Fox Valley Animal Nutrition, Inc

Covering Every Neonatal Need

By: Gail Veley

It wasn’t just belief in his products that prompted Nick Vlamis to start his company, Fox Valley Nutrition, Inc., in 1995. It was because the need for his products weren't being filled anywhere else. Since the very beginning Vlamis has valued the customers he caters to, particularly the four-legged ones, by producing milk replacers, supplements, snuggle-safe heating pads, and feeding supplies. But truth be told, Vlamis puts all of his customers first, animal and human alike. Since founding his company Fox Valley Animal Nutrition, Vlamis has been at the forefront of helping orphaned neonates from all over the world maximize their health, growth, and performance through species-specific milk replacers and supplements.

Fox Valley, headquartered in Lake Zurich, Illinois, has never been interested in offering generic run-of-the-mill milk replacers. They specialize instead in species-specific milk replacers, made with the finest raw ingredients available, to create the same composition found in natural milk. Fifteen different types are offered for both domestic and exotic species ranging from whitetail deer fawns, blacktail deer fawns, elk, moose, kittens, puppies, goats, cows, llamas, wallabies, and raccoons among others. In starting his company he’d be successful because “no one else had anything that was species-specific. Back then if you had a raccoon it would fall under feline. Everyone was taking existing puppy or kitten formulas and trying to make it work for other animals.” he said.

“However, if you have a formula as close as possible to the composition of the actual animal you have, it can cause better health and greater performance for that animal. Anything less palatable can result in feeding problems and other issues."

Not only do Fox Valley’s milk replacers aid in the overall health and well-being of each neonate, their supplements do as well, as they are formulated to combat dehydration, diarrhea and disturbed intestinal flora. Deer farmers and wildlife rehabilitators make up a majority of Fox Valley’s customer base, wildlife rehabilitators being the very first group to validate that Vlamis was on the right track. “I got my start at a National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association conference," Vlamis explained. “We were always finding orphaned fawns. I let them have free field trials of my formula. They saw it worked and they had trust in it."

Perhaps customers also trust that when they call the company, should a situation arise, Vlamis himself will make every effort to speak to them directly. He has spent more time than he could ever recall educating the public and promoting his products to veterinarians as well as veterinary colleges, conferences, trade shows and other venues. He knows the results speak for themselves, yet finds great joy when customers write him letters of appreciation or call to express their gratitude when their charges survive and thrive. The binder that he used
through all his years in business to hold every letter of appreciation became so full, he had to start another.

If all the orphaned deer fawns, elk, and moose could write him letters of appreciation they probably would, as the benefits of using Fox Valley’s products are immensely vast. All milk replacers are easily digested and contain all-milk protein, high protein efficiency ratio (PER), balanced fatty acids, medium chain triglycerides, and a complete complement of vitamins and minerals.

“It is the best value wildlife milk replacer available to rehabilitators," Vlamis said. “The products are easy to mix and have an 18-month shelf life. They also come in convenient sizes in sturdy, reusable plastic buckets and have been thoroughly field tested by rehabilitators." Vlamis' son Chris and four additional employees work diligently to make sure all customers have their needs filled and are satisfied with the outcome. Should product prices ever increase, Vlamis will always explain the reason to his customers. “I will not substitute a cheaper product to make a buck,” he said. “I will always offer the same high-quality products I have stood behind since day one. I believe Fox Valley Nutrition is the Cadillac of neonatal formulations."



Nick Vlamis
President
(847) 687-3200
NKLC@aol.com

www.FOXVALLEYNUTRITION.com