The Healthy Bites Nutri Care Small Animal Treats are the general-purpose bag in the small animal range. Instead of targeting one thing, Mark & Chappell put added vitamins and minerals in the cream centre along with omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, aimed at overall condition and a healthy skin and coat. Like the rest of the small animal line they are plant-based with no added free sugars, which makes them one of the better-shaped treats on the shelf for a herbivore.

Key Features

• Fatty Acids: Around 1.5 per cent omega 3 and 3.7 per cent omega 6, for skin and coat condition.
• Added Vitamins And Minerals: Included in the cream filling for general support rather than one targeted claim.
• Composition: Cereals, oils and fats, derivatives of vegetable origin, and minerals.
• No Animal Ingredients: Entirely plant-based, with no added free sugars.
• Suitable For: Rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, degus, pet rats and mice.
• Format: A crisp baked shell with a cream-filled centre.
• Pack Size: 30g resealable bag.

What To Expect From It

• This is the bag to pick if you simply want a treat for taming, hand-feeding or hiding in a foraging toy, and you would rather it carried something useful than a sugar coating.
• Omega 3 and 6 do matter for skin and coat, but the amount in a couple of small treats a day is modest. A dull coat, bald patches, scurf or scratching is a reason to see a vet, not a reason to buy treats: mites, ringworm and dietary problems all look similar and all need identifying.
• Used for enrichment they earn their place. Hiding a bite in a cardboard tube or a pile of hay makes a small animal work for it, which is better for them than being handed food in a bowl.

Hay Comes First

• For a rabbit or a guinea pig, unlimited good grass hay should make up the overwhelming majority of what they eat, with fresh greens next and everything else a small extra. Nothing in a treat bag changes that order.
• These bites are cereal-based, with wheat flour and corn starch as the bulk of the shell. Starchy treats in quantity are a poor fit for a hindgut fermenter and can upset the gut flora that a rabbit or guinea pig depends on, so keep them to one or two at a time rather than a daily habit.
• They also do very little for teeth. The long-fibre chewing that wears down continuously growing teeth comes from hay, not from a biscuit. If your pet is eating less hay because the treats are more interesting, cut the treats.
• Any rabbit or guinea pig that stops eating, stops passing droppings, or goes quiet and hunched needs a vet the same day. Gut stasis in these species moves fast and is an emergency, not something to watch overnight.

Suitable For Herbivores

• The small animal recipes in this range contain no ingredients of animal origin and no added free sugars, which is the right call for a strict herbivore. Several treats sold for rabbits and guinea pigs fail on one or both counts, usually with yoghurt or honey.
• Mark & Chappell list the range as suitable for rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, degus, pet rats and mice. The same bite is used across all of them, so the only thing that changes between species is how many you give.
• The shell does contain wheat flour and wheat gluten, and the recipe contains added salt. Worth knowing if you are avoiding either.

Feeding Safely

• Mark & Chappell ask that small animals be supervised while they eat these, and that fresh drinking water is always available. Follow that: a hard baked shell is worth watching the first few times with a small pet.
• Hand-feed rather than scattering them in the bedding. It lets you see how much went in, stops one cage-mate taking the lot, and keeps the cream filling out of the substrate.
• Give the smaller end of the range to hamsters, gerbils, mice and rats, and the larger end to guinea pigs and rabbits. The brand does not publish a precise gram figure per species, so judge it by the size of your pet and keep it modest.

Who Makes It

• Healthy Bites is a range made by Mark & Chappell Ltd, a British company that sells pet healthcare under the VetIQ Healthy+ name. The brand is VetIQ; Healthy Bites is the treat line within it.
• Every bite in the range is built the same way: a crisp baked cereal shell around a soft cream-filled centre, with the actives carried in the filling. The shell is what makes them easy to hand-feed and count.
• Mark & Chappell state there are no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives in the range. The antioxidants used are vitamin E, vitamin C derivatives and rosemary extract.

A Treat, Not A Medicine

• This is a complementary pet food. It is not a veterinary medicine, and it is not licensed to diagnose, treat or prevent any disease. The VetIQ name and the phrase "vet approved" that appears on the packaging do not change that.
• The honest way to think about the range is nice treats with a sensible extra in them, chosen to suit a particular situation. If your pet has a real problem, the treat is not the answer to it and delaying a vet visit to try one is a bad trade.
• If your pet is already on medication or a prescription diet, mention any treat you are adding at the next appointment. Some prescription diets work by controlling exactly what goes in, and extras can work against them.

Storage In The UAE

• Mark & Chappell ask that the pack be used within four weeks of opening, kept sealed and out of direct sunlight. That matters more here than in the UK, because heat and humidity turn the oils in a cream filling stale faster.
• Press the resealable strip shut properly after each use and keep the bag in a cupboard rather than on a sunny shelf or in the car. A fridge is not necessary and can make the shell go soft.
• If a bite smells of old oil or crayons, or the shell has gone bendy, throw the bag away. Rancid fat is unpleasant rather than dangerous, but pets refuse it and it wastes the pack.

Good To Know

• Complementary pet food for small animals. Not a complete diet and not a replacement for hay.
• Supervise your pet while feeding, and keep fresh drinking water available at all times.
• Resealable bag. Use within four weeks of opening and keep out of direct sunlight.
• Suitable for rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, degus, pet rats and mice.
• Made in the UK by Mark & Chappell Ltd under the VetIQ Healthy+ brand.
• Not for human consumption. Keep out of reach of children.