Food Trial Results Coming Soon!

Next year marks my 20 year anniversary since guinea pigs came into and took control of my life! Over this time I have taken in and acquired many guinea pigs (and now rabbits) and I've been faced with dozens of illnesses and conditions. I began an advice website in 2001 and I found one of the most common problems is dental disease and an obvious root of the cause has stemmed from poor diet; a lack of roughage of grasses and hay and a low quality dry feed. Since I have recognised this link I no longer feed my own animals a muesli mix which is something I feel strongly about and I launched a Facebook campaign page to highlight the problem. In an ideal world I would have muesli mix feeds banned but while this may seem far fetched to many, and while what is seen as top quality feed is expensive, I understand it's not a realistic dream (just yet). I do though intend to help with the re-education of proper feeding of our country's guinea pigs and rabbits and maybe then we'll need to deal with fewer cases of malocclusion.

In a bid to make the task of changing feed more understandable and less daunting for owners, I approached some of the leading names in pelleted form guinea pig and rabbit feed production to help me carry out a food review.

Stay tuned as over the course of the next few days I will be posting the results from my trials of Mr Johnsons Everyday Advance, Burgess Excel Tasty Nuggets and Supreme Science Selective rabbit and guinea pig food respectively.

Becky

Remembering our Duty to Care

Almost five years ago the Animal Welfare Act 2006 came into effect in England and Wales, making the biggest move in protecting our pets since the turn of the last century. For the first time a set of commands laid down by law have been able to be used to help fight the immense problem that is animal cruelty, and that's something I welcome whole-heartedly.

The Animal Welfare Act 2006 states that we must abide by its five points which are defined as 'needs' of any animal. They are to provide:

1. a suitable place to live
2. a proper diet with access to water
3. the ability to express normal behaviour
4. companionship
5. prevention and treatment of illness and injury

In terms of meeting these needs for our guinea pigs and rabbits, we need to assess what their species need in their own rights - which differ enormously - and provide for them.

Meeting the 5 Needs

1. An indoor or outdoor hutch or cage can be provided but they must be more than adequately big enough for them to live in. As a minimum requirement a rabbit should be able to stretch out comfortably and stand on his/her feet without touching the top of the cage. A rabbit should also ideally be able to make 3 hops. The hutch or cage should be secure so they can not escape nor so a predator can break in. Proper weatherproofing is also a must. The cage should overall be safe and provide an area of sanctuary, with the inclusion of a separate sheltered sleeping area.
2. A guinea pig's diet is different to a rabbit's. They should be fed their own specially made feed - added vitamin C for guinea pigs are they can not create it themselves, like humans. Clean and fresh hay must be provided at all times for healthy digestion and mind. Supplementary vegetables should be offered regularly, and fresh water must always be available. It's important to find out what foods are not so healthy and avoid feeding them often or at all (such as carrots which are high in sugar).
3. To allow a rabbit or guinea pig to behave in it's normal manner is to provide mental and physical stimulation. An area to run free is of utmost importance. Providing recreational areas with things to do will enable natural behaviours. Guinea pigs and rabbits are prey animals so need - and love - tunnels and places to hide in. They love the chance to run about and play in a natural group. Foraging areas are necessary for overall health.
4. As guinea pigs are rabbits are prey animals in their natural habitat they still display the need for 'their pack' and depend on companionship. Both animals are social and thrive in a group. Being able to communicate with their own species is important. Providing a friend is comforting and can relieve stress from a lonely life. Without a companion guinea pigs and rabbits can feel lost and vulnerable.
5. Knowing what your guinea pig or rabbit is like normally and closely monitoring and spending time with your furry friend will help you judge if they develop any health problems. Close supervision will be your first weapon against illness and with an onset of symptoms you should act quickly (seek veterinary advice) to avoid pain and suffering. Remember that guinea pigs and rabbits alike are very good at disguising illness so you need to be extra vigilant with furries. Guinea pigs do no require vaccinations but rabbits do. It really is so important to remember to vaccinate your bunny at least yearly (biannual in some cases) to protect against deadly diseases myxomatosis and VHD. Neutering is also recommended, for male and female bunnies who are paired up, and especially for female rabbits who often fall subject to uterine cancer.

Thankfully the majority of us do love our pets ridiculously so and naturally want to provide the best life possible. Not all pet owners are aware of the act still and many of us unknowingly will not be meeting the guidelines, which is why is makes us good owners to honestly admit whether we are personally meeting all the needs of our pets and if we're not, then lets find ways to make it so.

The PDSA has some great advice of the proper care of all kinds of pets, including guinea pigs and rabbits. There is also the PawReport where you can read about the Act for rabbits.

Becky

That time of year again

It's that time of year again when we need to start thinking about our guinea pigs and rabbits who live outside. Depending on what your furries live in and where they are sited, consideration for their comfort and protection is paramount as we near the end of October.

At this time of year we have four big festive occasions; Halloween closely followed by Bonfire Night then we have Christmas and New Year collectively, and until January it seems all we hear is fireworks. Guinea pigs and rabbits are prey animals which means they have sensitive hearing that's supposed to protect them from danger. Whenever there is a bang and flash of light, your furry friends will be feeling very nervous and quite frightened.

It is a good idea to put outdoor hutches into unused sheds, garages and outhouses during the autumn and winter months because it will make any loud sounds from fireworks quieter. If this is not possible, move the hutch as far away from where fireworks will be let off and shelter the hutch in a less prominent position of the garden. Covering open wired sections with thick blankets during the evenings will not only muffle sounds and dampen down bright lights but will help keep the interior cage cosy!

Keeping cages draught proof, whether they are kept outside or in, is very important. When winter arrives draughts can be very cold and with viruses being more prolific the prevention of infections and pneumonia becomes a real concern. Keeping bedding dry and plentiful will help maintain warmth inside bedroom quarters and draughts can be eradicated by the use of specially made hutch covers or clever use of blankets. A cosy furry is a happy furry and they'll appreciate your attentiveness!

Becky

When Guinea Pigs Fly

If you love guinea pigs as much as I do (and are just as loopy) you will love this totally unique collection of artwork by When Guinea Pigs Fly.

Created and painted by talented Lesley deSantis, this cute piggy range of art prints are inspired by heritage figures, including Beetoven, Bach and now freshly off the print, Shakespeare, or more correctly, William Haykespeare! My favourite character though is Cheswick Tiddlywink, he looks so smart and dashing, exactly how I imagine a refined piggy boar would be if he were made almost human!

Most of the prints are available in a variety of sizes, right down to the cute and very affordable art cards (aceo). So get yourself over to Etsy now!

Mr Johnsons Feed Review - coming soon!

As an ongoing effort to show nuggeted food is the healthier choice over muesli mix, I'm going to be doing some reviews on the top nugget foods out there on the market. It can be quite a daunting task to decide which food brand is best for your guinea pigs and rabbits - and your purse - so I'm hoping to break down that barrier at least a little bit, and help make the job a little easier.

A few months ago I made a little video for Rabbit Awareness Week promoting nugget food, and you can watch it here: RAW video It's not the best quality video but it was something I quickly knocked up with one of my lot, Lucy the rabbit.

The company behind the brand Mr Johnsons have very generously provided me with two large bags of their Everyday Advance, both rabbit and guinea pig formats.

(Remember, if you have both guinea pigs and rabbits that piggies can not synthesise vitamin C and require their own feed that contains this. This is why 'rabbit and guinea pig food' simply does not exist, or rather shouldn't if it does!)

My piggies and buns will be testing the food themselves to see how palatable the pellets are, if they are indeed tempting and tasty, and I will be comparing the ingredients and nutrition content against other leading pellets and nuggets. My animals currently very happily eat original flavour Burgess Excel Tasty Nuggets so this will be a nice challenge to see and compare.

Becky

Welcome to Whiskers in a Dream!

This is a new journal that I'm dedicating to the world of guinea pigs and rabbits as a spin off from a website I ran called Cavy Capers. CavyCapers.com was born in 2001 and lived online until this year, 2011, and to mark it's anniversary I unconventionally decided to close it down and move on to the next chapter in this constantly evolving digital age. Blogging has recently become a big thing in social media and is a rapidly growing area for quick and up to date information which is why I feel this is the best way to continue the education of the proper care of guinea pigs - and now including rabbits. I would also like to talk about my own clan of piggies and buns too, so Whiskers in a Dream will be a nice little social place to hang out and celebrate all that's great about these furries!

To make you aware, I also currently run a Facebook page called 'Campaign to ban guinea pig and rabbit muesli' which is a cause I personally feel strongly about. I am getting a lot of positive feedback from many rescues and guinea pig and rabbit owners who agree with my thinking, that feeding these animals the muesli mix type feeds are a poor dietary choice as opposed to the extruded pelleted or nugget food, but there are still lots of people out there who don't quite understand the meaning behind the page. It is simply to re-educate owners and provide evidence that muesli is not a healthy feed. It encourages selective feeding which means the guinea pig or rabbit will pick out what it likes and gives it the option to leave what it doesn't like. This can lead to malnutrition because all necessary nutrients in the food are not eaten. Also many of these feeds contain contain colours and are very sugary. Another reason why they are not a good feed is their low fibre content, which is important for a normally functioning gut. This is the page to be to discuss this cause and I urge you to check it out and join in if you haven't yet.

Becky