New range of antibacterial odour control dog beds

Addicare anti bacterial odour control beds and mats

We have just taken delivery of a brand new range of Addicare dog beds and dog mats. These are specially treated with an anti bacterial product the gives excellent odour control. they are also fully washable (covers and inners of the beds, covers of the mats) without destroying the antibacterial property. Here is the manufacturers product description:-

pet shop gloucester

Cage and car mats

anti-bacterial,         anti-odour dog beds

The Addicare anti-bacterial anti-odour  dog bed is beautifully made from luxury cotton polyester, tightly woven/highly  durable fabric. The inner mattress is made with hollow fibre which will not go  flat or lumpy, no loose stuffing that moves around and clumps.

“The Addicare anti-bacterial anti-odour  dog bed is beautifully made from luxury cotton polyester, tightly woven/highly  durable fabric. The inner mattress is made with hollow fibre which will not go  flat or lumpy, no loose stuffing that moves around and clumps.

Both the inner cushion and a  removable cover are knitted and finished with the Addicare anti-bacterial  treatment, resulting in a clean and healthy environment for you and your dog,  which will look good and stay comfortable season after season.”

pet shop gloucester

Addicare bed

The dog mats, suitable for cages or cars, have a foam inner and the same washable cover. As an added bonus we have them priced below the price on the manufacturers own online shop.

Pop in to see the complete range.

 

The Angell Pets Team.

 

Pet shop Gloucester pet foods

We are pleased to announce the launch of our own range of pet shop Gloucester pet foods.

Initially the range includes dog food (puppy, adult and senior), cat food (kitten, adult), ferret food and pond food. We hope to increase this range in the very near future. At present the price list is as follows:-

  • Puppy 2.5kg £6.49, 7.5kg £18.99, 12kg £28.99
  • Adult lamb and rice 2.5kg £6.49, 7.5kg £18.99, 12kg £28.99
  • Adult chicken and rice 2.5kg £6.49, 7.5kg £18.99, 12kg £28.99
  • Senior 2.5kg £6.49, 7.5kg £18.99, 12kg £28.99
  • Kitten 2kg £6.49
  • Adult cat chicken 2kg £5.99
  • Adult cat salmon 2kg £5.99
  • Ferret 2kg £7.49
  • Pond food 4kg tub £12.99

 

These prices compare very favourably with Burns and Wellbeloved. Price per kilo, the comparison is as follows:-

  • APL lamb and rice £2.41/kg (12kg bag)
  • Burns lamb and rice  £3.14/kg (15kg bag)
  • James Wellbeloved lamb and rice £3.33/kg (15kg bag)

 

  • APL chicken cat £2.99/kg (2kg bag)
  • Burns chicken cat £4.24/kg (2kg bag)
  • James Wellbeloved turkey cat £7.39/kg (currently on offer at £9.99 a bag so £5/kg) (2kg bag)

 

  • APL ferret £3.75/kg (2kg bag)
  • James Wellbeloved ferret £4.50/kg (2kg bag)

 

  • APL staple pond food £3.24/kg (4kg tub)
  • King British £11.42 (1.75kg bag)
  • Tetra pond sticks £17.20/kg (5kg tub)

 

Prices even compare well with lower quality foods too.

  • APL lamb and rice £2.41/kg (12kg bag)
  • Skinners turkey and rice £2.22/kg (15kg bag)

A difference of only 19p/kg for a superior quality food.

We have samples of our pet shop Gloucester foods for you to try for free if you like, just ask at the counter.

The Angell Pets Team

Pet shop Gloucester care series – Ferret

Pet shop Gloucester pet care series – ferret care.

Ferret basics

Ferrets are members of the mustelidae family (weasels, stoat, mink, otter, badger, and their wild ancestor the polecat). A ferret is basically a domesticated polecat. They have been traditionally bred to hunt rabbits and rats and generally make very good workers. Due to an imfamous TV appearance in the 1970s and ill informed owners of working ferrets, they have had a bad press with regard to biting.

Ferrets can be hand tamed from three weeks and if this is done properly, do not bite. Unfortunately some people believed they needed a big, aggressive male ferret as a worker and so stories of vicious animals that lock on and don’t let go abound. Actually it is relatively easy to get a ferret to let go if it does bite but because the idiot on the TV show didn’t know how to do it the myth grew. Actually an aggressive male ferret is the last thing you want for working. This animal would be big enough to kill a rabbit in the warren and would then stay there. The owner would have to dig down and reach in to get the ferret back. You can imagine the mess this type of animal could make of the owners arm. What you want (and this is why the polecat was originally domesticated) is a nice docile little female who will chase the rabbits out but is too small to kill one and will come out to show you what she’s done. My son’s fellow breeder has one (Chilly) like this. She is his best worker and yet we have taken her to kids parties.

In the end the ferret’s temperament is going to be decided by the breeder, handler and eventually owner. This is why we breed and tame our own ferrets for our pet shop Gloucester.

Pet shop gloucester ferret

Male ferrets (hobs) are larger than females (jills) and generally a bit lazier as well. Both make good pets. However both have their own peculiarities that need to be taken into account. The breeding cycle of the ferret throws up a couple of issues.

Firstly and most seriously, a female will come into season a couple of times a year. She must be mated to bring her out of season. If left to stay in season she will become seriously ill and could (probably would) eventually die.

Secondly the male exudes a waxy substance onto the skin during the breeding season. This gives the male a very strong odour. In both case neutering the ferret will prevent any problems. A neutered female will obviously not come into season and a neutered male will not smell. Ferrets can musk when threatened but a suitably tame and happy ferret will not. At our pet shop Gloucester we do not agree with descenting ferrets (removal of the musk glands).

Feeding

Ferrets are carnivores. They eat meat and get their energy from protein and fat. A good quality complete food will provide all their nutritional requirements. Our pet shop Gloucester workers are fed mainly raw food as they are used for pest control and have a plentiful supply. Our pet shop Gloucester pets are fed complete food. Both do equally well. Ferrets drink quite a lot. They should always have access to a plentiful supply of water, preferably via a gravity fed drinker (bunny bottle).

Housing

Ferrets can be kept indoors or outdoors. Our pet shop Gloucester breeders are kept together outdoors as they have not been neutered. If you are considering keeping a male ferret indoors we would strongly suggest you have him neutered for your own sanity! If you are keeping them out doors then obviously you need to take into account the temperature as too hot or too cold is not conducive to good health. If the temperature drops too low you will need somewhere to bring them in or insulate their enclosure.

Wherever you keep them they require a large living/play area. They are very active animals and love to play. they are also quite sociable and are best kept together. If you can only keep one then you are will need to realise you will have to be the other ferrets and will need to give yours lots of attention (in much the same way as you do a dog, another social animal). A large run/pen should be provided for them to play in, big enough for you to put in plenty of toys/equipment. Ferrets love ramps, tunnels etc. If left in an outdoor enclosure they must have refuge from the sun as they can suffer from sun stroke.

Dust free shavings are good as a floor substrate, or paper pellets etc. Ferrets can be litter trained and a corner litter tray is probably the best investment you can make. Clean the cage once a week and the litter tray daily. Make sure you use a pet disinfectant, not household. Also provide some nesting material for them to curl up in their nest box. Hammocks and shelves are a good idea for them to lounge around on.

Some ferrets like to swim in water and a cat litter tray used as a pool in their run is often appreciated but not essential.

Handling

The first thing you will notice when handling a ferret is that they are very bendy. They can completely turn around in a tunnel the same width as their own body. Holding onto one that does not want to be held can be a challenge. The most secure way to hold a ferret is to place you thumb across the shoulders so the ferret’s forelegs are between your first two fingers. You can support the rear of the body with your other hand. Holding this way prevents the ferret twisting and turning and is quite comfortable for the animal. They have been known to fall asleep in this position but then again there is probably not a position a ferret won’t fall asleep in! They like to sleep and can be quite difficult to wake up if they are in a deep slumber.

Health

Ferrets can catch canine distemper. We recommend you get your ferret vaccinated. We have already discussed the need for neutering (alternatives are jill jabs but these hormone injections can be expensive over the life of the animal). Female ferrets will get ill if consistently allowed to come into season without being mated. Diseases such as septicemia, leucemia etc. are very serious and often fatal. A healthy ferret will live on average 8 – 10 years (remember this is an average, some will be less, some more). Obviously ferrets can suffer with other diseases, some of which can be contracted by humans, so hygiene remains important.

Ferrets and other animals.

Ferrets are carnivores, so they do not mix with prey animals. They will kill and eat rabbits, rats etc. They can mix with other, bigger carnivores, such as dogs or cats. This however depends entirely on the cat or dog. I have customers who’s ferrets play with their dogs, the ferrets being in charge. However my dog would certainly kill a ferret, straight away on introduction. You have been warned, it is better not to take a chance and to keep them separate.

A few do’s an don’ts to round off.

  • Do seriously consider getting your ferret neutered.
  • Do provide plenty of space and activities.
  • Do encourage play (the ferret “war dance” is great to watch)
  • Do get your ferret vaccinated.
  • Do take it our for a walk on a harness and lead. You’ll make lots of friends and the ferret will keep it’s claws worn down.
  • Do come and ask us if you have any queries at all.

 

  • Don’t allow a female ferret to repeatedly come into season, this is cruel and ultimately fatal.
  • Don’t allow a ferret near you face. They play by nipping “gently” at each others ears, noses etc. and pulling on their loose skin. Gentle to a stiff fur covered ferret is not going to feel gentle to your nose or lip, or the tighter skin of your face.
  • Don’t allow your ferret near young children. The ferret is probably fine, it’s the child you have to worry about. Sticking a finger up the nose or in the eye of a normally docile ferret may well induce it to bite. The same is true for all animals of course.
  • Don’t feed milk to a ferret. Like other mammals, once weaned they do not drink milk ever again and can be very intolerant of lactose.
  • Don’t listen to the fools who say things like “Oh, we used to have ferrets, yeah if they bite just stub a cigarette out on their nose, that’s how you stop them”. No it isn’t you idiot, apart from being cruel it is also illegal.

Ferrets do make good pets but you do need to do your research first. Call into our pet shop Gloucester for advice.

 

The Angell Pets Team

 

 

Global market price increases effecting animal feed

We have had a new price list from one of our wholesalers with lots of price increases. This wholesaler is also a manufacturer and so is one of the first to react to global feed market prices. There have been significant increases in prices for wheat and maize due to problems in the US and a reduction in wheat quality and yields due to the wet conditions in the UK and Europe. Expect to see increases in the next few months for all feeds containing these ingredients (Poultry, wild bird, small mammal, cheaper dog and cat foods etc.). A knock on effect is a subsequent increase in meat products due to increased feed costs, so an increase is expected later with these products. If you are able to bulk buy, now may be the time, before prices increase. Poultry corn prices will increase as of next week unfortunately. The cost to us of a bag of corn has gone up £1, although our price will only be going up by 25p (sharing the pain folks).
We will, where possible absorb price increases but there will be cases where our margins are so slight that increases to us mean we will be selling at a loss so will have to increase our price as well. We will of course continue to be competitive, these increases will effect everyone.
The Angell Pets Team

Pet shop Gloucester advice series. Does your parrot pluck its feathers?

 Pet shop Gloucester advice series. Does your parrot pluck its feathers? Have you considered zinc poisoning?

It is known that in many birds that pluck their own feathers there is a toxic level of zinc in the blood.

Zinc is an essential trace element in birds (and humans) but in high levels it becomes toxic. A blood zinc level of over 2ppm is indicative of zinc poisoning. Zinc poisoning can be acute, i.e. caused by ingesting an large item of zinc coated metal or chronic – caused by ingesting lower levels of zinc over a longer period of time. Due to the nature of zinc and its low excretion rate from the body, the levels gradually increase to toxic.

Where could your bird have ingested zinc? The first place to look is the cage or aviary. What is the cage constructed of? If it is galvanised wire (“hot dipped”) bits of zinc coating will have pooled in the corners of the wire mesh. Not only are these attractive to parrots as something to be picked at, they also are relatively easy for the bird to get off and ingest. Also a white powder will, over time, coat the surface of the wire and this can also be ingested, gradually poisoning the bird. Older cages may be painted with paint containing zinc pigments (not in modern cages) which can flake and be picked off by the bird. Electroplated galvanised weld mesh is a different product to hot dipped wire and is considered safe. Our cages are iron which is then powder coated which seals the metal. Make sure you know which yours is.

Another place to look is cage furniture and locks.Are any of you feeding or water bowls galvanised? Zinc will dissolve in acids so fruit in bowls will cause heightened levels. It will also dissolvein slightly basic water, so check your waterers as well. Some padlocks are galvanised. Parrots like to pick locks and swallow any object they can. Did you have any metal objects in your cage that are no longer there and did you notice them go missing before your parrot started plucking?

Feather plucking is only one symptom of zinc poisoning. The zinc builds up in the liver, kidneys, pancreas and muscles and produces a range of symptoms, depending on levels. The commoner symptoms are excess urine (in the droppings), excessive thirst (to replace the water lost), weight loss, lethargy and weakness, anemia (lack of red blood cells), raised blood sugar level, cyanosis (low oxygen level in the blood, linked to anemia) and seizures. Acute poisoning can also lead to green diarrhoea, vomiting and death.

So if your bird is feather plucking the first thing you should do is remove any source of zinc from its environment (this will often be enough to stop the plucking) and have a blood test to see if zinc poisoning was the cause. There are treatments to reduce blood zinc levels available if acute poisoning was the cause (usually either oral or injected chelating agents which lock the zinc up in harmless forms that are more easily excreted).

Contact us if you want further advice.

Pet shop Gloucester advice series.

The Angell Pets Team

Pet shop Gloucester September offers

Pet shop Gloucester September Wholesaler Offer

We have a new batch of offers from our wholesaler for this month. Some fantastic savings to be had, making us cheaper than the supermarkets for some products and also offers on products you cannot get from “those places”..

CLICK BELOW for the latest offer sheet.

Best Pets September offers

Hurry in to the store to get your offers because, whilst they are for the entire month of September, the popular items sell out quickly and will take at least a week to replace.

The pet shop Gloucester Angell Pets Team