You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Chipmunks are popular pets and proper nutrition is important to maintain health

There are 22 species of Chipmunk including those indigenous to North America (eg the Eastern American Chipmunk) and those from Asia (eg the Siberian Chipmunk) which are the most common type kept as a pet in the UK).  In the wild Chipmunks are mainly vegetarian but they eat a wide range of  foods, including :

• Buds
• Flowers
  • chickweed
  • clover
  • dandelions
  • groundsel
• Fruit
  • apples
  • blackberries
  • cherries
  • grapes
  • gooseberries
  • oranges
  • plums
  • raspberries
  • tomatoes
• Leaves
• Nuts
  • acorns
  • chestnuts
  • hazel nuts
  • pine nuts
  • walnuts
• Seeds (over 70%) - commercial bird seed can be given, and chipmunks will eat a wide variety of seeds including:
  • buckwheat
  • canary seed
  • oats
  • peanuts
  • sunflower seed
  • maize
  • wheat
• Vegetables
  • corn cobs
  • lettuce
  • peapods

In addition branches and twigs are useful to add to the environment for climbing and gnawing - which helps to keep the chipmunks teeth from overgrowing.

Chipmunks have also been observed eating :

• Small birds
• Bird eggs
• Fungi
• Insects - few
• Slugs
• Small rodents - eg mice
• Spiders
• Small snakes

Usually a vegetarian mixed ration will suffice, but some authors recommend additional foods, particularly during pregnancy or lactation, however there is no consensus view about the need for these  :

• milk
• baby cereal
• puppy biscuits
• honey
• cooked chicken drumsticks
• calcium supplementation as a block
• insects and their larvae

A fresh clean supply of water should be available at all times.

Updated January 2016