In creating innovative new products such as The Pick, we draw on the knowledge and experience of highly skilled veterinarians to ensure the best nutritional results for your animals.
Through encounters at her local vet practice with rabbits and guinea pigs suffering from poor nutrition, Dr Merlyn Hay saw how cold pressed hay pellets could help to resolve some common issues for these small pets.
"None of the products on the market, certainly none of the New Zealand-made products, were meeting their needs.” - Dr Hay
Rabbits in particular can be fussy customers when it comes to food, ignoring the hay they should be eating in favour of pelleted food or muesli products. The problem comes from the grains, soy and fillers used in many rabbit and guinea pig feed products. These ingredients can cause weight gain and digestive problems in a gut that has evolved to cope with large amounts of grass material.
In answer to this, The Pick provides a pellet-like alternative containing only the whole foods that fibrevores need.
“These animals have a very complex digestive system that requires a fibre-based diet – which means a grass-based diet – and none of the products on the market, certainly none of the New Zealand-made products, were meeting their needs,” says the (very aptly named) Dr Hay.
“In nature, rabbits and guinea pigs browse and eat a wide range of plants, which isn’t always possible to replicate at home. So from a practical point of view, as far as feed storage goes, it makes sense to provide what they need in a pellet.”
New Zealand grown fibre, compressed
The Pick includes four products to meet the needs of both rabbits and guinea pigs with high quality New Zealand grown plant fibre.
Pressed Timothy Hay is a single ingredient product created as a simple way to get more hay into reluctant pets. Pressed Lucerne Hay also contains nothing but this hay variety, but with its high protein content, this product is intended only for young, underweight and lactating rabbits and guinea pigs.
We’ve made two versions of Fibre Feast, with the rabbit blend made from Timothy hay, lucerne, peas and flaxseed for extra nutrients, while the formula for guinea pigs includes fortified vitamin C in the ingredient list.
For a long time, guinea pigs have made do with rabbit feed but in fact, they have quite different nutritional needs.
“Guinea pigs are a hindgut fermenter, which means they need a diet dominated by fibre. They also have a vitamin C requirement whereas rabbits can synthesise their own. They generally have higher protein requirements than rabbits do, too,” says Hay.
Guinea pigs don't synthesise their own vitamin C.
While it may take some time for pets to adjust to these nutritious pellets, especially if they have been picking out the goodies from their muesli mix for years, the result should be a healthier animal who lives longer and needs fewer visits to the vet.
With a little help from our friends
The Pick follows in the footsteps of other products created with expert collaborators, such as the Pekapeka Feeder, which was made with the help of Orokonui Ecosanctuary educator Tahu Mckenzie and Predator Free NZ; our Hound freeze-dried dog treats, made with South Island meat and a local freeze drying specialist; and our Blueberry Energy Food range, which makes use of leftover blueberry skins to provide for the high energy needs of native birds.
Explore The Pick range here.
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