Prairie Dog Nutrition

[Abbi's Mama]

A guy at a local pet store just got a prairie dog...please feel free to leave comments below about diet and care etc. so I can print it off and take it to him. :)

[SammysMom]

I will send Pappy along... She knows PDs!

[pappy1264]

Prairie dogs eat mostly hay (timothy, orchard, but not alfalfa). They need more protein under six months, then they do when older. A good quality dog kibble, a few pieces a day until 6 mos old, then a couple pieces a week. Some veggies (sweet potato is a big fav). Again very small amount. And about 1/8 cup of pellets (Oxbow rabbit pellets are good). They need 12-14 hours of light a day. Some like a wheel, if they get one when they are younger. They should be neutered/spayed but that cannot happen during rut (which would be around this time of year). Hay should be about 85-90% of their diet. They need alot every day (although they will pick through it and pull out only what is useful for them, so there will be alot of waste). Old hay should be cleaned out every day to encourage foraging and to prevent illness, as hay molds very easily.

Cage needs to be rather large. They do not have a good depth perception, so they can fall easily, so ramps can be tricky for them (and NEVER allow they unsupervised up on furniture!) Many people use PVC tubes to get from one level to another in cages that are more then one level.

Their hormones, even when spayed/neutered can make them unpredictable, so one must take that into consideration before getting one. Not a good choice for a child's pet. And if you are thinking of getting one, find a vet BEFORE you do, so you know they know pd's, as it can be tough to find a knowledgeable vet.

[Abbi's Mama]

Thanks!

When I saw the little guy I just loved him and wanted to make sure I did my best to get the right kind of information to the owner. I told him about the site but he said he doesn't get on the internet much....

I KNEW someone on here would have good info so I told him I'd do a little digging and bring him what I found. Even if he just tosses it aside and thinks I'm incredibly annoying/pushy that's alright...at least I'll know I did what I could to make sure the little fur ball gets what he needs.
Can't help it....advocating for creatures who can't speak for themselves just kinda spills out of my mouth haha (poor feller had to listen to me telling him he needed to get pine instead of cedar bedding for some other critters a few days ago....I also told my co-worker Monday that he needed to stop using cedar for his outside dog....I bet a lot of people wanna tell me to mind my own business lol)

[pappy1264]

You can also tell him if and when someone purchases him/her, to go on Facebook and join 'Blacktail Prairie Dogs', so they can get the best and current info and help with their new little one. YW.