Myths About Exotic Nutrition

All Exotic Nutrition food products follow a quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) procedure. Product labeling is highly regulated both on a federal and a state level. Exotic Nutrition food products are tested by both independent laboratories and state regulated agencies to ensure products comply with AAFCO labeling requirements. Exotic Nutrition foods are registered with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and our facility is regularly inspected by the FDA and the USDA to ensure good manufacturing practices. The most recent USDA inspection was completed in July 2021.

A number of universities, zoological parks, and research centers use Exotic Nutrition food products, and at no time have any of these institutions reported a health issue or concern regarding our food products. Hundreds of thousands of pets have been fed Exotic Nutrition diets for the past two decades and have thrived as a result. We've always made the decision to let our products and customers speak for themselves, so we appreciate and encourage your contribution to these private group discussions.

Rather than reading rumors, the best way to obtain feedback of Exotic Nutrition products would be by reading customer testimonials collected by Google, Facebook, or other public sources.

MYTH: ROPE PRODUCTS ARE DANGEROUS AND SHOULD NOT BE USED

Truth: Nylon blend ropes should never be used as they can result in injury due to the strength of the strands. Only 100% natural fiber ropes such as cotton, hemp (jute), or sisal should be used in glider toys. All of our ropes are made with one of these three safe materials. All of our cage accessories are specifically made of non-toxic materials and inspected to be pet-safe. Glider owners have a responsibility to keep their pets nail cut short and filed down to avoid getting caught in loose threads. Accessories should be checked regularly to cut loose threads or discarded when they become severely frayed and present a hazard to their glider.

MYTH: WODENT WHEELS ARE DANGEROUS FOR GLIDERS

Truth: We offer products for a wide variety of animals. We carry Wodent Wheels for our hamster customers. We agree that Wodent Wheels are unsafe for Sugar Gliders, which is why they are not listed in our Sugar Glider Wheel category, and why the description does not list Sugar Gliders as being one of the animals the wheel is suitable for. You can find the Silent Runner in the sugar glider category, which was designed specifically for sugar gliders without the center axel to avoid any risk of fur or tail entanglement.

MYTH: Exotic Nutrition sells rip-off products like bonding spray

Truth: We have never sold nor promoted a “bonding spray” or anything of the likes.

MYTH: SILENT RUNNER WHEELS ARE DANGEROUS

Truth: The only time a wheel would unscrew itself would be if there is a defect with the hardware or installation of the wheel. If the bearings seize, this may cause the wheel to unscrew from the stand or cage attachment when the pet is running in the wheel. This is an easy fix that can be resolved with new bearings. Pet owners are responsible for keeping up with occasional maintenance. Silent Runner Wheels have been used by tens of thousands of sugar gliders over the past 8+ years. If only one or two pets incurred an injury while in use, while that is unfortunate, that would be considered to be a very rare freak accident, not a product defect that poses a threat to all pets.

MYTH: UNSAFE POUCHES WITH EXPOSED SEAMS 

Truth: Here at Exotic Nutrition, we designed the new Hangouts collections of fleece accessories to be made of double-layered polar fleece material with hidden seams. Hidden seams help prevent loose threads, nail snagging, and other injuries. If a sugar glider's nails can get caught on pouches, usually the nails are too long/sharp and need to be cut and filed down. Any sewn fabric will have seams, which creates the risk for entanglement, but fleece is considered the safest fabric possible for nesting pouches because the material will not unravel. That being said, it is up to the pet owner to keep the nails groomed because long nails will get caught up in any kind of fabric, including fleece. Our sandy trimmer tracks help to keep nails filed down, but they must be used accordingly and the nails may need to be cut down before use in order for the track to keep them consistently filed down. 

MYTH: ethoxyquin in pet food is dangerous

Truth: Ethoxyquin is a BHA which acts as a preservative that prevents the oils in the food from oxidizing and becoming rancid. Oxidation affects the flavor, color and odor of food and reduces the nutritional value. BHA is only known to be harmful in high doses and, therefore, many researchers consider it perfectly safe when used in food preservatives in low levels. 

MYTH: Vitamin K causes liver failure in pets

Truth: Our foods are made with care and precision, and in small batches to guarantee freshness. The staple foods have been fed to ten of thousands of gliders over the past 10+ years without any reports of liver failure. These diets are regulated by the USDA and FDA, laboratory tested, and veterinarian recommended. For your reference, the HPW diet is the only food item that includes menadione as a source of Vitamin K and this specific formula was created with the direct assistance of Dr. Richard Patton, PhD who has over 40 years experience as an animal nutritionist. Vitamin K is necessary in the diet for blood clotting, helping wounds to heal, and there's also some evidence vitamin K may help keep bones healthy. Dietary Vitamin K can be provided naturally through green leafy plants and vegetable oils, or through stable gut fermentation. Unfortunately, the inconsistency in these sources, effects from processing, and gut health of the animal make them unreliable as a viable source of Vitamin K. This is why pet manufacturers like ourselves will supplement with Vitamin K3 in the diets. Commercial sources of Vitamin K3 are produced through industrial synthetic chemistry. The AAFCO lists  menadione sodium bisulfate as an approved source for Vitamin K. Vitamin K3 has been fed to many animals for over 50 years without incident. Specifically, our HPW has been fed to thousands and thousands of sugar gliders for over a decade without incident. Let me know if you have any additional questions or concerns.

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Notice: Exotic Nutrition cannot provide specific care guidelines on an individual basis. Please consult a veterinarian or wildlife rehabilitator.

Exotic Nutrition is proud to serve hundreds of universities, zoological parks, veterinarians, research centers and other institutions seeking to advance the health and well-being of exotics worldwide. See a full list of institutions using our products here.

Exotic Nutrition has a heart for animals in need. Through regular donations to rescues, rehabilitators, and special fundraiser events, Exotic Nutrition is making a significant impact in the lives of animals. See a full list of our charitable donations here.