Birds
Q. Can I use Avimix alongside my normal bird food?
A. Yes, Avimix is designed to be used at part of a routine diet and complements bird food that may already contain vitamins.
Q. Can Avimix be used on breeding birds?
A. Yes, we recommend the use of Avimix for breeding birds, as well as small chicks (although please adjust the dose accordingly). This will give the bird appropriate levels of vitamins and minerals, plus the amount of calcium and vitamin D3 required during these periods.
Q. My gold finch is producing watery droppings, would Avipro Avian help?
A. We recommend you seek advice from your vet as there may be other causes for watery or loose droppings, but Avipro Avian will help to firm up the stools if the cause is due to the digestive system. In this instance we would advice giving a double dose for the first 3 days, and then a single dose for the next 7 days.
Q. Can Avipro Avian be given to chickens? If so, can I then eat the eggs produced from the chickens?
A. Yes, Avipro Avian can be used for a wide range of birds, including chickens. It is safe to eat any eggs laid from chickens that have been given Avipro Avian.
Q. How do I know if my bird is lacking vitamins?
A. You may see them pecking excessively at their iodine block or chewing the metal bars of their cage, as an example.
Q. When should I use Critical Care Formula?
A. CCF Critical Care Formula should be used when the animal is not eating. If the animal is eating but is unwell then we would recommend one of our species-specific probiotics (Avipro Avian for birds, Avipro Plus for dogs or Pro-C Probiotic for rabbits and small mammals).
Q. How long should I use CCF Critical Care Formula for?
A. CCF Critical Care Formula has been created for the short-term use to support animals during periods of illness and recovery. For elderly animals it may be recommended to use long-term however please consult with your vet first.
Q. I use Nutrobal for my parrots - I also have chickens which at the moment are laying soft shelled eggs, and I was wondering if it was ok to give Nutrobal to the chickens as a way to increase the vitamin D3 they are getting?
A. Yes you can use Nutrobal as a calcium source for your Chickens.
Q. How often should I give Nutrobal to my budgies?
A. We would suggest giving Nutrobal two to three times weekly. However, for adult healthy non-breeding budgies the preferred supplement would be Avimix, which is a multivitamin designed for routine use and can be given daily.
Q. I have been advised that Nutrobal can be sprinkled over seeds and fed to parrots or added to their seed box and mixed in. Is this application correct because I am finding that the powder is not really sticking to the seeds and is falling to the bottom of the container?
A. It is correct that Nutrobal can be mixed with food, but with seeds that's exactly what happens and the majority of the supplement can fall to the bottom of the container. We would suggest mixing with some fresh / soft food such as vegetables or fruit rather than seeds.
Reptiles
Q. My tortoises are too small to hibernate but are dozy all the time, as they are not eating anything I would like to know if it is possible to put Nutrobal in the water as they bathe?
A. Nutrobal is for dusting on the food, it isn't water soluble. If you are keeping the tortoises awake through the winter you will need a proper vivarium and heat lamp, otherwise they will simply stay half-awake not eating and losing weight - just bathing them daily isn't enough. Please contact a local vet for more advise.
Q. I purchased a tub of Nutrobal for regular dusting of crickets for my Leopard & Crested Geckos. Usually, my Leopard Geckos are happy to eat a calcium supplement straight from a food bowl, and I was just wondering whether it is safe to use the Nutrobal in a similar fashion?
A. Nutrobal isn't formulated to be fed from a bowl, it is designed for dusting onto food or coating crickets. That means they get the right level of D3 and the other vitamins in Nutrobal. We suggest dusting all your crickets with Nutrobal and leave access to calcium such as Calci-Dust in the food bowl.
Q. Is it ok for Nutrobal to be the only source of calcium for young veiled chameleon females and whether once a week is sufficient?
A. We would recommend Nutrobal and Calci-Dust on alternate feeds. If you only dust once a week then all that happens is that the animal avoids the white crickets because tomorrow there will be a brown one.
Q. I keep seeing reports that say vitamin D3 deteriorates fast - is it true?
A. Yes, vitamin D3 can deteriorate quickly. We are aware of a lot of debate on this and we have tried to clarify it. The particular vitamin D3 we use has been tested in harsh conditions - up to a temperature of 40C and has been shown to deteriorate at a rate of less than 1% a month. We already include a small overage in the product to compensate for this, so we are confident that adequate levels are there to exceed the 6-9 month product expiry date.
Q. I currently use Zolcal-D but want to use BSP drops as well, can I add them in the water together?
A. No, if you wish to use Zolcal-D and BSP drops as part of your pet’s diet, you will need to use them on alternate days. This is because if they are added to the water together the 2 formulas will bind together and you will lose the nutritional content.
Q. Can I use BSP drops for my terrapins?
A. Yes, to administer to terrapins you can add one small drop straight from the dripper into the mouth a few times a week, taking care not to exceed this dose.
Q. How do I know if my bird is lacking vitamins?
A. You may see them pecking excessively at their iodine block or chewing the metal bars of their cage, as an example.
Q. I keep seeing reports that say vitamin D3 deteriorates fast - is it true?
A. Yes, vitamin D3 can deteriorate quickly. We are aware of a lot of debate on this and we have tried to clarify it. The particular vitamin D3 we use has been tested in harsh conditions - up to a temperature of 40C and has been shown to deteriorate at a rate of less than 1% a month. We already include a small overage in the product to compensate for this, so we are confident that adequate levels are there to exceed the 6-9 month product expiry date.
Q. My tortoises are too small to hibernate but are dozy all the time, as they are not eating anything I would like to know if it is possible to put Nutrobal in the water as they bathe?
A. Nutrobal is for dusting on the food, it isn't water soluble. If you are keeping the tortoises awake through the winter you will need a proper vivarium and heat lamp, otherwise they will simply stay half-awake not eating and losing weight - just bathing them daily isn't enough. Please contact a local vet for more advise.
Q. I purchased a tub of Nutrobal for regular dusting of crickets for my Leopard & Crested Geckos. Usually my Leopard Geckos are happy to eat a calcium supplement straight from a food bowl, and I was just wondering whether it is safe to use the Nutrobal in a similar fashion?
A. Nutrobal isn't formulated to be fed from a bowl, it is designed for dusting onto food or coating crickets. That means they get the right level of D3 and the other vitamins in Nutrobal. We suggest dusting all your crickets with Nutrobal and leave access to calcium such as Calci-Dust in the food bowl.
Q. Is it ok for Nutrobal to be the only source of calcium for young veiled chameleon females and whether once a week is sufficient?
A. We would recommend Nutrobal and Calci-Dust on alternate feeds. If you only dust once a week then all that happens is that the animal avoids the white crickets because tomorrow there will be a brown one.
Rabbit and other small mammals
Q. Can I use Pro-C Probiotic for my chinchillas?
A. Yes, Pro-C Probiotic can be used for chinchillas. It contains prebiotic soluble fibre, probiotics, vitamin C and glucose. The vitamin C is there to compensate for the vitamin C which is lost by animals during times of sickness or stress. Chinchillas can have problems if they receive high levels of glucose in food or water for long periods, because like degu they have a diabetes-prone physiology. If you find that your animal has long term gut issues and needs probiotics for months at a time then please contact us to review it or contact your vet for advice. However, for short term and under strict control (as it may be an old chinchilla on a long-term antibiotic course) and in absence of any other dietary glucose source, it can be used.
Q. Is there calcium in Pro-C Probiotic?
A. There isn't any added calcium in Pro-C Probiotic, it is not intended as a calcium source / multivitamin. It is designed as a prebiotic & probiotic with extra vitamin C to compensate for losses in stressed or sick animals. Our specific calcium supplements Zolcal D and Arkvits are more suitable if you need nutritional products with added calcium.
Q. My Pro-C Probiotic used to be green but is now white, has the product changed?
A. No, the product contains all of the same nutritional content as before. Previously Pro-C Probiotic contained Chlorophyll which was added to turn the liquid a shade of green, but had no nutritional value. The updated formulation now no longer includes Chlorophyll, but other than this the product remains the same.
Q. Can I use Pro-C Probiotic for other animals, i.e. alpacas, as occasionally I like to give a probiotic following antibiotic treatment?
A. Pro-C Probiotic can be used in any species, the active organism is only licensed for small mammals but it is still perfectly safe and effective for use in other species. The organism level in Pro-C Professional (our veterinary grade version of Pro-C Probiotic) is higher so that might be more useful in your alpacas. It is highly unlikely you will find any organism that will be formally licensed for use in alpacas.
Q. Can I add Calci-Dust to the water?
A. Calci-Dust is not water soluble so can’t be added to the water. Simply sprinkle Calci-Dust over food, alternatively you can use Zolcal-D which is our liquid calcium and vitamin D3 supplement.
