26 NOV 2017
Degus Are Slowly Becoming Popular Pets in South Africa
Posted By : Guest Filed Under : Nutrition | Pet Care | Degus | Bunny Nature
Looking for smart and sociable small furries who love to interact with humans and provide hours of entertainment in daylight hours with their endless energy? Then you’ll find degus an absolute delight!   The degu is a small rodent that is native to Chile. In the wild, these supremely social animals live in groups of up to 100, where they dig complex burrows to hide from predators, complete with nests and food stores. Unlike many small furries, degus are diurnal, which means they are active during the day. These lively little creatures, which look rather like large gerbils, love human interaction and will be happy living in a busy home where there’s plenty going on for them to keep a watchful eye on. In Good Company  The first rule when keeping degus is never to have just one. These small pets need the company of at least one other degu chum (ideally from the same litter) or they will feel vulnerable and depressed, which will have a detrimental eff.. [More] degusaspets2.jpg
Tags : Why Degus Are Becoming Popular Pets in South Africa , Degus Food South Africa Comment 0 Comments
26 NOV 2017
How To Recognize & Prevent Nutritional Diseases in Parrots
Posted By : Guest Filed Under : Nutrition | Birds | Roudybush | Bird Food | Pet Care | Parrots | Budgies | Cockatiels | Lories and Lorikeets | African Grey | Lovebirds
It is a sad fact that the majority of pet parrots are fed on nutritionally deficient diets. There are several factors that encourage this to happen but these are mainly due to the ignorance of many bird owners and also owners of pet-shops. The majority of pet psittaciforms are given a seed-based diet to eat.   Seeds fall into two categories: sunflower seed, peanuts and pine nuts are large seeds that contain a lot of oil. Small seeds such as safflower, hemp, millet and canary seed contain mainly carbohydrate. Seeds are high calorie, low in calcium with a poor Ca/P ratio, low in most vitamins, have either low protein content or a limiting essential amino acid, usually lysine or methionine. Seed based diets have little to recommend them nutritionally but they are easy to store and do not deteriorate visually. They are also universally attractive diet to many parrots. In many pet shops the seed quality is poor, is stored for an unspecified time and in unspecified circumstance.. [More] parrotexoticvet.jpg
Tags : How to Recognize and Prevent Nutritional Diseases in Parrots Comment 0 Comments
26 NOV 2017
Dangers Of Seed Diets For Pet Birds
Posted By : Guest Filed Under : Nutrition | Birds | Roudybush | Bird Food | Budgies | Cockatiels | African Grey | Lovebirds
We live in a land of fast food, fatty snacks, and junk food junkies. French fries dripping with grease, hamburgers packed with calories – most of us are painfully aware that our diets are less than ideal. Could our pets also be suffering from a similar situation? If that pet is a bird and it's on an all-seed diet, the answer's an emphatic “Yes!” While nature lovers can safely supplement wild birds with feeders full of seed, too much seed for your pet bird can lead to serious problems.   Just ask Dr. Vanessa Rolfe, an avian veterinarian at Avian & Exotic Veterinary Services in Salem, USA. “Seventy to 80 percent of the problems I treat in birds are due directly or indirectly to inadequate diets – usually seed-based diets, '' Rolfe says. “Seeds are high in fat and deficient in many other nutrients, including amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. So an all-seed diet can be associated with a long list of medical problems.&rdq.. [More] macawandseeds.jpg
Tags : Dangers Of Feeding Seeds To Pet Parrots , Dangers Of Seed Diets To Pet Parrots , Parrot Food South Africa , Parrot Mix South Africa , Parrot Seed South Africa , Dangers Of Seed Diets For Pet Birds Comment 0 Comments
16 NOV 2017
How Long Do Rabbits Live?
Posted By : Guest Filed Under : Rabbits | Pet Care
Everyone wants their pet to live a long and healthy life. For many years in South Africa it was thought that rabbits live maybe three to five years. Overall, rabbits are living longer these days thanks to a combination of specially trained veterinarians and better knowledge of how rabbits should live and what they should eat.   Domestic rabbits usually live between 10-15 years, in contrast to wild rabbits, which may only live a few years because they deal with disease, starvation, and predators. Though there are a variety of rabbit breeds, it’s difficult to determine whether specific breeds live longer than others. Larger breeds often have a shorter lifespan than smaller rabbits, but there are many rabbits which can prove you wrong. The oldest domesticated rabbit on record is 18 years. Today people are feeding rabbits much better food than in the past and keeping them inside more often, which protects them from weather and predators and can help them to live longer. .. [More] rabbitlifespan.JPG
Tags : How Long Do Rabbits Live South Africa , Rabbit Lifespan South Africa , Pet Rabbit Food South Africa Comment 0 Comments
10 NOV 2017
Roudybush Diets Vs Regular Bird Pellets
Posted By : Guest Filed Under : Nutrition | Birds | Roudybush | Bird Food | Parrots | Budgies | Cockatiels | Lories and Lorikeets | African Grey
Roudybush began manufacturing handfeeding formulas and pelletized diets for pet birds in 1985. High quality ingredients and steam pelleting are used to ensure that potentially harmful organisms are not present in the finished products. Samples of every batch of feed are retained at the mill for quality assurance and random samples are tested quarterly for any evidence of contamination. When you buy Roudybush products you can be assured that your birds are eating a high quality diet based on solid, sound nutritional information.   For decades the standard diet for most birds kept in captivity has been a mixture of seeds and nuts. This diet was based on the assumption that that is what these birds eat in their natural environments. Nutritional deficiencies seen in birds kept on seed diets have been better characterized and documented, making it clear that these diets are harmful; however, many people continue to feed seed and nut diets, with or without other nutriti.. [More] parrotseatingroudybushpellets.jpg
Tags : Roudybush Diets Vs Regular Bird Pellets , Bird Food South Africa , Bird Feed Seed South Africa , Bird Pellet Diets South Africa Comment 0 Comments
09 NOV 2017
Handfeeding Macaws
Posted By : Guest Filed Under : Nutrition | Birds | Roudybush
Tom Roudybush, owner and nutritionist of Roudybush, Inc., began manufacturing pellets, crumbles, and handfeeding formulas in 1985 after doing 16 years of nutritional research at the University of California, Davis. Mr. Roudybush studied various bird species, including 10 years of research on the nutritional requirements of pet birds. There is a commonly held belief among aviculturists that macaws need a higher percent fat diet, especially during the handfeeding period. This is based on some handfeeders having a difficult time maintaining good growth rates and based on observations of what some species of macaws eat in the wild. No research has been done to determine what the fat or fatty acid requirements for growth are in macaws. Some handfeeders get good growth in macaws using Roudybush formulas and some handfeeders feel that they need to add fat to the formulas. In general, the handfeeders that get good results with Roudybush handfeeding formulas are those that feed a little.. [More] macawbaby3.jpg
Tags : Handfeeding Macaws Comment 0 Comments
 
Category List
 
Archive List