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23
JUL
2014
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Are you providing everything your rabbits need to be happy and healthy and live a long life? You may think you are, but do you know for sure? Your rabbits may have a lovely big hutch to live in, and spend their days in a large run with lots of space to exercise and explore, but what about rabbit food? Are your rabbits getting all the right nutrients in their meals? If you simply feed your rabbits a supermarket dry rabbit food mix, you could be neglecting to give your them everything they need. Supermarket mixes may well be deficient in fibre which is vital for rabbits and other small mammals.
Rabbits need a lot of fibre in their diet to keep them healthy. You may be surprised at exactly how much fibre they do need. Hay is a good source of fibre, but did you know that you should be feeding a pile of hay to your rabbit, roughly the same size as his body – each day? If your rabbit consumes this much hay, he isn’t over eating, so you shouldn’t cut down on .. [More]
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Meeting The Needs of Rabbits In South Africa , Pet Rabbit Food South Africa , Rabbit Hay , Timothy Hay South Africa
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12
JUL
2014
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All-seed diets for pet birds, including parakeets, is something that has long been debated and it is a hot topic when it comes to bird care. While many birds are raised on all-seed diets, it should be noted that this is not good for your bird and may lead to many health issues down the line. Not only are seeds very high in fat but they are also not an adequate source of vitamins and minerals for your pet bird.
Parakeets need more balanced nutrition than an all-seed diet can provide. A wide variety of healthy human foods, as well as formulated pellets are recommended for the parakeet diet, as they offer a wide spectrum of nutrients and a balanced alternative to seed diets. If your bird is a “seed junkie,” it’s important to consult your local avian vet for tips and tricks to help you transition your pet to a healthier diet. Proper bird care is crucial and it is of the utmost importance to know that you cannot simply switch your bird from seed to something e.. [More]
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Why Bird Seed Diets Are Bad For Parakeets , Bird Food South Africa , Parakeet Diet South Africa , Feeding Pet Birds South Africa , Budgie Food South Africa , Feeding Parakeets in South Africa
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12
JUL
2014
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Providing a healthy and well-balanced diet for your chinchilla is essential to his health and will ensure he has the best quality of life possible. Most health problems stem from an owner providing incorrect nutrition, which can be avoided with good education.
With so many chinchilla food options out there, how do you know which is the best for your pet? Consider a day in the life of a wild chinchilla. He would spend 70% of his time above ground searching out or 'foraging' for food while keeping a beady eye out for predators, to make sure he wasn't going to end up as someone else's dinner!
His diet would be mainly made up of grasses, hay, herbs and bark - all high fibre foods! His territory would be the equivalent of around 30 tennis courts meaning he'd get a lot of exercise every day searching out food across that area. The chinchilla's whole existence has evolved around this high fibre diet.
Many chinchilla owners do not take into consideration a chin.. [More]
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Tags :
Chinchilla Feeding Guidelines , Feeding Chinchillas in South Africa , Chinchilla Food South Africa , Correct Diet For Chinchillas , RSPCA Feeding Guideline For Chinchillas
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05
JUL
2014
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Are you up to date with rabbit feeding requirements? The European Pet Food Industry Federation, also known as FEDIAF, publish animal feeding guidelines – so we’ve compiled a handy summary for you.
FEDIAF strives to ensure high standards for all pet food products manufactured and sold in Europe, through consideration of safety, nutrition and palatability.
Last year, the organisation teamed up with the UK-PFMA (Pet Food Manufacturing Association) and a panel of renowned experts, including Professor Anna Meredith , to produce new guidelines for responsible rabbit ownership and feeding.
So, here’s our run-down of the most important points:
Rabbits must have a high-fibre diet
Fibre is needed to maintain gut movement and normal fermentation, prevent GIT (gastrointestinal tract) stasis and help wear down teeth.
Hay and grass are ideal sources of fibre for rabbits.
Amounts of different fibres must be monitored, includin.. [More]
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FEDIAF’s Rabbit Feeding Advice
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29
JUN
2014
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Chinchillas are attractive pets – they’re friendly, cute, and low maintenance. Chinchillas are suitable for many ages, in big cities or the country, for both new pet owners and those dedicated to chinchillas. However, chinchillas are not the same as cats and dogs. You wouldn’t take care of a horse the same way you’d take care of a dog. You wouldn’t take care of a hamster the same way you’d take care of a goldfish. Similarly, chinchiillas have some needs that are different than the needs of other types of pets.
One of the most common problems with owning an exotic pet (reptile, chinchilla, bird, etc) is that very often is it difficult to find information on proper nutrition. Although caring for a chinchilla seems simple, feeding them is not quite as straightforward as buying a bag of dog food at the pet store. Chinchillas are strict herbivores. Unlike dogs and cats, chinchillas’ digestive systems are built to efficiently digest toug.. [More]
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Tags :
Chinchillas And Hay in South Africa , Feeding Chinchillas In South Africa , Chinchilla Food South Africa , Chinchilla Diet South Africa , Chinchilla Nutrition
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26
JUN
2014
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Just as people are becoming increasingly aware of how many preservatives, hormones, synthetic dyes and chemicals are present in many conventional food sources, and how detrimental they can be to human health, so are they realizing that synthetic chemicals are not good for their beloved pets, either. The health craze that has been sweeping the modern world hasn’t stopped at human food. Your veterinary technician will agree: high quality pet food is worth the price.
People need healthful, nutrient-rich food with plenty of vitamins and minerals and as few chemicals and “fillers” as possible for long life and an overall sense of well-being. So does your pet. High quality pet food usually costs a bit more because rather than using cheap, empty ingredients, quality pet food is packed with protein-rich nutrition, with natural rather than chemical preservation. If you can afford it, buying high quality types of pet food is altogether worth the money for the benef.. [More]
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Tags :
Avoiding Bad Ingredients In Small Animal Petfood , Dangerous Preservatives in Guinea Pig Food , Bad Ingredients in Chinchilla Food , Ingredients To Avoid In Rabbit Food , Avoiding Bad Pet Food Ingredients
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22
JUN
2014
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Giving your budgie the proper nutrition is important if you expect it to live for many years. Seeds were once the only food that bird enthusiasts believed were the proper way to feed their birds. But new research has proved that seed mixes don't contain enough calcium, iodine and vitamin A, and they contain too much fat, which is harmful to your budgie's health and may shorten their lifespan. Most domesticated budgies die between the age of 3 and 7, and this is often due to malnutrition.
So what should the budgie be fed? The first thing is to introduce pellets to your budgie. This needs to be pellets that do not contain preservatives, artificial flavourings, or colourings such as Roudybush Daily Maintenance - Nibles. If you choose another brand, just be sure no added sugars are included inside the mix you choose.
In general budgies can be picky eaters. For some reason these parrots are stubborn and it takes time to incorporate new foods into their diet. It is even mo.. [More]
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Tags :
Feeding Your Budgie (Parakeet) In South Africa , Budgie Bird Food South Africa , Parakeet Food , Budgie Diet South Africa , Budgie Seed , Finch Food , Small Bird Food , Canary Food , Parrot Food South Africa
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15
JUN
2014
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South Africa is a country with little or no research on small animal feeding much less chinchillas. We pretty much dependent on foreign know-how to care for our chinchillas. Two of the most critical parts of a chinchilla diet are timothy hay and pellets. However, our choice of chinchilla food in South Africa is very limited. Timothy hay should be the main diet of chinchillas. Alfalfa hay can be fed in small amounts to young and undernourished chinchillas.
Why is a good-quality pellet essential?
As mentioned, along with hay, pellets make up the majority of your chinchilla’s diet. Therefore, careful consideration needs to be given to the various brands on offer, and, which is the most suitable. Don’t be misled into believing that rabbit or guinea pig food make good alternatives to chinchilla pellets, as this is not true; they have very specific dietary requirements and need a food that can offer this. There is a fairly substantial amount of choice, so ta.. [More]
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Tags :
Choosing The Right Chinchilla Pellet In South Africa
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15
JUN
2014
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Oats been called the super food of the world from reducing asthma risk, control appetite hormones, part of gluten free diet, improve insulin….etc. In recent case, it is used more frequently as a supplement for small animals – providing necessary fattening agent and nutritional benefits.
Unknown to many, rolled oats are steamed groats that have literally been rolled out and flattened, with the bran (nutritional part) discarded. When most people think of “oats,” they’re thinking of rolled oats.
The main problems with oats are the phytic acid and the avenin, a protein in the prolamine family (along with gluten from wheat, rye, and barley, and zein, from corn). As far as phytic acid (or phytate) goes, oats contain less than corn and brown rice but about the same amount as wheat. Phytate has the tendency to bind minerals and prevent their absorption. So, even if a grain is rich in minerals, the presence of phytate prevents their full absorpt.. [More]
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Are Oats Healthy for Small Animals?
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13
JUN
2014
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Rats make excellent pets; they are wonderfully social both with other rats, and their owners. In fact, many families that opt for hamsters, which are largely antisocial are actually looking for the qualities of rats. However, rats have been misunderstood in popular imagination for years. And truly, there is a vast difference between the rats you find in pet shops and the feral ones in the streets.
These pets are growing in popularity though, due to their charming ways (and their ability to keep themselves cleaner than other pets of the same size). With their winning ways, it is possible to fall in love with a rat before knowing exactly how to care for her. The key is to ensure you treat your rat like any other pet. This means providing a clean and safe home, as well as plenty of food. Nutrition is key for any pet’s health and happiness, and rats are no different.
Rat Feeding Basics
Rats are scavengers – those rumours are true. They love digging.. [More]
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Tags :
Feeding Your Rat Quality Food
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