FAQ: Health for small pets

Colouring, sugar, honey or seeds are not needed in a stone, and sweet additives are especially unsuitable for degus, chinchillas and hamsters. Read the ingredients and choose the simplest.

Rabbits absorb almost all the calcium in their food and pass the excess in urine. Base the diet mostly on hay, give pellets in moderation, limit calcium-rich vegetables and do not add extra calcium sources without a vet.

Rabbit urine is naturally cloudy and can change colour. But thick, paste-like white sludge, blood or difficulty urinating are reasons to see a vet promptly.

The incisors of rodents and rabbits, and in rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas and degus the cheek teeth too, grow constantly. They must wear down through gnawing and long chewing of hay, or they overgrow and make eating hard.

Warning signs: the animal struggles to eat or picks only soft food, drools, has a wet chin, loses weight, or its incisors are crooked or too long. In that case see a vet, as only a professional should correct teeth.

No. Clipping at home can split the tooth, damage its root or injure the mouth, and cheek-tooth problems cannot even be seen. Dental correction should be done by a vet.

Untreated apple, pear, hazel or willow twigs, compressed hay cubes and wooden chews made for small pets all help. Avoid varnished, painted or chemically treated wood and branches from sprayed trees.

Hay is chewed for a long time with side-to-side movements, which wears the constantly growing cheek teeth evenly. Pellets and vegetables cannot do that, so the animal needs unlimited hay.

The incisor enamel of many rodents is naturally yellow or orange, and that is normal. Worry if teeth darken, crumble, break, grow crooked or the animal can no longer eat normally, and then see a vet.

A broken incisor often grows back, but while it is shorter the opposite tooth can overgrow and eating may be hard. See a vet to check the mouth and advise on feeding while it heals.

Teeth are usually checked at a routine visit at least once a year. For animals that have had dental problems and for older pets, vets often recommend more frequent checks.

A swelling on the jaw may be linked to tooth roots or an abscess, so it needs to be examined by a vet. Do not try to squeeze or lance it yourself.

No, rodents and rabbits do not need tooth brushing. Their dental health depends on the right diet, hay and gnawing, and human toothpaste is not suitable for them.

Suspect mites if the animal scratches a lot or develops bald patches, dandruff, scabs or small sores. Fungal infections and allergies look similar, so a vet needs to find the cause.

Yes, especially if there are dogs or cats at home or the rabbit spends time outside. In that case a vet will usually advise treating all pets in the household and the environment.

No. Some active ingredients in dog and cat products can be very dangerous for rabbits and rodents. Use only products prescribed by a vet and suitable for that species.

A clean cage, dry good-quality bedding and hay, quarantine for new animals, regular coat checks and flea protection for other pets all help. If you suspect parasites, see a vet.

Yes, mites or other parasites sometimes come in with hay or bedding. Choose clean, dry, mould-free and low-dust products, and store them sealed and dry, away from other animals.

Mites are a common cause, as are lice, fungal infection or stress. Severe itching can be very exhausting for a guinea pig, so see a vet without delay.

Some, such as fungal skin infections, can pass to people. Wash your hands after handling the animal, keep the cage clean and, if you suspect illness, treat the pet as the vet instructs.