Artificial flavor in rabbit food ?? PCG's Smart Heart

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 6sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 10 months ago by Avantika.

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- 09/07/2015 at 4:01 AM
  Avantika
  Participant
  371 posts
  I so far have been giving Moshu Sun Basics by Vitakraft. I can say it is very nutritious, going by its content, and by change in Moshu’s weight and quality of fur. But I think she is bored by it. I was thinking if I could mix some other pellets with it or simply make a bit of a change so that she eats more.
  
  A new brand of rabbit food is available in the market. Its from Thailand. Its the same company that makes the cat food ‘Me-O’. The company’s name is Perfect Companion Group and the product’s name is Smart Heart Rabbit food. Anyone tried this one before ?
  
  This is the product overview :
  
  ” SmartHeart Rabbit Food Raspberry Flavour : Specifically developed to provide complete and balanced nutrition for Rabbits for optimum growth, strong bones and teeth, and healthy skin and coat.
  
  Alfalfa Complete and high quality fiber for a healthy digestive system
  Fructo-Oligosaccharides Prebiotic to enhance digestive function
  Yucca Extract Enhances stool quality and reduces odor
  Vitamin C Improves immunity and reduces cellular stress from free radicals thereby slowing down the aging process
  Raspberry Flavour For enhanced palatability and enjoyment. ”
  
  They have Apple and Wild Berry flavored food too. IF artificial flavors are not harmful, I might want to try this one simply because Moshu seems to be bored by her healthy but sober pellets. Let me know what you all think.
- 09/08/2015 at 1:23 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17044 posts
  I’m not a fan of Vitakraft myself, but I have a wider range to choose from than you have in India. They make lots of terrible products for bunnies, like seed-bars with honey, but sthe plain pellets are likely ok.
  
  I’m very suspicious of the raspberry flavour. The FOS and the yucca are commonly found in pet food nowadays, but what’s the flavor? Do they give any kind of chemical compound- name? I can say I wouldn’t dare risk it, mainly because I’ve no idea about the laws regulating ingedients etc of pet-food in Thailand.
  
  (But I do have a friend who met bunny-owners in a park in Thailand when she was there on vacation this spring, two girls walking their bunnies and the bunnies were wearing diapers because there are laws prohiobiting bunnies from peeing and pooping in parks. So maybe bunnies as pets are a growing thing in Thailand which would of course create a market for Thai bunny food.)
  
  I know Moshu has had trouble with her appetite so of course you’d want to give her sth yummier. But artificial flavor sounds too scary to me =(
- 09/08/2015 at 3:55 AM
  Avantika
  Participant
  371 posts
  Vitakraft’s Sun Basics are plain pellets. The pellets contain both alfa alfa and things like soybean hull, wheat middling However, out of all the rabbit food available here, it has the highest percentage of fiber, ie, 20 %. Apart from this, only Zupreem matches the fiber content. Its pellets are made of the same stuff except that it has Timothy instead of alfa-alfa. It is very expensive but I soon will give a try.
  
  Bunnies in diapers O____O Thats hilariously cute but…I am sure they must be feeling really uncomfortable. Moshu is very fierce in these matters. Put anything, ANYTHING on her body or ears and she will shred it into a gazillion pieces. And I dont know if taking them out in public parks is a good idea. I would worry about the dogs and cats.
  
  I mailed at their customer care service and asked them about it. Told them to tell the exact ingredients and their percentages. But as for now, plan canceled. Especially after reading this : http://www.petco.com/Content/ArticleList/Article/0/-1/314/Dangerous-Additives-and-Preservatives-for-Dogs.aspx
  We already have a problem with good vets, if she gets some allergies like stated here, I wouldnt know what to do.
  
  One thing I need to ask you, Bam, could it be likely that Moshu’s appetite has gone down because every night she eats half a cup of Sun Basics and its full of fillers like I mentioned ?
- 09/08/2015 at 4:41 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17044 posts
  I don’t think soy hulls etc are to be considered fillers when it’s in bunny food, bunnies depend on getting lots of fiber. They should eat lots of food that has a low energy content, like horses. Wild rabbits kind of graze all day long, it takes them a long time to gather all the nutrients they need to sustain themselves on their natural food, grass, and that’s why rich food is bad for them. It’s kind of like the opposite to how and what a dog or other carnivore should eat.
  
  From what I read, heat-treated soy bean hulls has lots of digestible fiber. Digestible fibers are also called soluble fibers and is very good for the intestines. The very highly recommended Oxbow Essential Adult Rabbit food lists these three ingredients first: Timothy Grass Meal, Soybean Hulls, Wheat Middlings.
  
  So I wouldn’t worry about soy hulls and wheat middlings.
  
  I didn’t mean to bash VitaKraft Sun Basic pellets. I looked it up, http://www.sunseed.com/product/rabbit/sunBasicsRabbit.html
  
  It seems ok, and if it’s the highest fiber-option you can get, and she eats it, I’d stick with it.
  
  ZuPreem sounds good, timothy is supposedly better for adult buns than alfalfa. It is less yummy though so maybe Moshu wouldn’t eat it and if a bunny won’t eat, it doesn’t really matter how high quality the food you serve is =/
  
  The idea of rabbits in diapers is crazy here too =) If I tried sth like that on Bam or Yohio they’d be so angry!!
- 09/08/2015 at 4:54 AM
  Avantika
  Participant
  371 posts
  Glad it ain’t a bad option because its the best I can manage for her. I am still a student but hope to look for work and buy the best of things for her. I’ll start getting Zupreem Timothy pellets once I start working. I have social anxiety disorder, and I have been putting off working since months. (sorry for deviating from topic)
  
  Thank you once again Bam !
- 09/08/2015 at 11:10 AM
  Reeem
  Participant
  380 posts
  I got a big bag of the Zupreem pellets cause they were a bit cheaper , my bunny does not like them at all , but every bunny is different so your bun may like it.
- 09/10/2015 at 9:55 AM
  Avantika
  Participant
  371 posts
  Zupreem is the costliest one here. And, the minimum quantity available is 2.2 kgs. I was thinking what if Moshu doesnt like it. Because it has happened before. 1 kg pack of Kiki Excellent wasted. We would give it to her every night and find it untouched every morning. But I am assuming she will like Zupreem because its made of Timothy hay. Kiki Excellent had a strong, peculiar, harsh smell to it.
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