Specialised Animal Nutrition

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Specialised Animal Nutrition

Specialised Animal Nutrition (SAN) is the Australian distributor of Oxbow Animal Health

21/04/2025

Congratulations to the winner of our Easter Giveaway, Joelle Leung and her beautiful little crew!

Thank you to everyone who entered, it was lovely to see everyone's bunnies prepping for Easter.

18/04/2025

Happy Easter to those who celebrate! 🐰🐣🍫

Have you ever wondered where the Easter Bunny came from?

The tradition of the Easter Bunny actually started in Germany, with mentions of the “Osterhase” (Easter Hare) in writings as early as the 1500s. This creature would decide if children had been well behaved or disobedient, just like Santa’s naughty or nice list! He would then deliver coloured eggs, candy and toys during Eastertide to the lucky children who made the nice list. The Osterhase was introduced to the US then the rest of the world with German immigration to America in the 1700s.

We hope the Easter Bunny has eaten all of his Oxbow hay and pellets, ready for a long night of egg delivering this Saturday!

16/04/2025

Easter Give Away!

Being bunny fans, Easter is our favourite time of year.

Post a picture in the comments of your bunny getting ready for Easter and you could WIN an Oxbow Enriched Life Wobble Teaser (pictured) and a 2.25kg bag of Oxbow Essentials Adult Rabbit Food.

The winner will be drawn on Tuesday 22 April and posted here. Good luck!

(Limited to Australian Residents Only)

📸: (Instagram)

11/04/2025

Treat time!

Oxbow’s range of treats, Simple Rewards:

🤎Are hay based
🤎Contain no artificial colours or added sugar
🤎Are a great source of enrichment
🤎Help support the pet/owner bond

With a delicious range of flavours, it’s worth trying them all to find your pet’s favourite!

🌿Timothy Treats
🍎Apple & Banana
🫑Bell Pepper
🥕Carrot & Dill
🍒Cranberry
🥬Veggie Treats
🌱Organic Barley Biscuits

10/04/2025

The last thing an Oxbow treat sees...

📸: .and.alfie (Instagram)

06/04/2025

Natural Science Supplements

Some pets need a little extra nutritional support to live their best lives!

Oxbow‘s Natural Science Supplements are hay-based and formulated with premium herbal ingredients that support specific health and welfare needs.

Multi-Vitamin - for pets during times of stress or with chronic health issues, and for picky eaters who only eat hay and greens

Digestive Support - for pets with GI sensitivity or a history of gastric problems

Skin and Coat - support for pets with skin or coat conditions

Joint Support - for pets advancing in age, diagnosed with arthritis, stiffness or decreased mobility

Urinary Support - for pets with a history of urinary issues

Vitamin C - for all pets during times of stress, illness or recovery, for guinea pigs if not already on Oxbow Fortified Pellets

Papaya Support - for pets in need of digestive support

For more information, visit our website www.oxbowaustralia.com

02/04/2025

A timely reminder as Easter approaches…

While we love rabbits here at SAN, and believe they are wonderful pets when provided the proper care, we want to remind people that rabbits are not suitable as Easter gifts!

Rabbits are sensitive animals with ongoing needs for housing, nutrition, enrichment and medical care.

Rabbits should only be adopted or purchased by those who have put time and thought into preparing to bring a rabbit into their home.

Best to stick to chocolate eggs as gifts on Easter Sunday! 🍫🍫🍫

30/03/2025

Vitamin C for Guinea Pigs 🍊

Unlike most animal species, guinea pigs cannot make vitamin C on their own. As a result, guinea pigs are at a high risk of vitamin C deficiency compared to other small pets.

Sadly, there are still cases of hypovitaminosis C, also known as scurvy, diagnosed by exotic veterinarians every year. Signs include:

• Poor skin & coat quality
• Delayed wound healing
• Swelling or sores around the mouth
• Poor appetite
• Lethargy
• Impaired movement
• Slow or delayed growth and/or development

The good news is, all Oxbow Fortified Pellets for Guinea Pigs contain stabilised vitamin C.

However, if your guinea pig is not on a high quality diet, has additional requirements due to stress or illness, or vitamin C supplementation has been recommended by your vet, then Oxbow’s Natural Science Vitamin C Supplement should be provided.

The standard dose rate is 1 tablet per day, or as recommended by your veterinarian.

For more information, follow the for more information on Oxbow products.

24/03/2025

We are a little late with our Friday Facts so please consider this our Monday Message!

Could your small pet benefit from a fortified pellet?

Oxbow’s range of fortified pellets have been specifically formulated to provide a complete and balanced food to meet the unique nutritional needs of rabbits, guinea pigs, mice and rats.

✔ Uniform in shape, texture and flavour in every bag, to prevent selective feeding

✔ Formulated with premium hay for effective digestion, with added wholesome ingredients and vital nutrients

✔ Life-staged: Young options are made with a lucerne hay base for additional protein and energy for growing animals

✔ Guinea Pig options all contain stabilised Vitamin C

✔ All ranges are nutritionally equivalent, so you can either select your pet’s favourite, or offer multiple types to aid enrichment

❤️ Essentials Range
• Young, Adult and Senior Rabbit
• Young, Adult and Senior Guinea Pig

💛 Garden Select Range with Rosemary, Thyme, Whole Yellow Pea, Tomato, Spinach, Carrot and Banana
• Adult Rabbit
• Adult Guinea Pig
• Young Rat and Mouse
• Adult Rat

💚Organic Bounty Range - Certified USDA Organic
• Adult Rabbit
• Adult Guinea Pig

14/03/2025

Hay! Let’s talk about it.

Hay is the cornerstone of a herbivore’s diet. Rabbits and guinea pigs’ diets should consist of at least 70% hay. The fibre is critical in keeping their gut moving and chewing is important for dental health. Having hay in multiple locations in your pet’s living space also keeps them active and entertained!

Oxbow has a range of grass hays available, all nutritionally equivalent. Choose your pet’s favourite, or provide multiple options for enrichment.

❤️Western Timothy Hay - nutritious, sweet-smelling grass hay.
Available in 425g, 1.13kg and 4kg

💛Orchard Grass Hay - soft texture and sweet flavoured grass hay.
Available in 425g, 1.13kg and 4kg

❤️💛Hay Blends (Western Timothy and Orchard Grass) - our two most popular hays blended to create the perfect taste and texture combination.
Available in 425g, 1.13kg and 2.55kg

💜Botanical Hay - a blend of Western Timothy, chamomile, lemon balm, lavender and clover.
Available in 425g

💚Oat Hay - contains savoury husks full of fibre, making it a favourite for many.
Available in 425g

07/03/2025

Herbivore Feeding Guidelines

When it comes to feeding your rabbit or guinea pig, a good guideline to follow is:

70% Grass Hay
A pile of hay the size of your rabbit per day
A pile of hay twice the size of your guinea pig per day

20% Fortified Pellets
1/8th of a cup per kg bodyweight per day

8% Leafy Green Vegetables
Cos lettuce, boy choy, Asian greens, Coriander, Parsley, Mint, Carrot Tops, Basil, Dill and Fennel are all good options

2% Treats
Avoid high sugar treats
Hay based treats are a good option

Always ensure there are TWO sources of clean fresh water as well!

28/02/2025

Plant Part Preferences

When it comes to hay, a mix of leaf and stem of is ideal for small herbivores.

The stem has the highest percentage of indigestible fibre, which is crucial for keeping the gut moving - the physical coarseness of the fibre provides peristaltic stimulation. The more mature the hay, the more stem content.

The leaf is softer, higher in carbohydrate and crude protein, but lower in fibre than the stem. They leaf is tasty to the pet which is good for maintaining appetite, but too much leaf, as seen in immature hay, would not meet the fibre requirements of the animal.

Therefore, an ideal balance is an equal ratio of stems and leaves. Oxbow Grass Hays are harvested at just the right moment to ensure the best balance.

21/02/2025

Feeling unwell?

While we often vomit when we are sick, guinea pigs and rabbits do not have the ability to vomit, or even burp. As a build up of gas, fluid or ingesta (food) in the gut cannot be removed by vomiting, it can only go the other way! Keeping the gut moving is critical to prevent bloat.

Remember: If your rabbit or guinea pig has a decreased appetite or has not passed any stool in 6 hours, it is time to contact the vet.

14/02/2025

Tummy time 🐰🐹

Rabbits are known as “hind-gut fermenters”. Instead of digesting their food in their stomach and small intestine, microbial fermentation occurs in the caecum and large intestine (colon).

Large amounts of fibre are needed in their diet to keep the gut moving. When the fibre reaches the caecum and large intestine, it is separated into non-digestible fibre, which is quickly expelled in small hard pellets, and digestible fibre. The digestible fibre and other nutrients form soft caecotrophs, which are eaten again by the rabbit directly from their hind end! This usually happens at night, and hence is called the “midnight snack”.

Guinea pigs are also hind gut fermenters and practice “caecotrophy” but less is known about this.

The main thing to remember is that fibre is key, so always offer plenty of good quality grass hay to your pet, and ensure pellets, treats are supplements are hay based. Find out more about Oxbow’s range of products at https://www.oxbowaustralia.com/oxbow-grass-hays/

07/02/2025

Did you know?

Rabbits and guinea pigs have very different teeth to cats and dogs, and to humans.

Their teeth are “aradicular hypsodont” teeth, which means open-rooted, long-crowned teeth. Unlike our teeth, rabbit and guinea pig teeth are continually growing.

In fact, rabbits’ teeth grow at a speed of up to ONE CENTIMETRE per MONTH!

In order to keep their teeth in check, rabbits and guinea pigs need plenty of hay to chew, which grinds their teeth down at an appropriate rate. Oxbow Grass Hays are a tasty, nutritious option.

Dental problems are common - have their teeth checked by a veterinarian regularly.

🐰

30/01/2025

History time!

Oxbow Animal Health began with a farmer, his craft, and a passion for perfection. As a fifth generation hay farmer, Oxbow Founder, John Miller, spent years honing the craft of producing premium hay on his farm in rural Nebraska.

John became practiced in the art of waiting for the perfect harvest conditions (even if it meant harvesting beneath the stars) and developed a reputation for producing the most premium hay the market had to offer.

John soon discovered a need in the small pet community for proper nutrition and education and embarked on a journey to revolutionise the way small pets were fed and cared for. The company started in 1980 and over the years, Miller’s passion has grown into a global commitment to small animal health. Oxbow Animal Health is now a part of the Compana Pet Brands family, a global leader in pet care and nutrition.

Specialised Animal Nutrition is proud to the exclusive distributor of Oxbow Animal Health products in Australia and New Zealand. 2025 marks our 20 year anniversary in business. Visit our Australian website for more information on our products www.oxbowaustralia.com

10/01/2025

Introducing the Enriched Life Wobble Teaser!

Enrichment products support natural behaviours in small pets, such as exploring, chewing, hiding and playing. Oxbow enrichment products are constructed from 100% pet safe materials.

The Enriched Life Wobble Teaser is an engaging way to feed small animals their daily ration of Oxbow Fortified Pellets or Simple Reward treats. It has an adjustable opening to control flow, and a clear design to visualise food levels. It is designed to wobble for your pet’s entertainment, and is made of high quality materials to last.

20/12/2024

Thank you to our partners, customers and friends for a wonderful 2024.

The Specialised Animal Nutrition office will be closed from 20 Dec – 6 Jan.

We look forward to working with you in 2025 🐰🐭🐹

Address

15 Jay Gee Court
Gold Coast, QLD
4211

Website

http://www.oxbowaustralia.com/

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A Bit About Us.

Specialised Animal Nutrition is the Australian distributor of Oxbow Animal Health (USA) and Baraka Station products (Australia). The company was founded by Jennifer O’Hara in 2005, who had a vision of not only improving the welfare of rabbits, guinea pigs and herbivorous wildlife in Australia, by importing, growing and selling super premium products, but also promoting the herbivore nutrition knowledge base. SAN is a business that supplies accurate, powerful educational material and creates access to premium nutritional products and thereby enabling a high level of care for busy, modern families.

Oxbow’s premium life-staged feeds and supportive care products for small animals are used and recommended by top exotic animal veterinarians worldwide. The Oxbow product line is built around a range of premium quality grass hays, 25% fibre life-staged pelleted diets, and Critical Care for Herbivores® - the world standard, grass hay based, syringe feeding formula for convalescent herbivores and wildlife including water fowl, alpaca, herbivorous reptiles, possums, macropods, koalas and wombats.

Baraka Station (nestled in the Gold Coast Hinterland), proudly supplies pure Australia grown leaf and stem products for rabbits and guinea pigs. The seasonally changing, often organic range includes Wood Chews, Dried Herb Blends and other completely natural, enriching products.