Super Solvitax Cod Liver Oil

There is a category of thing in an animal cupboard that predates pet shops entirely, and cod liver oil is the clearest example of it. It was in stables and kennels long before anybody printed a species list on the label, which is roughly why the label on this one still runs to six kinds of animal.

It is a 400ML bottle of pure cod liver oil. Super Solvitax describe it as a natural source of vitamins A and D and of digestible energy, and as rich in polyunsaturates, which they connect to the condition of skin, fur and feather. Their instruction is daily use at the recommended rate rather than an occasional top-up, and they list it for ponies, dogs, cats, caged birds, pigeons and small animals.

• 400ML bottle
• Natural source of vitamins A and D
• Rich in polyunsaturates
• Listed for ponies, dogs, cats, caged birds, pigeons and small animals
• Intended for daily use at the manufacturer's own recommended rate

The rate itself has not been supplied to us. Super Solvitax refer to a recommended rate and no per-species amount reaches us with the product — and a bottle covering a pony and a canary obviously does not use one measure for both, so the label on the bottle is the only place to read it. Vitamins A and D are fat-soluble, which is a good reason to talk to your vet before adding this to a diet that already contains a supplement or a fortified feed. No analytical figures for the vitamin content have been published to us either.

Who it's for: households keeping more than one kind of animal — a pony and a dog, an aviary and a cat — who would rather have one bottle in the feed room than three.