Tap water versus filtered water
Chinchillas are extremely susceptible to the Giardia bacteria. Small amounts of Giardia are present in many water systems and, while it’s not enough to hurt humans, even a tiny amount can make a chinchilla extremely sick and even kill them. Some people do give their chinchillas tap water but you have to weigh the risk against the convenience. Simply buying bottled filtered water to use in the chinchilla’s water bottle or investing in a small Brita-type filter is an easy and inexpensive solution. If you buy bottled water, be sure to get filtered water and not distilled water.