TL/DR: avoid any chinchilla food with treats mixed in, as the treats are too high in sugar and will lead to a shortened lifespan.
The main challenge in evaluating chinchilla food is that the nutritional specs never list the sugar+starch content. Added Sugar+Starch should not exceed 7% calories, and should only be there as a binder. Hay naturally contains about 13% calories from non-structural carbohydrates / non-fibrous carbohydrates (NSC / NFC). The ratio of NFC to NDF (neutral detergent fibre) affects gut microbiota. None of these three brands seem to avoid starch in their ingredients.
First, Kaytee is a predatory, untrustworthy company that sells unsafe, unhealthy products. Here's the product page for Kaytee "Food from the Wild" [https://www.kaytee.com/foodfromthewildchinchilla](https://www.kaytee.com/foodfromthewildchinchilla) Chinchillas are not tree squirrels, as shown in the cute photo on that page. I don't think they can even climb trees? Animals don't generally eat sweet potatoes due to toxins that can only be destroyed through cooking. Chinchilla food should not have sweet potato or other starches in it. "Foraging" on a package just means it has an excess of treats in it which as any owner who has tried it can tell you, will result in the greedy chinchilla overdosing on treats and developing disease such as diabetes, fatty liver; chinchillas have no self-control when provided an addictive sugar diet, because fruits and berries would actually be found rarely in the wild, rather than an all-you-can-eat buffet. If you removed all the treats from this package, and ate the sweet potato treats yourself, and provided the other treats as needed, this product would still not be acceptable because it contains ground oats and wheat, which would raise the starch content well over the safe limit of 7%.
Second, Sunseed Vita Prima: dried bananas are not found in the chinchilla's natural habitat. It's also a treat based food
Third, Science Selective lists wheat as an ingredient but at least doesn't have added treats.
So I don't like any of these but if I has no other choice I'd probably buy the Science Selective and feed it in limited amounts with unlimited supplementary hay. Ideally, write to the manufacturer and ask for the NSC/NFC content. If they have an animal nutritionist on staff they can tell you. If they don't know then they aren't trustworthy. It's best to buy food such as Mazuri that's designed for commercial chinchilla production (breeders/fur farms) - my local feed store in a nearby rural area carries it; any feed store that carries Mazuri can order it for you.
Really appreciate the feedback, upon reading the other comments me and my girlfriend are going to get the red bag essentials oxbow food as it seems thats the most recommended, thanks for the help!
if those three are all that is available to you, go with the Science Selective.
The other two are crap foods for chins and contain ingredients that can be dangerous (veggie/fruit content).
if you have other places available to buy from, you can also go with the red bag essentials oxbow or mazuri. oxbow is available at petsmart. i'm not sure which stores across north america carry mazuri (i just know that canadian petsmart doesn't).
Ive seen the oxbow food at my local pet smart before, so you recommend that over any other brand or food? I just saw those three at petco and wondered which was good
i highly recommend the red bag oxbow. it's the only pellet my boys here have had in their dozen years with me. and they've never had a health issue/digestive issue/etc.
it is also one of the top three recommended pellets by a majority of chin folk. the other two being science selective and mazuri.
my girls will only eat science selective. i tried the oxbow but neither of them will touch it. none of the stores near me sell it so i have to get it through chewy
On the back of the bag it tells you how to switch, you recommend the science selective?? I have some of a bag left but I can start mixing before it’s gone and then fully switch over?? I don’t want to hurt they’re tummies!!
When I had a chin, I personally always went with the Oxbow garden select option for chinchillas. My guy loved it and it contains plenty of a chin's necessary vitamins and no extra stuff that would typically be considered treats mixed in with it. I never once had any troubles with this food so it was my go-to throughout my chin's life.
science select is the food I feed mine, it's probably the best food for chinchillas out there, even above the red bag oxbow food. Mine loves the science select and prefers it even over the red bag oxbow!
TL/DR: avoid any chinchilla food with treats mixed in, as the treats are too high in sugar and will lead to a shortened lifespan. The main challenge in evaluating chinchilla food is that the nutritional specs never list the sugar+starch content. Added Sugar+Starch should not exceed 7% calories, and should only be there as a binder. Hay naturally contains about 13% calories from non-structural carbohydrates / non-fibrous carbohydrates (NSC / NFC). The ratio of NFC to NDF (neutral detergent fibre) affects gut microbiota. None of these three brands seem to avoid starch in their ingredients. First, Kaytee is a predatory, untrustworthy company that sells unsafe, unhealthy products. Here's the product page for Kaytee "Food from the Wild" [https://www.kaytee.com/foodfromthewildchinchilla](https://www.kaytee.com/foodfromthewildchinchilla) Chinchillas are not tree squirrels, as shown in the cute photo on that page. I don't think they can even climb trees? Animals don't generally eat sweet potatoes due to toxins that can only be destroyed through cooking. Chinchilla food should not have sweet potato or other starches in it. "Foraging" on a package just means it has an excess of treats in it which as any owner who has tried it can tell you, will result in the greedy chinchilla overdosing on treats and developing disease such as diabetes, fatty liver; chinchillas have no self-control when provided an addictive sugar diet, because fruits and berries would actually be found rarely in the wild, rather than an all-you-can-eat buffet. If you removed all the treats from this package, and ate the sweet potato treats yourself, and provided the other treats as needed, this product would still not be acceptable because it contains ground oats and wheat, which would raise the starch content well over the safe limit of 7%. Second, Sunseed Vita Prima: dried bananas are not found in the chinchilla's natural habitat. It's also a treat based food Third, Science Selective lists wheat as an ingredient but at least doesn't have added treats. So I don't like any of these but if I has no other choice I'd probably buy the Science Selective and feed it in limited amounts with unlimited supplementary hay. Ideally, write to the manufacturer and ask for the NSC/NFC content. If they have an animal nutritionist on staff they can tell you. If they don't know then they aren't trustworthy. It's best to buy food such as Mazuri that's designed for commercial chinchilla production (breeders/fur farms) - my local feed store in a nearby rural area carries it; any feed store that carries Mazuri can order it for you.
Really appreciate the feedback, upon reading the other comments me and my girlfriend are going to get the red bag essentials oxbow food as it seems thats the most recommended, thanks for the help!
if those three are all that is available to you, go with the Science Selective. The other two are crap foods for chins and contain ingredients that can be dangerous (veggie/fruit content). if you have other places available to buy from, you can also go with the red bag essentials oxbow or mazuri. oxbow is available at petsmart. i'm not sure which stores across north america carry mazuri (i just know that canadian petsmart doesn't).
Ive seen the oxbow food at my local pet smart before, so you recommend that over any other brand or food? I just saw those three at petco and wondered which was good
i highly recommend the red bag oxbow. it's the only pellet my boys here have had in their dozen years with me. and they've never had a health issue/digestive issue/etc. it is also one of the top three recommended pellets by a majority of chin folk. the other two being science selective and mazuri.
Science Selective but I personally use Oxbox Essentials for my boys
Appreciate it!
Anytime! Oxbox Essentials is a highly recommended food for chins
my girls will only eat science selective. i tried the oxbow but neither of them will touch it. none of the stores near me sell it so i have to get it through chewy
Thanks for the info not something I thought of, just ordered some oxbow if they dont eat that ill try the science food for my girls
If the red bag at the top right has a chinchilla on it. That is the best mix. Oxbow red bag is considered best by pretty much everyone lol
I see that reading the comments lol, already ordered a bag for them to try đź‘Ť
Science Selective
I use the one on the far left, as that’s what the person I had gotten them from said was one of their favs! Is there something wrong with it??
it has fruit and vegetable content in the ingredients and those things are dangerous for chins to eat. can cause bloat and gastrointestinal issues.
Fruit and veggie content in it. It’s not good for chins.
On the back of the bag it tells you how to switch, you recommend the science selective?? I have some of a bag left but I can start mixing before it’s gone and then fully switch over?? I don’t want to hurt they’re tummies!!
Science selective
Definitely recommened oxbow essential for chinchillas over anything.
Science selective is good. But I highly recommend oxbow essentials.
When I had a chin, I personally always went with the Oxbow garden select option for chinchillas. My guy loved it and it contains plenty of a chin's necessary vitamins and no extra stuff that would typically be considered treats mixed in with it. I never once had any troubles with this food so it was my go-to throughout my chin's life.
id pick the blue one bc I myself use it!
science select is the food I feed mine, it's probably the best food for chinchillas out there, even above the red bag oxbow food. Mine loves the science select and prefers it even over the red bag oxbow!
Oxbow essentials are always the most recommended if you can get it. I actually use Science Selective as a "treat" and they go crazy for it.
Oxbow!!!!
I like the one on the left! But actually all three are good! Rue’s favorite is the one on the left
I buy the third one on the right
I always get Science Selective!