FEATURE |
DETAILS
|
Complete
|
Gerty
is a complete food formulated for the special needs of guinea pigs. |
Balanced |
As long as
selective feeding is discouraged, guinea pigs being fed Gerty Guinea Pig will receive a
balanced diet. Not only are nutrients
present in the correct quantity (neither deficient or toxic), but they are in the correct
ratio to the energy content and to other nutrients.
|
Processing |
Many of the ingredients within Gerty are processed (pelleted,
flaked, rolled, extruded) to improve their digestibility whilst retaining a natural
appearance. |
Quality Ingredients |
Only the highest quality
cereals, legumes, forages and oils are used in a fixed formulation. On the packet the ingredients themselves are
declared rather than categories of ingredients, so the owner knows exactly what they are
buying. |
Coccidiostat Free |
Gerty contains no coccidiostats, nor is it produced on a line where
coccidiostats are used, which might pose a source of cross-contamination. Coccidiostats may adversely affect the gut
microflora of the guinea pig and have been associated with liver and kidney damage and
sudden death. |
Vitamin C
|
Vitamin C is renowned for
its instability during thermal processing and storage.
Gerty Guinea Pig is supplemented with a very stable form of Vitamin C, Stay-C
produced by Roche. This form loses only a few percent of its activity during processing
and on storage. Stay C is a monophosphate
ester of L-ascorbic acid, and although on a w/w basis its activity is equivalent to 35%
L-ascorbic acid, because of its structure it can be more easily absorbed. |
Other Vitamins &
Minerals
|
Gerty
is supplemented with other vitamins and minerals. Supreme incorporates vitamins and
minerals into the extrusions, rather than into the pellets which are often refused (bitter
metallic taste deters animals from eating them). Accounting
for losses due to processing, the extrusions are supplemented with vitamins, the levels of
which are guaranteed for the duration of the shelf-life. As well as containing Vitamin C, Gerty also
contains a high level of Vitamin A, and 1000iu/kg Vitamin D. Many of the minerals that Supreme use are in the
sulphate form, as these are more readily available to the animal than its respective
oxide. |
Shelf-life
|
1 year. |
Stimulation |
Gerty contains a
variety of ingredients of different
shapes, sizes and textures, which
encourages the animal to forage, a natural behaviour, providing some enrichment to the
life of the animal. It is preferable to
introduce guinea pigs to a variety of ingredients at a young age, as they will be more
receptive to new ones or change as an adult.
|
Dental Challenge |
Gerty contains alfalfa
(Supreme’s equivalent to grass), providing fibrous material which may aid appropriate
dental wear and help to prevent dental overgrowth. |
Fibre |
The
high level of fibre in Gerty helps to maintain the health and function of the
gastro-intestinal tract, and keep the animals occupied. |
