In This Issue
New Product winners from Antos, Group 55, HayPigs!, Kong, Pedigree, Symply, The Innocent Hound and Versele-Laga at PATS Telford
PetQuip Award winners revealed at glitzy event
Pictures from the PetQuip Awards
Natures Menu raises bar in dry nutrition category with launch of True Instinct
First day at PATS Telford hailed a huge success
Edgard & Cooper celebrate one year anniversary
Burgess Pet Care launches Great British Rabbit Census
PetSafe Brand launches new products
HOWND showcases two new product ranges at PATS
Pets Choice returns to PATS bigger and better than ever
Smart Pet Feeder launched by pet technology firm
Pet food retailers urged to become ‘fishionaries’
New natural range from Town & Country Petfoods
PIF to showcase major developments at PATS Telford
Chuckit! unveils new Mountain Rope Tug toy
Introducing the PAWBO product range
Get your own copy of Pet Trade Xtra
Award-winning eco company goes big with new bag sizes for ethical dog food
Harringtons launches Autumn campaign
PIF Forum to reveal results into rabbit nutrition study
Natures Menu strengthens team as part of continued investment
Ampet Products appointed UK distributor for the American IMARC engraving machine
Launch of new wet dog food range with added 'vet know-how'
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PIF Forum to reveal results into rabbit nutrition study
The Pet Industry Federation (PIF) will announce the results of its year long research study into the differences between feeding muesli and nuggets to rabbits at the Pet Industry Forum on the Tuesday 28 November at Whittlebury Hall, Towcester, Northamptonshire.

The study set out to validate a previous study (Meredith et al., 2015; Prebble et al., 2014; Prebble et al., 2015) on the subject of diet presentation and its effects on weight, feed intake and dental health, which had a profound impact on the industry because of a general lack of research into pet rabbit nutrition.

PIF’s year long independent study has taken place at two separate colleges and set out to assess the impact of two diet presentations (muesli vs nuggets) on weight, body condition score and the dental health of pet rabbits.

The rabbits were not kept in laboratory conditions, but in outdoor pens to simulate how a rabbit may be kept in an outside home environment. The rabbits were allowed free access to hay and water and were provided with driftwood logs as a non-nutritional chew.

The dental health was assessed by a specialist veterinarian at the beginning, middle and at the end of the study. Dental assessments looked at malocclusion, elongation, slanting wear, ridging, fractures of incisors; direction, elongation, step/wave mouth, missing teeth and gingival health of cheek teeth, as well as facial indicators of dental health.

Nigel Baker, CEO of PIF said: “We are pleased to be looking further into rabbit nutrition and welfare. Many of our members sell rabbits as pets or sell rabbit food to pet owners, and it is important that we can convey the correct advice to them and their customers on how rabbits should be fed.

"Both muesli and nugget diets are readily available and the trade association has set out to bring clarity to this subject through academic research. Further research studies are being planned by PIF to aid knowledge into how we look after the welfare of our pets.”

Tickets for the Pet Industry Forum are available from www.petfederation.co.uk or by telephoning 01234 273933.

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