02
OCT
2016
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When it comes to food, your pet needs a balanced diet as well as lots of clean water to stay in tip top shape. Feeding your bird correctly for maximum health has never been easier than it is now. For a long time, the standard way to feed pet birds was to buy a seed mix, and possibly supplement the seeds with some fresh greens and a piece of fruit. Most kinds of pet birds see seed mixes as tasty, but the mixes are fattening and lack many essential nutrients. As a result, many pet birds died young from preventable diseases.
In the past couple of decades, research into avian nutrition has made huge strides. This research has resulted in excellent pellet foods and ready-to-serve mixes for many species of bird, which will help ensure a long healthy life for your pet. But while it may be convenient to know exactly what nutrients our pets are consuming, many parrots look upon commercial pellets with disdain. And because pellets can be consumed far more quickly that seeds, parrots.. [More]
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Seeds Vs Pellet DietsFor Birds South Africa , Parrot Diet & Enrichment South Africa , Are Pellets or Seeds Better for Parrots South Africa
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02
OCT
2016
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Wood shavings are commonly used in South Africa as a bedding product for small animals because it’s cheap, absorbent and masks the odour from urine. It also has natural insecticidal properties and prevents the growth of bacteria (natural disinfectant). However, there has been much discussion over the safety of wood shavings among pet owners. Are wood shavings really dangerous for the animals for which they are intended?
When you open a bag of wood shavings you will instantly smell the "aromatic" nature of the litter. That smell is where the problem lies. The smell is from the natural volatile chemicals in the wood called phenols. Thus one of your best detection methods for determining an unknown bag of shavings is your own nose! If you sniff the shavings and they smell like a freshly cut Christmas tree, those shavings are releasing phenols. That bright, crisp smell is the chemical compound evaporating from the wood. Kiln-dried pine shavings are considered sa.. [More]
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Wood Shavings Are Toxic To Small Pets South Africa
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25
SEP
2016
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Hamsters can make great pets because they're cute, interactive, easy to care for, and fun to watch. One of the drawbacks of having a rodent as a pet, however, is managing odours of both the pet and its habitat. It's usually his urine that stinks so bad. If the smell of your pet hamster's urine is the first thing you notice when you enter the room you keep him in, chances are you need to change how you are taking care of your pet.
Hamsters are not smelly animals -- they're super-clean -- but their cages can develop a serious odour problem if you aren't taking measures to keep bad smells at bay. You can minimize unpleasant smells by understanding the different bedding and substrate options and maintaining an appropriate and effective weekly cleaning schedule of the cage.
Normal Urine Odours
Urinating is one of your hamster's way of removing waste from his body. Urine is a sterile fluid that primarily contains water along with various salts, minerals, toxins, sugar.. [More]
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Preventing Nasty Smells From Hamster Cage South Africa
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16
SEP
2016
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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 this is what these birds eat in their natural environment. Over the past several years more information about what these birds actually eat in the wild as well as research on their actual nutritional requirements has become available. This new information coupled with better documentation of avian health problems by veterinary and aviculture professionals has made it clear that these diets are harmful; however many people continue to feed these seed and nut based diets without proper supplementation. Further, proper supplementation may be hard to achieve. Supplements like mineral blocks, cuttle bones, fortified seeds, and vitamins in the water rely on the bird’s willingness to choose the appropriate things to eat and in the proper quantities. Birds typically eat to fulfill an energy (calorie) requirement and will choose the highest energy.. [More]
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What makes Roudybush the best diet for your bird South Africa
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07
AUG
2016
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Although seeds are a convenient and affordable option when it comes to feeding your pet bird, they actually aren’t the best in terms of nutrition, and feeding a diet made up exclusively of seeds can result in a number of health problems, including cardiovascular issues and malnutrition, in the long run. Obesity and fatty liver disease is also caused by feeding too much seeds. This disease causes large amounts of fat to be deposited in the liver which eventually loses the ability to function properly. This serious condition is most common in Cockatoos, Cockatiels, Budgies, Amazons, Lovebirds, and Quakers.
It’s All About Variety and Whole Foods
When it comes to avian care and nutrition, things are more complicated than they appear on the surface, and while you may have thought that purchasing seeds from your local pet store was enough to keep your feathered friend happy and healthy, the truth is your bird’s diet should contain a lot more variety in or.. [More]
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Problem with Feeding Birds an All-Seed Diet South Africa
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07
AUG
2016
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There are two types of bedding materials you need for a hamster. One is the material that goes down on the floor of the cage and the other type is a nesting material that goes into the sleeping house. There are dozens of different kinds of hamster bedding out there which may include wood, paper, straw and grains in the form of shavings, pellets or stripes. But what is the best hamster bedding?
Some of the bedding out there is great for your furry little hamster, but some kinds are just downright terrible for keeping a hamster happy and healthy. Deciding on which type of bedding to get depends on a few factors including: the type of cage you have and the type of hamster you have. But really, it’s a kind of a trial and error process. Some hamsters might have allergies to certain types or they might like to eat other types. Additionally, some might just be messier with their bedding than others.
The amount that should be placed into the bottom of the cage depends on.. [More]
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What Is Best Hamster Bedding South Africa
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31
JUL
2016
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Rabbits need a generous outdoor space to run around in and cosy indoor quarters where they can rest and find shelter. Providing them with this will allow them to express their natural patterns of behaviour and so lead happy, healthy lives.
Hutch/Shed and Runs
Rabbits should be housed in a hutch or shed with a run permanently attached to it. The hutch/shed provides shelter; the run provides space for the rabbits to express natural behaviour such as running, digging, jumping and exploring. The two areas should be connected by a tunnel or the run built onto the front of the hutch/shed. The run can be on grass or concrete, if grass it's advisable to dig mesh under the grass to help prevent escapes and predators getting in.
The minimum sizes recommend by animal welfare organizations for a small-medium pair of rabbits are:
Hutches
2 metres long by 0.6 metres deep by 0.75 metres high
All doors should have strong bolts on to keep safe from predators.. [More]
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The Ideal Rabbit Accomodation South Africa
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30
JUL
2016
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Every aquarium, be it a marine tank or a freshwater aquarium, or a backyard pond, works on a similar principal where the confined environment strives to achieve a chemical balance, essential to sustain the life that they host. In order to maintain that equilibrium, we use different types of filter media in our filters.
No matter the environment, the most important and efficient type of filtration is biological – colonies of beneficial bacteria that break down harmful ammonia (NH3) originating from uneaten food, fish waste, and other decaying matter, into less toxic Nitrites (NO2), and later to Nitrates (NO3), in a process known as the nitrogen cycle.
These bacteria occupy all surfaces in a fish tank – aquarium glass, décor, plants, and, in reef tanks, live rock. The aquarist’s goal is to provide an optimal surface on which the bacteria to grow and the best way to build healthy colonies is the use various types of biological media.
CerMedi.. [More]
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Tags :
MarinePure South Africa , Why MarinePure Is Best Bio-Filter Media South Africa , Biological Filter Media South Africa
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26
JUN
2016
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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, Va. “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.”
These p.. [More]
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Tags :
Birds Need More Than Seeds South Africa , Roudybush Bird Diet South Africa
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26
JUN
2016
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Pet Habitat is proud to launch Carefresh® bedding in South Africa. Carefresh is the ideal bedding for all small animals and is made from high quality virgin wod pulp. It is specially designed to eliminate urine odours, and lasts twice as long as traditional bedding.
Carefresh keeps your small animal and their environment fresh and clean. For this reason Carefresh is the best selling premium bedding in the USA - it is also the reason why we have chosen this to be our first litter product - it is clean, safe, environmentally friendly and just perfect for hamsters, guinea pigs, rats, chinchillas and house bunnies!
Super Absorbent
Carefresh absorbs over three times its weight in liquids. The super absorbency of Carefresh keeps pets and their living area dry and clean. What’s more, it doesn’t fall apart when wet.
Superior Odour Control
Carefresh is scientifically engineered to control ammonia formation (urine odour) up to twice as long as trad.. [More]
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Carefresh Bedding Coming To South Africa
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