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Small Pet Select recently launched a promotional campaign in which interested customers can get an "I LOVE MY RABBIT" sticker free with a Timothy Hay order from the company.
The promotion will benefit the House Rabbit Society with 10 percent of each sale donated back to the organization.
Since launching its Timothy Hay product at the end of summer 2012, Small Pet Select has grown to more than 47,000 Facebook fans. "The reason for our fast growth thus far is due to a strong focus on product quality and customer service," says co-founder William Gordon.
Petfood retailer Burgess Pet Care and UK animal charities are leading a campaign to stop sales of muesli-style products after reviewing new veterinary research.
Research by the University of Edinburgh, supported by Burgess, suggests that feeding muesli-style petfoods, with or without hay, to rabbits may be linked to abnormalities that can lead to dental and digestive problems needing veterinary treatment.
Professor Anna Meredith, from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, said: “The findings of this research have significant implications for the feeding of the nation’s rabbits. Vets have suspected for a number of years that feeding muesli-style foods could lead to health issues in rabbits, and now we have the proof to substantiate that.”
As a result of the findings, beginning May 4, Rabbit Awareness Week will run an education program among rabbit owners to stop sales of these foods. The program includes free health checks and rabbit-related events in the UK, resources for veterinarians and consumers, as well as a national media campaign. Veterinarians can register online to become part of the campaign and receive their free support packs.
The company says these pets, known as "fibervores," require a high amount of
fiber in their diet, which is why the company says its new Excel Complete Food
Cubes are a complete food to meet the needs of rabbits and guinea pigs.
“Once again we are incredibly excited and proud to
be launching a pioneering new product to the market. Our studies revealed foods
labelled ‘complete’ are generally fed alone, without the hay necessary for
fibervores. As the UK’s leading veterinary brand for fibervores we felt
obligated to create a truly healthy, 100 percent complete food to ensure that
pets are being correctly fed. The additional beauty of this product is that it
really drives home to fibervore owners that hay is food," said Justin Heaton,
head of marketing for Burgess Pet Care.
Excel Complete Food Cubes consist of compressed cubes of long fiber Timothy
hay for dental and digestive health, with nuggets that contain short fiber,
supplements and prebiotics to promote digestive health and foraging, topped with
flowers and herbs, according to Burgess.
One of the most common health issues for rabbits is obesity, which owners can prevent with proper feeding, according to Mairwen Guard, a founder of CottonTails Rabbit Rescue.
Obesity in rabbits poses serious health risks, like inability to groom, restricted movement, improper digestion of caecotrophs, arthritis and heart problems. In addition, Guard explained that obese rabbits are more at risk for fly strike due to a wet tail because the rabbit is unable to completely lift itself to urinate.
Guard claims that petfood manufacturers often have misleading feeding guidelines that recommend food levels nearly double the amount a rabbit should consume. She recommended the average pet rabbit be fed the equivalent of two full, flat egg cups of pelleted food, once daily.
"A rabbit’s diet should consist of 70-80% good quality meadow hay, the remaining amount consisting of fresh green vegetables, in a quantity that the individual will tolerate, and a small measured amount of dried food as indicated above," Guard said.
