Chinchilla dental structure, that has a unique record of necessary wear, maintains position and does not overgrow prolongately. Unlike pelo’s that allow the animals to wear down their teeth, chinchillas obtain a proper dental maintenance by chewing on tough woody plant materials. But chinchillas are not the same type of wood, so not all is safe for chinchillas. In our meeting for a complete account, we will delve no how the safety wood chews, kind of wood that can be given to chinchilla and how to prepare them for your pet’s safeness.
The Importance of Chinchilla Safe Wood
Chinchillas’ teeth grow all the time and they will need hard, abrasive materials for their teeth, such as grinding their teeth. Without proper dental wear, chinchillas will experience the malocclusion, a condition where teeth posture becomes distorted and overgrowing, which causes pain, eating obstacles, and even death lethal diseases.
However the hay is the most important factor for teeth grinding, it is not a sole and not enough source of the perfect teeth condition. In cages, one can see that a chinchilla will grow longer teeth in general than the populations of wild chinchillas, even if the chinchilla is given unlimited hay. Here wood chews, ideally safe counterparts should be encouraged.
Hardwood is more perishable than grass stalks and therefore is an additional barricade to aging of teeth of chinchillas. Although this is the case, responsible sourcing of wood from non-toxic trees that are approved by the Animal Welfare Act is still necessary to avoid the health of your chinchilla.
Types of Safe Wood for Chinchillas
Not all hardwood types as well as softwoods are considered safe for chinchillas. Some woods might be saturated with untested compounds or treated with harmful chemicals which can be poisonous or even lethal to your pet. Here are some types of wood that are safe for chinchillas:
- Apple Wood: Applewood, one of the top-rated gnawing materials for chinchillas, is known for its hardness and relatively less toxic. Moreover, it can readily be prepared and in convenient circumstances.
- Willow Wood: Willow wood is not plant that can be considered a hazard for chinchillas. The nail is so soft and flexible, it is ideal for these group of creatures with tender teeth either under the sprouts or adults.
- Aspen Wood: Aspen tree is a subspies of the hardwood timber which is not harmful to chinchillas. It posseses fewer chances of the formation of mold and fungus because it is not made of some types of wood.
- Maple Wood: The maple hardwood, being hard and resilient, is one of the best recommendations for this dental wear because of its durability.
- Birch Wood: Birch wood is the true answer for a healthy chew suitable for chinchillas. It also a kind of hardwood which controls your teeth in the best proper place.
Nevertheless, this chart does not cover all the types of wood but there might be others that are safe to be used by chinchillas. When in doubt, it is highly recommended to consult a veterinarian or go to a trustworthy chinchilla expert to check the suitability of a particular wood type for your pet beforehand.
Preparing Safe Wood for Chinchillas
Before adding any piece of wood to your chinchilla’s environment, it should be prepared effectively to avoid having dangerous items in the surroundings of your pet. Here are the steps to prepare safe wood for chinchillas:
- Collect the wood: Go for pieces of wood or limbs from non-tainted trees or simply from trees that don’t have any pesticides or other unhealthy chemical in them.
- Clean the wood: Scrub the wood down with hot water to burn out any dirt and insects (if applicable) and other stuff that are there.
- Boil the wood: Decomposed wood pieces can be placed into the pot and covered the water. Turn the water on the stove to boil and when it has boiled, take the wood and boil it for 30 minutes. Degas the water and do the process another thirty minutes.
- Dry the wood: You’d better preheat your oven to 200-250°F (93-121°C). With the wood boiled, place it onto the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, checking often, until the wood is completely dry and there is no more moisture to be taken out as the wood is brittle by then.
- Store the wood: Once the wood has dried and above the 12% moisture mark, store it in an airtight container or bag until you are ready to use it. See to it that the container is labeled with the type of wood and the date it was date prepared.
Through implementing the said instructions you would be able to find different ways to make sure that your pet chinchilla and its wooden chews are safe and hazard-free.
Introducing Safe Wood to Your Chinchilla
If your Chinchilla is going to get some safe wood, it is very important that you introduce the piece step by step and always make sure its not overexposed. Since Chinchillas are not sure of the wood pulp as mastication material they will consistently take a moment to get a taste of the food thereby “chewing” it.
Here are some tips for introducing safe wood to your chinchilla:
- Start with small pieces: Initiate their transition by granting the chinchilla the power to consume little bits of the expected safe wood, like twigs and small branches in order for the rodents to accept the new materials.
- Offer a variety: Make sure to offer them with different types of woods that are safe and have various forms so that they still enjoy the woodys as much as the first time.
- Monitor chewing: Follow your little chinchilla to make sure there aren’t large pieces of wood that can end up blocking their system.
- Rotate wood toys: We recommend to switch the wood playthings and chews for your chinchilla’s environment from time to time so his life wouldn’t be so monotonous and dull.
- Provide other chewing materials: Furthermore, give these tiny rodents safe wooden pencils to chew on and offer them some hay and commercial chewing toys as preventive measures against dental problems.
Implementing these tips when you have a chinchilla, you care for its mouths and minds. You provide it with an array of secure chewing wood bunks and other toys. This helps make sure its dental wellness and all-around well-being.
Conclusion
The key thing when it comes to the care of chinchillas is safety of the wood + you provide for them. Through the knowledge of safe wood, different kinds of safe wood as well as the procedure on how to introduce the wood for your chinchilla will enable you to have an assured pet health and happiness. Make sure you only trust reputable suppliers for wood. Audits and clean ups must always accompany wood in your chinchilla habitat. Also remember to look out for chew hazards constantly. If the wood is properly set up safely and carefully, your pet chinchilla will relish the joy of chewing it for several years.
