May 19, 2020
Congratulations to our Pet of the Month, Garou! This sweet little chinchilla is a year old and loves Oxbow hay and chinchilla food. Thanks for being a fan, Garou!
Would you like your pet to be considered for Pet of the Week? Follow Oxbow on Instagram or Facebook and follow the instructions on our Pet of the Week posts to submit your photos! We select our Pets of the Month from our Pets of the Week submissions.
...Read MoreMay 19, 2020
Developments around Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHDV2) continue to occur daily. In this video, Dr. Kohles provides the latest information regarding outbreaks and recommendations for pet parents to keep their rabbits safe.
...Read MoreMay 19, 2020
Oxbow Animal Health is excited to announce the recipients of its 2020 Academic Scholarships. The Oxbow Academic Scholarships award annual financial support to students across the country pursuing education in the exotic and companion animal veterinary fields. Oxbow scholarship winners are chosen for interest and involvement in the field of exotic animal health, excellence in the areas of academic achievement, and expression of future career goals and interests.
This year’s scholarship winners are:
“At Oxbow, we are passionate about supporting tomorrow’s leaders in exotic animal health,” said Melissa Ross, Vice President of Marketing. “We are so proud to support the 2020 Oxbow Academic Scholarship recipients as they pursue their professional dreams of advancing the health, nutrition, and care of companion animals.”
“As a future zoological companion animal veterinarian, I am honored to be the recipient of the 2020 Oxbow Animal Health Veterinary Medicine Scholarship,” said Levy. “Veterinary medicine, especially exotic animal medicine, is constantly changing. I am excited to keep learning and contribute primary research to this field as a student and future veterinarian, which is something this scholarship can help me achieve. I aim to provide the highest standard of care for my patients and I know Oxbow strives to do the same. I am thrilled to be the recipient of this award and look forward to working with Oxbow in the future.”
“As a student who is planning and hoping to go onto vet school, it is very overwhelming to look at the cost of tuition and all the things that add up along the way,” said Randall. “This scholarship will help me in pursuing my dream. I have a true passion for wanting to help animals and I strive to do anything I put my mind to. Being able to be recognized for my hard work truly is one of the best feelings.”
“I am so grateful to receive this scholarship! I look forward to exploring the world of Animal Science through my time at the University of Missouri-Columbia,” said Parks. “Through this scholarship, I will be able to further my knowledge in the field!
“I am thrilled to find support through Oxbow’s scholarship program to continue my veterinary forensics studies with University of Florida,” said DeMeo. “I hope that I can continue to advocate for exotic pets and wildlife while working for NYC’s animal control entity and hope to one day expand this focus to the international animal trade. I believe that Oxbow is fostering the human-animal bond one student at a time.”
...Read MoreMay 18, 2020
Foraging is one of many instinctual behaviors commonly exhibited by small companion mammals. Pet parents should do their due diligence in providing fun, nutritionally-appropriate foraging opportunities for their small pet! Here are some of our suggestions.
For many pet parents, this is one of the easiest go-to forms of enrichment to promote foraging.
While treats should be a tiny amount of your pet’s daily food intake, they can provide limitless opportunities for enrichment!
Fortified food is an essential part of your pet's daily diet, but that doesn't mean you need to present your pet's food the same way every day! Encouraging your pet to forage for fortified food can help ensure that your pet's mind stays active and senses stay sharp.
To add another level of foraging fun in your pet's life, consider how enrichment items like natural chews and hides can play a role. For some straightforward enrichment that promotes foraging, take a look at our Forage Pot and our Hide and Seek Mats.
Opportunities abound for pet parents to nurture foraging behaviors but always keep safety in mind. Don't force your pet to search for treats in areas where their heads or legs could become entrapped. If your pet is showing signs of physical or emotional discomfort during an activity, such as turning away from you or making whining sounds, end activities immediately and calmly praise them for expressing their needs without exhibiting destructive behaviors such as biting.
We’ve outlined many great techniques to provide new foraging opportunities, but as prey animals too much change can quickly become overwhelming. Only make one or two changes to your pets’ habitat or feeding technique at a time to avoid stress and anxiety. As they get more familiar with change it will be easier to introduce new things!
Quick Tips on Correctly Offering Fortified Food
Why Won’t My Guinea Pig Eat Their Pellets?
Fun Tips for Supporting Your Pet’s Health and Happiness
...Read MoreMay 11, 2020
Need something fun to do today? Oxbow has you covered! Check out some of our fun small-pet themed free coloring pages below!
The Expert Guide To Selecting Fresh Hay Your Pets Will Love
Spending Time Outdoors with Your Small Mammal
...Read MoreMay 05, 2020
As our understanding of COVID-19 continues to evolve daily, we would like to take the opportunity to share some additional information with the small pet community regarding this disease and the potential impacts to our domestic pet species. Additionally, the CDC has come out with some new guidelines and recommendations around taking measures to prevent the potential of pet parents and their animals from being exposed.
As you may have heard, there have been a few positive cases around domestic pet species recently confirmed here in the United States. The first known positive case was associated with a large cat at a zoo in New York City. This was followed with positive cases from at least two domestic cats and, most recently, a case in North Carolina affecting a dog living in a household with humans who had tested positive.
To date, there have been no known additional positive cases affecting additional domestic small animal species. There is also no information that indicates that pets play a vital role in the transmission of the virus. Additionally, it does not appear that the overall risk to pet populations is high. With that being said, we know we have a lot of information to continue to gather and it’s important to note that there does appear to be some correlation to the potential that positive humans can infect their pets with the disease.
The CDC has recently provided some updated guidelines regarding the potential risks to pets associated with COVID-19. These guidelines are specifically designed to protect not only pet parents, but your pets as well. The basis for the following guidelines comes from the CDC. We encourage all pet parents to stay up-to-date with the latest guidelines here.
First and foremost, be aware that we still have a lot to learn about this disease. Until we learn more specifically about how this virus affects animals, it is strongly recommended that you treat your pets no differently than you would treat other members of your household.
If you are sick with COVID-19 (either because you have exhibited potential clinical signs, or because you have a positive test), until we know more about this virus and how it affects pets, it is strongly recommended by the CDC and other organizations that we take the same precautions that we would with the other human members of our household. These precautions include:
If you have been confirmed positive for COVID-19 (or are experiencing symptoms) and your pet exhibits clinical signs that make you worried or concerned, do not take your pet to see your veterinarian. Instead, first contact your veterinarian to discuss symptoms and concerns. Your veterinarian will be able to work with you, either utilizing telemedicine or other tools, to evaluate different diagnostics as well as different therapies or treatments that may be indicated to provide for your pet’s care and wellbeing.