Pet Habitat South Africa

08 SEP 2014

Dangers of Feeding Dry Food To Guinea Pigs, Rabbits & Chinchillas

Posted By : Guest

You should never feed rolled oats, wheat, crackers, weetbix or any breakfast cereals to chinchillas, rabbits or guinea pigs as it affects their calcium and phosphorus ratio and reduces the absorption of essential nutrients from hay, depleting calcium in their bodies and causing digestive, dental and bone problems. Rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas should have a diet high in fibre, and fairly low in calories (especially fats and starches). And we not referring to Crude fibre because it is poor measure of plant lignin and cellulose, but rather digestive and indigestible fibre, which is only present in high quantities in hay. Over time pellet diets have been sold as the mainstay of their diet, but pellets was originally formulated for non household pets (i.e. laboratory or farmed rabbits and chinchillas). Some of the problems associated with feeding too much lucerne based pellets are: Obesity Dental disease Soft stools (with norm st.. [More]

Tags : Feeding Rabbits , Guinea Pigs & Chinchillas Dry Food in South Africa , Dangers of Feeding Dry Food To Guinea Pigs , Rabbits & Chinchillas in South Africa

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24 JUN 2014

Basic Healthcare For Rabbits

Posted By : Guest

Filed Under : Rabbits | Pet Care

Veterinarians claim that as many as 75% of the rabbits that they treat have signs of dental disease. Although rabbit teeth seem to have a mind of their own, you can take action that will avoid your pet becoming one of the statistics. Here a quick guide to rabbit health care – starting with their teeth. Understanding Rabbit Health Concerns Just like humans, rabbits are very susceptible to health issues caused by diet. Generally, these concerns are due to a lack of fibre in their diet. Primary concerns often show up first in rabbit teeth; these include: Teeth that are not worn down – rabbits wear down their teeth when eating Timothy Hay and other grasses. The normal grinding motion of the cheek teeth when eating hay, such as Timothy, is crucial to oral health, as overgrown teeth may be painful – or even fatal if a rabbit can no longer eat properly. Obesity is another issue; rabbits need a lot of digestible and indigesti.. [More]