, shelves and toys should be made from untreated, safe woods and plastic should be avoided completely.

When should I let my chinchillas out? Chinchillas should be allowed daily access to ample space outside their housing to exercise, however it is important to make sure the area is safe and secure, and that the chinchillas are kept away from any other pets. It’s also important you remove any wiring etc. from the space or they will chew through it.

How often should I clean my chinchillas’ housing? Housing should be spot-cleaned daily, including removing any wet or dirty areas and cleaning food and water containers. The housing should also be cleaned more thoroughly weekly with soapy water and dried thoroughly, it should be scrubbed and disinfected monthly. Any fleece bedding or flooring should also be washed weekly.

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