WHATS IN SMALL FURRY ANIMAL FOOD?
Small furries need to eat various nutrients in order to keep them healthy. These can be provided from a wide range of ingredients.
Feeding the correct diet is fundamental to maintaining health, particularly of the dental and gastro-intestinal systems.
Rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas have teeth which grow continually, if fed unsuitable foods they fail to wear the teeth sufficiently and this leads to malocclusions and other painful dental conditions.
Typical ingredients in a small pet food include:
- Cereals (wheat/barley)
- Vegetables (peas/beans - which would be extruded, rolled, flaked, whole or raw)
- Nuts and seeds (sunflower/peanut)
- Forages (grass/ hay/alfalfa)
- Vitamins and Minerals
- Dried fruits
Treats are classed as complementary foods- these foods are designed to be only a part of the diet and they do not meet the known nutritional requirements when fed alone. They can be in the form of extrusions, pellets, mixes or bars. These should be fed moderately to small pets to avoid too much weight gain.
For a healthy, happy pet, you need to keep it at the right weight throughout its life. Being overweight, or indeed underweight, can lead to serious health risks. It is good to get in to the habit of checking your pet on regular basis. The Pet Size O-Meter is the perfect tool to do this. We recommend checking once a month to increase the chances of your pet living a long and healthy life.
