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16
SEP
2018
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Unless they’ve got used to it from a very young age, some rabbits really don’t enjoy being handled and may wriggle, kick out and even give you a nip when you try to pick them up. Others, who have gained confidence and trust in their human, will happily hop along to ask for some fuss and attention. Getting your bunnies used to being gently handled is really worthwhile, as it makes life much easier and less stressful for them when it comes to essential bunny welfare activities, such as grooming or visits to the vet.
What Not To Do
However, it’s really important that rabbits are handled correctly. Not following bunny best practice can be extremely harmful, causing your pets anxiety, distress and injury. With their fragile spines, rabbits who feel insecure and struggle when held can be seriously, even fatally, damaged. New research from the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science underpins this, revealing that the way a rabbit is handled is likely to hav.. [More]
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How To Handle Your Rabbits South Africa
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13
JUL
2018
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It is really astonishing that there are many rabbit and guinea pig owners in South Africa that are not aware about the importance of hay. Maybe this is because many of our local pet stores and grocery shops dedicate their shelves to commercial muesli diets, but offer little space for quality feeding hay products. Unfortunately, muesli diets have long been regarded as rabbit and guinea pig food at certain pet stores and supermarkets. However, nothing could be further from the truth.
In 2013, a scientific study revealed by Professor Anne Meredith from University of Edinburgh highlighted the dangers of muesli diets. When this news came out, hundreds of pet stores across the world removed rabbit and guinea pig muesli from their shelves.
Muesli is severely detrimental to a rabbit, guinea pig and chinchilla’s health. Not only is it difficult to digest, it is also unsuitable for oral hygiene. And those are two areas of well being that our pets are ill advised to compromi.. [More]
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Tags :
Muesli Diets Is Biggest Killer of Rabbits & Guinea Pigs , Why Rabbits & Guinea Pigs Should Eat 90% Hay Each Day? , Are We Feeding Our Rabbits & Guinea Pigs Correct Proportions In South Africa , Guinea Pi
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06
JUL
2018
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Bunny Nature Health Herbal Aid is an excellent recovery diet specially formulated for rabbits and guinea pigs, to help them through any poorly stages. We all know the problems you face trying to get rabbits and guinea pigs to eat when ill. Gut stasis can be devastating, and any kind of stress trigger can lead to appetite loss.
Filled with essential long length digestible and indigestible fibers, this complementary feed for sick and recuperating rabbits and guinea pigs can play a vital part of critical care nutrition. It’s one of those essential feeds you need to keep in your cupboards. With regard to animal health and owner satisfaction, the Bunny Nature Health products were developed by veterinarians on the basis of naturally effective plants and herbs.
It is based on the diseases most frequently presented in medical practices in rabbits and guinea pigs. The targeted plant selection of Bunny Nature Health products supports the health of rabbits, guinea pigs,.. [More]
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Feeding Sick Rabbits & Guinea Pigs , Excel Dual Care Recovery
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19
MAY
2018
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There are cat people and there are dog people – but there are also some who believe that small pets are where it’s at. Whether you cherish your chinchillas, have a passion for bunnies, adore guinea pigs, or have a soft spot for rats, hamsters, gerbils or degus, as a committed and responsible owner you want your small furries have the best life they can. Building a closer bond with your little pets will enhance and enrich your relationship with them.
A great way to build this special bond is by hand-feeding. This is something that will take time and patience, but once your small pal happily accepts a tasty treat from your hand, is incredibly rewarding. The key is to take things slowly, so that your little chums learn to associate you with good things and begin to place their trust in you.
Am I in danger?
Small pets are prey animals, which means they think anything approaching is a potential predator – even you. Don’t loom over them (as a pred.. [More]
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Tags :
Bonding With Your Small Pets , Guinea Pigs , Rabbits , Hamsters , Chinchillas , Degus , Rats
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03
MAR
2018
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Selective feeding occurs when rabbits choose some components of the muesli diet in preference to others. Rabbits will naturally select the higher energy (high sugar or starch elements) and reject the pellets. This results in an unbalanced diet, as the pellets are often supplemented with minerals and vitamins as well as often being high in fibre.
Selective feeding increases the risk of the problems below:
- dental disease
- gut stasis and other digestive problems
- fly strike
- reduced fibre intake
- reduced water intake
Rabbits fed muesli style diets eat less hay leading to a reduced fibre intake. These issues have been highlighted in research by Professor Anne Meredith. The results have been published in peer reviewed journals. As a result of this research many pet retailers in UK removed muesli style diets from their shelves in 2013 and we have continued to educate vets, retailers and rabbit owners on the importance of correct nutrition for .. [More]
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Muesli Style Diets are Unhealthy For Pet Rabbits and Guinea Pigs
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16
NOV
2017
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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]
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Tags :
How Long Do Rabbits Live South Africa , Rabbit Lifespan South Africa , Pet Rabbit Food South Africa
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12
FEB
2017
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We would like to urge all rabbit and guinea pig owners to stop feeding their pets muesli-based foods in an effort to improve their diets. Please dump the junk. There is no such thing as a healthy muesli food. Muesli-style foods, which can contain flaked maize, peas, pellets, grains and seeds, are extremely low in fibre and have been shown to increase the risk of serious illness in rabbits and guinea pigs, with the PDSA PAW Report 2013 stating they are the cause of deadly dental and digestive problems.
We think pet owners should ditch plain grains in favour of nutritionally rich pellets that aid digestion and dental health. Any changes to your pet’s diet should be done over time though so not to upset their digestion.
Why stop, why now?
Even if your pet has been fed a muesli-based diet all their lives, they will still benefit from a swap to hay, leafy greens and nuggets. Just introduce it gradually and in small quantities to reduce the likelihood of stomach .. [More]
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Tags :
Stop Feeding Muesli To Rabbits & Guinea Pigs
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15
JAN
2017
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Did you know that rabbits and guinea pigs need different types of hay to sleep on and to eat? While grass and herb based foods, such as pellets, will provide a good portion of your pet’s fibre needs, grass is what they would naturally nibble all day long in the wild.
Providing enough fresh grass every day to meet your rabbit or guinea pigs’s needs is difficult, hay has just the same health and digestive benefits as fresh grass – but is much easier to store.
In fact, studies have shown that feeding hay should make up to 85-90 per cent of your small furry’s daily diet, that’s around 1kg of hay per week, to maintain a healthy gut and weight and keep teeth healthy.
However research has shown that the majority of rabbits and guinea pigs are not fed the correct hay, and instead are forced to chew on bedding hay, which, while comfortable to sleep on, is often unpalatable and has an unknown nutritional value.
So what’s the alternati.. [More]
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Difference Between Bedding & Feeding Hay For Rabbits Guinea Pigs Chinchillas South Africa
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27
MAY
2016
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There is a major problem in South Africa where so many pet stores, breeders and pet owners don’t realize that feeding muesli foods can kill pet rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas, according to latest scientific research.
Their attitude is that they have been feeding these foods for many years and their pets seem to be okay. They seem to turn a blind eye to any new scientific studies or recent changes in feeding guidelines announced by animal welfare organizations or FEDIAF.
The two year scientific study on the 200 rabbits by Professor Anne Meredith from University of Edinburgh made headline news all over the world in June 2013. The results from this study proved to the pet industry that feeding any type of muesli food (dry mixes) including pellets can have fatal consequences. This research is supported by every animal welfare organization thoughout the world including the RSPCA, PDSA, Blue Cross, Wood Green, RWAF and FEDIAF (European Pet Food Industry Fede.. [More]
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Tags :
Muesli Can Kill Pet Rabbits & Guinea Pigs , Dangers of Feeding Muesli To Rabbits & Guinea Pigs , Pet Rabbit Food South Africa , Guinea Pig Food South Africa , Chinchilla Food South Africa
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29
MAR
2015
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Pellets are a smaller but important part of your guinea pig, chinchilla or rabbit's diet. They are designed to be concentrated sources of fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals to help ensure that your pet is getting all the nutrients he or she needs.
When feeding pellets, it is important to remember that a rabbit, guinea pig or chinchilla's natural diet contains a high volume of low nutrient food. They are grazers by nature and in the wild they spend much of their days munching on grass and grazing for food.
While pellets enable owners to protect their pet's health and give them the range of nutrients they need, they are ultimately a low volume of high nutrient food that runs contrary to the diet in the wild. Therefore, it is important to follow feeding guidelines closely to make sure that they receive as balanced a diet as possible.
Mixes vs Pellets
Mixes, also known as "muesli," are dry food mixes that are primarily cereal-base.. [More]
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Tags :
Choosing A Pellet Food For Guinea Pigs , Rabbits and Chinchillas in South Africa , Chinchilla Food South Africa , Guinea Pig Food South Africa , Pet Rabbit Food South Africa
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