Thinking About the Small Guys – Brown's Small Animal Range
Even the smallest of our furry friends require a nutritious meal. Here at Brown’s, we put the same effort in producing and manufacturing our top tier dog foods, to our premium hamster blends. Today we take a look at what exactly Brown’s Pet Range offers in our renowned Small Animal Range.
Rabbit & Guinea Pigs
The most commonly fed food to rabbits & guinea pigs are muesli-based diets. If you can, don’t do this. Muesli diets while as a whole offer a good option, you’ll sadly find the majority of rabbits & guinea pigs are selective feeders. This means that your they will dig through the muesli & eat the tasty stuff, but leave the stuff they don’t like, which usually leads to an unbalanced diet.
Instead, we recommend an extruded pellet or nugget. These are formulated to include all the vitamins & minerals needed for a rabbit’s health. Only a small bowl is needed daily, between 50g-70g fed alongside a diet of high-quality hay & grass.
If you decide to make a switch from muesli to an extruded diet, it’s best for their tummies to make the change over a 4-week period. Slowly replace the muesli with the extruded food, by the 2 week point you should be aiming to have a 50/50 split between the two foods, eventually reaching 100% extruded by the end of 4 weeks! This will ensure that your they do not suffer any digestive problems & will lead to an overall happier & healthier life!
Our extruded diets for rabbits & guinea pigs are developed & manufactured by zoological nutritionists & contains beta-glucanes which boosts their immune system, give it a try & see the benefits!
Hamsters & Gerbils
Variety is the spice of life. And that is no different for your pet hamster. While we recommend extruded pellets for our rabbits & guinea pigs, the same isn’t said for hamsters & gerbils.
Through the years we’ve crafted two blends designed to offer nutritious, yet tasty diet! Our Deluxe Hamster & Gerbil Mix offers the perfect concoction of carefully selected ingredients to provide the best vitamins & nutrients to lead your hamster to a happy & healthy life. We also produce a fruitier variation called Fruity Hamster & Gerbil (Makes sense, no?) to offer an alternative to those with a more sweet tooth.
Our blends are guaranteed to puff them little hamster cheeks!
Ferrets
Ah ferrets, the snakes of the mammal world. Why are they so weird and bendy? The flexibility and power of a ferret is actually due to its unique and great energetic vertebral column which is longer than any other mammal! (There’s your fun fact for today.)
Ferrets have a habit of selecting the tastiest food in the mix, which isn’t always the healthiest. Giving them an extruded pellet eliminates selective feeding which in-turn makes sure that your ferret is getting all the nutrients & vitamins needed to live a long & happy life.
Ferrets can also be fussy eaters, when supplying a new diet; introduce the diet gradually over a period of 5-7 days until it replaces the previous food completely. It is suggested that the total daily intake to be offered on a free choice basis (typically 50-75g/day). Do not leave stale food in the bowl over three days. For Young ferrets the dry diet should be fed soaked until 16 weeks of age. Young ferrets consume around 5-7% of their bodyweight. Amounts shown are only a guide & you should only feed your ferret sufficient amounts to maintain condition dependent upon the level of activity enjoyed & the reproductive phase.
Chinchillas
Chinchillas are those small animals you see and just feel the need to stroke. Our Chinchilla & Degu pellet is a nutritious and wholesome pellet - supplying your pet with a tasty, healthy food high in fibre to aid the normal digestive function and to help with dental wear. Chinchillas & Degu’s require a diet high in indigestible fibre, low in sugar and fat. A chinchilla or degu’s main source of food should be an unlimited supply of high-quality hay that they can feed on throughout the day. This diet is made up of a extruded pellet, which eliminates selective feeding ensuring your pet is getting all the best nutrients. These pellets are carefully formulated to give a high source of fibre & improved with invaluable nutrients & vitamins.
Hedgehogs
Perhaps the opposite to chinchillas, if you get the urge to stroke a hedgehog when you see it you may need help. However, hedgehogs for me are undeniably one of the cutest small animals about.
Our Premium Hedgehog is a complete dry pellet, containing all the nutrients they need to lead a healthy & happy life. A hedgehogs diet is primarily made up of pellets, however you can supplement their diet with a huge arrayof fruits & vegetables to really give them some tasty varieties.
Conclusion
With everything in mind, the most important thing to remember is keeping safe. If we can help in any way, we can be reached on 01268 690706 or email us at hello@brownspetrange.com.