Healthy animals

Two factors are going to have a greater influence on your animals' health than any other issues.  They are good nutrition and good hygiene. 

Your animal has remarkable systems that enable it to fight off a broad range of nasty diseases.  But these systems require nurturing to ensure that they are working at their best possible level.  Energy is required to fight infections.  We all experience this when we get a dose of the flu.  Our temperature rises (energy is being mobilised) and this is a classic symptom of the body fighting infection.  The conversion of sugars, starches and fats into the energy required for movement and fighting infections requires an incredibly complex chain of biochemical reactions.  These reactions are controlled and stimulated by a number of B group vitamins.  Insuring that your animal has an adequate supply of these critical nutrients on a daily basis will substantially increase its chance of fighting an infection.

Other vitamins are also involved in disease control.  Most notably vitamin A is involved in ensuring that all the cells membranes are functioning effectively to resist invasion by viruses, bacteria and other germs.  A regular supply of Dr Squiggles Daily Essentials (which is a comprehensive multivitamin and mineral supplement) for your small animal will ensure that its natural ability to fight infections is maximised.

Even greater protection can be achieved Dr Squiggles Essentials Plus. This on-food supplement contains all the vitamins and minerals from Daily Essentials but with added amino acids for excellent fur quality and rapid stress free moulting.  In addition Essentials Plus contains our unique herbal extract called Flourish. This has three key effects.  Firstly it has anti-protozoal (hence anti-coccidial) characteristics. It also creates a better gut environment for beneficial bacteria. And finally it stimulates the immune system so increasing the animals natural resistance to infections of all types.

Digestive disorders are particularly common especially if housing becomes at all humid and if food is contaminated.  The gut of your animal contains a number of bacteria.  Some of them are helping with the digestive processes and others have the potential to cause illness.  The addition of a probiotic such as Potent Brew (a powerful liquid product) or BioPlus (a long life powder supplement) to the diet shifts the balance in favour of the good bacteria. 

Infections can also be dealt with at the level of hygiene.  Firstly add a water sanitiser like Aviclens to your animal's drinking water.  Drinking water contains a huge range of nasty germs from bacteria to viruses as well as the algae that you probably have growing in your drinkers.  If you can see the algae then the bacteria are there as well!  Despite the chlorine added by your water company your tap water will contain germs and your animal contaminates the water every time it drinks.  The water sanitiser will enable you to provide safe drinking water to your animals and yet only change it twice a week.

Your animals contaminate their surroundings every time they urinate or defecate.  Regular cleaning and disinfecting is the only way to ensure that your animals housing remains clean and hygienic.  Ensure that you are using a disinfectant that kills a broad spectrum of germs.  Avisafe Cage and Hutch Cleaner is not only a powerful detergent but also kills yeasts, fungi, viruses and bacteria all of which are potentially dangerous for your animals. At the same time though it is very safe for you and your charges and is biodegradable.