FAQ: Health for small pets

Guinea pigs cannot make vitamin C themselves, so they need it from their food every day: fresh vegetables and pellets made for guinea pigs. Ask a vet about supplements.

They add minerals and give the animal something to gnaw. Whether they are needed depends on the diet: an animal on complete food, hay and vegetables often does not need one.

A guinea pig short of vitamin C may become lethargic, its coat and appetite get worse, and it may limp, have sore joints or bleeding gums. If you notice such signs, see a vet.

Bell peppers, parsley, kale, broccoli and dandelion leaves are rich in vitamin C. Fresh vegetables every day are the main source, and new foods should be introduced gradually.

Vitamin C breaks down quickly in water, especially in light, and the changed taste can put the animal off drinking. Vegetables or chewable tablets are usually preferred, and it is worth asking a vet about supplements.

Vitamin C in pellets breaks down over time, especially once the bag is open and kept warm or damp. So check the best-before date, store the food airtight and give fresh vegetables every day.

Keep supplements tightly closed in a dry, cool place away from light, as the label says. Do not use them past the expiry date or if their smell or colour has changed.

Most healthy small pets on good-quality food, hay and fresh vegetables do not need extra vitamins. An excess, especially of vitamins A and D, can be harmful, so supplements are best given after talking to a vet.

Unlike guinea pigs, rabbits make their own vitamin C, so a healthy rabbit usually needs no extra. A vet may prescribe supplements during illness or stress.

No. Human vitamins are formulated for people and may contain sugar, sweeteners or substances that are dangerous for a small animal. Use only products made for animals and ask a vet.

There are chewable tablets, drops for water, powders for food and pastes. Choose the form your pet accepts readily and whose intake you can control, and use it as the label says.

Small pets on good-quality food made for their species usually get enough vitamin D. Do not add more without a vet’s advice, as an excess can cause serious health problems.

In rabbits and guinea pigs, too much calcium is linked to urinary sludge and stones. If the diet is complete, a stone is not needed, and it is worth asking a vet whether to offer one.

A salt lick is mostly sodium chloride, while a mineral stone contains more calcium and other minerals. Small pets on complete food usually get enough salt, so a lick is not essential.

Many vets consider that a rabbit on hay and good pellets gets enough salt. If you do offer a lick, the rabbit must always have clean water available.

Usually the stone hangs from the cage bars on a metal wire or holder, so it does not lie in the bedding and get dirty. Hang it at a comfortable height for the animal, away from the toilet corner.

It depends on the animal: some gnaw through a stone in a few weeks, others hardly touch it. Replace a stone that is soiled, damp or cracked.

If the diet is complete, the animal simply does not need extra minerals, and that is normal. There is no need to make it gnaw; you can remove the stone so it does not get dirty.

It helps a little, but the main way teeth wear down is hay and long chewing. A stone does not replace hay, which rabbits and rodents should have at all times.

Pumice or mineral stones are often offered to chinchillas for gnawing. Choose ones without colouring, sugar or seeds, and keep hay and chinchilla pellets as the base of the diet.