Are chinchillas coprophagic?

Re: Are chinchillas coprophagic?

Geniverger — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 14:18:08 GMT

Thanks for your help everyone. Unfortunately in the ANA book it says chinchillas are NOT coprophagic, and for some really stupid reason, the exams are written on what's in the book, not actual scientific fact. So I have to remember something which is wrong in order to pass, real helpful, don't you think?

Re: Are chinchillas coprophagic?

albatross — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 17:18:56 GMT

they do indeed practice coprophagy.
Poo-experts can also tell which are the first pass-through and which are the second.
This process makes it essential for animals on antibiotics to be given probiotics in order to keep gut motility going.

Re: Are chinchillas coprophagic?

xhappysvn21x — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 19:40:15 GMT

spoke to chillchilla carer/breeder, they do eat there own faeces, obv at night :)

Re: Are chinchillas coprophagic?

thebeestingbutterfly — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 21:03:42 GMT

unless they worded the question wrong??

I guess as with most animals if you over feed they are less likely to re eat faeces, but nocturnal animals are more likely to do it at night yes:)

Re: Are chinchillas coprophagic?

Phrin Vernon RVN — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 20:32:28 GMT

I don't know, but out the potential answers they gave you, I would think the one they are looking for was rats, as they just eat allsorts as has been said, and don't seem to pay any attention to where or when they poo! Just a guess though to be honest...

Re: Are chinchillas coprophagic?

xhappysvn21x — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 17:30:15 GMT

nasty question :( i have only seen chinchillas in our house throw it at the cat ;) so they a species that can handle it. will have to start watching them now hehe

i would imagine they could they chew whatever they can get hold of. we use a lot of cardboard loo rolls :)

Re: Are chinchillas coprophagic?

Kim Buckley — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 08:50:53 GMT

I did a bit of rooting around on the net and there are a lot of veterinary textbooks that say chinchillas are. I have had guinea pigs for years and I very very rarely see them doing it. Don't most animals do it at night anyway?

Re: Are chinchillas coprophagic?

thebeestingbutterfly — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 20:54:33 GMT

I have owned Chinnies for 16 years now and have never seen them eating theirs!

Re: Are chinchillas coprophagic?

Kim Buckley — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 17:29:52 GMT

I don't really know a lot about chinchillas but I would say that rats aren't coprophagic. All the rest are herbivores and so need to eat their cecotrophs whereas rats eat anything and everything. Sorry I can't be more sure!