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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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29
MAR
2015
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For the last four years the PDSA in UK has published the PDSA Annual Well-being Report (PAW Report for short). It covers cats, dogs and rabbits and looks at welfare issues by asking pet owners and vets questions about care and welfare. It’s great to have these stats on things like how many rabbits are neutered and whether they get an appropriate diet because it helps welfare campaigners monitor how successful they are at implementing changes and also where to target change.
So, on to this years report. Here is a handy graphically summary (feel free to share):
One of the biggest changes is the rapid decline in muesli based dry foods. In the last four years it’s dropped from being eaten by 49% to 25% of rabbits in UK. Interestingly it’s been a sustained change, continuing this year, not just a short term reaction to media coverage.
On the other hand in the last year there hasn’t been much progress on hay eating; the percentage not .. [More]
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Tags :
Rapid Decline of Muesli Dry Foods , Pet Rabbit Food South Africa , Russel Rabbit South Africa
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15
MAR
2015
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Rabbit owners are delightful people. You know that they are rarely loud and obnoxious (their rabbits would never stand for it); they have plenty of patience (because getting to know a rabbit takes time); and you can be certain that they are full of love and laughter (because that is exactly what rabbits inspire).
So, if you have gotten yourself a pet rabbit, welcome to the club. Your new baby bunny is sure to hop his way into your heart (or thump, depending on how stubborn you are about it). Rabbits are truly easy to love, as long as you give them just a few basics. Bunnies of all ages can be skittish, so avoid loud noises when you can. They also love to keep their feet on the ground, so be prepared to build ramps up to the couch. And, above all, rabbits have a specific diet, which undoubtedly should not be altered as it will affect the health and happiness of your pet.
Feeding Your Rabbit Timothy Hay
Rabbits (and other small furries, including chinchillas and guine.. [More]
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Why Is Timothy Hay Important For Rabbits In South Africa , Timothy Hay in South Africa , Rabbit Food South Africa
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04
OCT
2014
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The latest feeding recommendation for rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas is a diet of 80% grass hay and/or fresh grass. But why are there so many pet owners reluctant to do this? Maybe there is a fear that their beloved pet will starve to death. Or how do we know if our hay in South Africa is good enough? It has been proven that only a diet of hay provides them with good digestive health as well as physical and mental stimulation.
Concentrated food such as pellets, nuggets or dry food mixtures (also called muesli) must constitute only 10% of the diet because they don’t contain the right type of fibre. Failing to provide adequate portions of the right kind of fibre can rapidly lead to illness or death.
Because grass/hay does not appeal to humans, we have decided to feed more concentrated foods. Many people today are becoming more and more conscious of what they putting into their bodies. This is why we always look at the nutritional information on the back of .. [More]
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Tags :
Review of Hay In South Africa , Teff Hay South Africa , Eragrostis Hay South Africa , Timothy Hay South Africa
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02
OCT
2014
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Timothy hay is an essential part of your rabbit, guinea pig or chinchilla’s diet. Hopefully, most owners will be aware of this as there are many factors which make Timothy hay extremely important to your pets.
Timothy hay is basically the dried, preserved form of Timothy Grass that grows throughout the UK. This type of grass is full of essential fibre which is exactly what your fibrevores need to live long and healthy lives.
It’s recommended that you feed your fibrevores the equivalent to their own body size in Timothy hay every single day. You’ll then need to give them extra to sleep in and to play with.
Our Burgess Excel Herbage is made using Timothy hay, with added dried herbs and flowers including dandelions, chamomile, marigold and birch bark to add extra variety, taste and nutritional benefits.
Here are a few reasons as to why your pets should be having Timothy hay in their diets…
Dental
Fibrevore’s teeth never stop gro.. [More]
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Tags :
Why is Timothy Hay Important For Fibrevores , Timothy Hay South Africa , Chinchilla Hay South Africa , Rabbit Hay South Africa , Guinea Pig Hay South Africa
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25
SEP
2014
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The story of how chinchillas made it into our homes as pets is rather an interesting one. They were initially used as laboratory animals, but it appears that researchers simply couldn’t get enough of them. So, a few were secreted out as pets and from there, the popularity of these animals grew. And, it’s easy to see why. Chinchillas are wonderfully inquisitive and active creatures. They simply love playing. And they don’t ask for a lot to make this playtime special. But, more than anything, what they need is a balanced diet. Once they have this, they’ll do most of the work themselves.
Chinchillas Are Fibrevores
There is a small group of animals known as fibrevores. This group includes rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas. Unlike other vegetarian animals, fibrevores don’t just eat fruits, vegetables and grasses. These animals need such an incredible amount of fibre in their diet to survive that it is almost unbelievable.
As such.. [More]
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Tags :
What Does Your Chinchilla Eat? , Chinchilla Food South Africa
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20
SEP
2014
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The Pet Food Industry Association of Southern Africa (PFI) has vowed to eliminate petfood fraud and protect South African pet owners from "rogue petfood manufacturers." Consumers can do their part by only buying commercial petfood that has a "V" number followed by "Act 36 of 1947" on its packaging. This indicates that the food has been registered by its manufacturer or distributor. “It is absolutely critical for pet owners to ensure that the food they purchase is registered with the department, as this is the only way to ensure that the minimum nutritional standards are met and that the food has been examined to ensure this, and, further, that your pet is getting the best possible and safe food for them,” said PFI Executive Director Barry Hundley.
Pet Habitat is pleased to announce that all Burgess Excel Nuggets and Roudybush bird pellets have been approved and are registered with Department of Agriculture. It was not easy since w.. [More]
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Tags :
Buy Only Registered Pet Food In South Africa
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12
SEP
2014
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Many homes are simply not complete without a few pets around. And, not every pet is a cat or a dog. There are many, many different pets that people can keep in their homes. Each one of them has special needs and dietary requirements. And, feeding your pets the right food – and the right amount of food is paramount to their continued health. Indeed, it is one of the things you’ll need to consider long before you bring home your pets. Otherwise, you’ll run the risk of them falling ill – or worse.
Keep in mind, that with all the different needs that every pet has, they don’t all need dry food. While this may be the best bet for your dogs and cats, other animals require different foods. Sometimes, those foods may seem rather boring to you, such as Timothy Hay, but they are essential to some animals.
Who Eats Timothy Hay?
Some animals are carnivores (or rather, omnivores) and some that are strictly vegetarian. Within that latter group a.. [More]
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Tags :
Guide To Feeding Hay To Fibrevores , Pet Guinea Pig Food South Africa , Pet Rabbit Food South Africa , Chinchilla Food South Africa , Timothy Hay South Africa
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30
AUG
2014
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It’s funny how some of the most iconic stories and images we have in our minds of rabbits involve them eating vegetables (think Peter Rabbit or Bugs Bunny). They certainly do love treats like carrot tops, but these are treats only. Rabbits, like other fibrevores, need a great deal more than vegetables to survive. And mostly what they need are grasses and hay.
Who and What Are Fibrevores?
Fibrevores is a bit of a funny term isn’t it? And, it’s hardly one of the terms we learn in school; instead we’re treated to carnivores, herbivores and omnivores. So, let’s work with what we know. Fibrevores are herbivores – they don’t eat any meat. But, they’re a tad more specialised than that. They have developed a strong, overwhelming need for fibre.
Fibre, of course, is found in grains and grasses. Of course, we have it added to some of our foods to keep us moving, but for the most part, fibrevores get their daily intake of fibre .. [More]
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Tags :
A Quick Guide to Feeding Hay , Feeding Hay in South Africa , Timothy Hay South Africa , Rabbit Food South Africa , Guinea pig food south africa , chinchilla food south africa
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26
JUL
2014
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Nutrition is the watchword for taking care of your bird. A balanced diet is a necessity to allow a bird to live a full and healthy life. An unbalanced diet is the main cause of disease and early death in pet birds. Malnutrition is a human-made disease. Fortunately, it is also treatable by changing the diet.
For most pet birds, a balanced diet consists of 65-80% formulated diet, about 15-30% vegetables, and the rest can be fruits and nuts. Some species such as lories and hyacinth macaws have very special dietary needs. Be sure to consult with your avian veterinarian to know what diet is best for your bird. If your bird is currently eating a seed-based diet as her primary source of nutrition, it is a good idea to convert her to a formulated diet.
Feeding your bird correctly is not difficult, but knowing when and how to switch from a not-so-healthy diet to one that has optimum nutrition takes some know-how. We have compiled a host of tips we recommend in order to switch .. [More]
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Tags :
Switching Your Bird's Diet , Roudybush Bird Diet , Bird Food South Africa , Buy Bird Pellets South Africa , Bird Seed South Africa , Parakeet Food South Africa , Budgie Food South Africa , African Grey Food ,
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