OWNING A PET RODENT

General Information Pet rodents (hamsters, rats, mice, gerbils, and guinea pigs) are very popular pets. They can make a good first experience into pets for young children and as a rule require less care than dogs or cats. They have a short life-span (2-5 years depending upon the species); please prepare young children for this so that the "sudden death" of a 3-year-old pet isn't unexpected. As with any pet, they do occasionally get sick, and their illnesses are often severe. All pet rodents should be examined by a qualified veterinarian within 48 hours of purchase. This "new pet" exam is critical to detect signs of disease and help new pet owners get off on the right foot. So many problems are caused by misinformation; the first veterinary visit can help prevent well-intentioned owners from doing the wrong thing and ultimately contributing to the pet's early death. Getting a good book on the type of rodent your will be getting is essential for proper care and husbandry. Anatomical Interests Common to all of the pet rodents is the fact that the front teeth, the incisors, grow continuously throughout the pet's life. To prevent overgrown incisors allow the rodent access to pieces of wood and other chewing devices (beware of splinters!). Treatment involves trimming by your veterinarian, often under anesthesia if things get out of control Rodents are herbivorous animals, and the digestive tract is similar to that of other plant-eaters such as horses and cattle.
		Guinea Pigs No obvious tail is present. Unlike other rodents, only one pair of mammary glands is present. The guinea pig is the only pocket pet with premolar teeth. The young are fully developed at birth, born with hair, and the eyes open. Guinea pigs rarely bite, which makes them ideal pets. However, they do squeal when handled.
		It is important to note that the female Guinea Pig's Pelvis fuses young so if she is not bred early then avoid all contact with a male later as she will be unable to deliver the babies without a C-section. Mice Long tails present. The mammary glands extend along the sides and back of the pet, and therefore breast cancer can appear as a lump ANYWHERE on the body. Young mice are born hairless with their eyes closed. Mice that are not used to being handled may bite but make wonderful pets if socialized. Keep males and females apart since they will breed very rapidly and produce another litter often before the first one is weaned! Rats Like mice the mammary glands extend along the sides and often breast cancer can appear as a lump ventrally anywhere on the body. The young are born hairless with their eyes closed. Rats are very intelligent pets and can be very playful with their owners when properly socialized. Like with mice, they are very prolific and will often produce another litter before the first one is weaned so best to keep the males and females separated unless you consider neutering or spaying by your veterinarian. Hamsters Hip glands, which appear as a black dot on each hip, are present in males. They are used for territorial marking and are poorly developed in females. They are often mistaken for tumours or growths when suddenly noticed by owners. Hamsters have a cheek pouch on each side of the inside of the mouth. Food, and often baby hamsters, are temporarily stored here! Hamsters are the most aggressive of all the pocket pets and often bite. The are nocturnal (prefer to be active at night) and do not make as nice pets for children even with socializing attempts by owners. Hamsters can hibernate. Most hamsters prefer to live singularly and not with other hamsters or else fights occur. Males and females together will breed rapidly but often if the male is kept in with them the youngsters will get attacked. Best to stick to one hamster at a time! Gerbils and Degus Gerbils have long tails. Please be cautious with them as they will lose the skin on their tail if grabbed by the tail firmly. This is a defense mechanism in the wild so the predator gets the skin only and not the Gerbil or the Degu. They are desert animals, they have a very low water requirement. Due to the low water intake, gerbils urinate small amounts. Gerbils are much smaller than Degus. They usually mate for life; they should be paired before sexual maturity or not at all since they will breed as quickly as the previously described rodents! Many gerbils exhibit mild spontaneous seizures (epilepsy), especially when startled. These usually don't require treatment unless it persists. Selecting Your Pet Most owners will buy their pet rodents locally through a pet store or private breeder. Avoid sick-looking animals. Remember that, with exotic pets, if it looks sick, it's really dying! Trying to nurse a sick pet rodent back to health after purchasing it will rarely work. Just the stress of the new environment and feeding is often enough to kill it. So,
				start out right with a healthy pet. Always inquire about the guarantee in case the pet is found to be unhealthy during your routine veterinary examination. Check over your new pet carefully. It should have no discharge from the eyes, nose, or mouth, no coughing, sneezing or wheezing should be present. If you can open the mouth (without being bitten!), make sure the front teeth, have not overgrown (they should form a nice, even fit). The rodent should seem frisky and try to run and resist handling to some extent. Examine the back end as well since it should be dry and free of  diarrhea or caked-on stool. Many baby hamsters at pet stores have a disease called "wet tail", which is usually fatal. Ask the employee for help in determining the animal's sex. Keep in mind that pet store employees may know little more than you about the pet: the sex can be correctly determined during your pet's first veterinary visit. Visiting your Veterinarian Within 48 hours of your purchase, your rodent should be examined by a veterinarian knowledgeable in the treatment of pet rodents. A fecal test is test should be done to check for internal parasites. The veterinarian can also determine the sex of your pet. If all turns out well, your pet will be given a clean bill of health. Like all pets, pet rodents should be examined annually and have their feces tested for parasites during the annual visit. What type of cage? It is most convenient to house pet rodents in a glass aquarium, although cages are available specifically for these pets, just make sure the size is such that your pet can have sufficient room to exercise, play, eat, drink etc. Wooden cages can be chewed through. The cages can be left open at the top providing that the rodent can't escape and other pets (such as the family dog or cat) can't get at your rodent! ALL PET RODENTS ARE MASTERS OF ESCAPE. The cages must be escape-proof. Letting a pet rodent have free run of the house is DISCOURAGED, due to the potential for injury and death to the pet, as well as to destruction of furniture by the pet. They can be handled outside of the cage if care is used (supervise young children). The environmental temperature should be kept between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit (18 - 29 Celsius); warmer temperatures predispose pet rodents, especially guinea pigs, to heat stroke. Housing together or alone? (just remember un-neutered males and females put together will BREED!) Guinea Pigs Guinea Pigs can be housed together. Sometimes they fight when they are put together but you should let them sort out their pecking order. This may take a couple of days. Sometimes guinea pigs will continue to squeak at one another intermittently and appear to be aggressive. Do not worry they are just re-establishing the pecking order. Hamsters Hamsters are best housed individually. Sexually mature females are aggressive to other females and to males. Mice Male mice are usually housed alone. Female mice rarely fight and are often housed together. Newly assembled male groups, new males entering established territories, and mice previously housed alone are more likely to fight. Rats Unlike mice, rats rarely fight and can be housed in groups. Occasionally, females that have just given birth may fight with other females. Gerbils and Degus Gerbils and Degus are usually housed individually. A monogamous pair can be formed if the male and female are bonded before 8 weeks of age. The pair should not, as a rule, be separated. What kind of bedding to use in the cage? Wood shavings, such as pine or cedar, are usually provided for bedding material. Shredded paper or towels are also fine. Avoid sawdust, sand, or dirt. The cage should be cleaned and the bedding changed as often as it gets dirty, but at least weekly. A frequently cleaned, well- ventilated environment is important in controlling respiratory infections. Any toys should be cleaned weekly as well. Toys Regarding cage toys, these can provide psychological stimulation as well as exercise for the pet rodents. Tubes and mazes are popular, as are exercise wheels. "Open track" exercise wheels, can be dangerous and broken legs are not uncommon occurrences. While not every animal with an exercise wheel will be injured, it is a risk best avoided. The safest wheel is composed of plastic and has no openings in the track ("solid track") where a foot can get caught. Cardboard tubes from paper towel rolls or toilet paper rolls can be used as "tubes" as well as chew toys. Other types of chew toys can be offered to help prevent overgrown incisors; anything suited for dogs, such as Nyla-bones or well-boiled meat bones, are fine. Many owners offer their pet rodents wood sticks to chew, which helps control overgrown incisors beware of splinters! What else to put in the cage? Since rodents like to burrow, they need some type of hiding place for them in the cage. Round, hollow objects can be purchased at the pet stores, or cleaned cans (such as an orange juice can-no rough edges please to avoid cuts) or paper towel cardboard rolls can be provided. What to feed? All of the pet rodents can be fed a good, high quality rodent chow (pelleted food) available at pet stores. Many veterinarians also recommend offering hay to the rodents; check with your veterinarian about this first. The diets containing seeds and nuts ARE NOT RECOMMENDED. If offered these good-tasting seeds and nuts, which are high in fat, many rodents will eat these instead of the formulated pellets (low in protein, high in fat and bad for the liver!).  Fresh food and water should be available at all times and changed fresh daily. Please make sure your Guinea Pig gets sufficient vitamin C!  No other pet rodents require extra vitamins except for Guinea Pigs if the diet isn't supplemented and sufficient fresh fruit made available. They are like humans and cannot make their own vitamin C thus will develop scurvey if not supplemented properly. Check with your veterinarian for quantities needed for your pet Pig. Treats Seeds and nuts can be offered as an occasional treat (less than 10% of the daily diet). Fresh, well-cleaned vegetables and occasionally a small amount of fruit can be offered as well. Leafy green vegetables (not lettuce or celery) can be offered, as well as yellow and orange vegetables. The total daily amount of these "people foods" should not run more than 10% of the diet. Thus, the pets should eat mainly pellets (90% of the diet), 5-10% vegetables and fruits, and occasionally a few seeds or nuts as treats. Many owners offer the food in heavy, spill-proof ceramic crocks, although feeders can be purchased and attached to the cage. Offering hay (such as alfalfa cubes or clover) free choice to the pets as a source of fiber is also acceptable (as long as your veterinarian approves). How can I tell if my rodent is sick? Signs of disease in rodents may be specific for a certain disease. Most commonly, however, signs are vague and non-specific, such as a rodent with anorexia (lack of appetite) and lethargy, which can be seen with many diseases including pneumonia, cancer, and even kidney or liver failure. ANY deviation from normal should be a cause for concern and requires immediate evaluation by your veterinarian. Special Rodent Problems Barbering Many rodents chew on the hair of their cage-mates. Separating the animals prevents the problem. Foot Necrosis/Gangrene This problem is caused by fine fiber or thread nesting material (or bedding) commonly available in pet stores. The pets play with the material, the fine thread gets wrapped around a toe or foot or leg, and within hours the body part is swelling and turning red. This is similar to what happens when you wind a thread tightly around your own finger. If not caught immediately, the swelling progresses to death (necrosis) of the limb followed shortly by gangrene. Affected limbs are swollen and various shades of shades of red, purple, blue and black. In some animals, amputations might be curative. To prevent this condition, DO NOT USE this fine bedding or nesting material. Shredded tissue works perfectly. Vitamin C Deficiency (Scurvy) Unlike many pets, guinea pigs can't make their own Vitamin C. Signs of Vitamin C deficiency (scurvy) include loss of appetite, swollen, painful joints, reluctance to move, lack resistance to infection, and occasional bleeding from the gums. Since Vitamin C deficiency is so common, any sick guinea pig should be given a Vitamin C as part of its treatment. Hyperthermia All pet rodents, but especially guinea pigs are very susceptible to heat stroke from high ambient temperatures. As a rule, the temperature should be no higher than 80 degrees, and the cage should be well ventilated an the humidity kept below 70%. Signs of heat stroke include panting, slobbering, weakness, convulsions, and refusal to move. Treatment involves immediately cooling the pet with cool water baths or sprays, and then seeking prompt veterinary care. Ideally, the temperature should be monitored with an in-cage thermometer. Antibiotic Toxicities All pet rodents are sensitive to certain antibiotics. Several of these antibiotics can be fatal. Check with your veterinarian before giving any antibiotic or preferably only one prescribed by your veterinarian. Sialodacryoadenitis ("Red Tears") Red tears, often seen in mice and rats, can be a result of a viral disease, mycoplasmosis, or as a sign of stress. Often it is hard to tell what is actually causing the problem. The condition appears as if blood is coming from the animal's eyes." In the viral infection, usually the salivary and tear glands are involved. Because rodents have porphyrins (pigments) in their tears, any discharge will be seen as red tears. Treatment is symptomatic and involves topical eye medication. Proliferative Ileitis ("Wet Tail") The most serious intestinal disease of hamsters, wet tail is caused by a Campylobacter bacterium. Usually, 3-6-week-old hamsters are affected and show signs of lethargy, loss of appetite, unkempt hair coat, watery (sometimes bloody) diarrhea, and a wet anal and tail area. This disease requires immediate treatment including fluid therapy, antibiotics, and hospitalization. Animals may die even with early, aggressive treatment. Fracture Fractures of the legs (broken legs) are very common and usually result from injuries sustained on exercise wheels. Mild injuries may heal on their own; severe injuries require amputation of the leg or euthanasia. Only sole-bottom exercise wheels should be used in the cage. Staph dermatitis A Staph bacterial skin infection can occur on the muzzle and nose of gerbils. It is seen as areas of hair loss and moisture. Treatment involves antibiotics. Muzzle Dermatitis This is similar to, and often difficult to differentiate from, the staph dermatitis previously mentioned. In addition to a Staph infection, muzzle alopecia (hair loss) can result from a parasitic infection called mange, or from trauma, such as that which occurs from the gerbil constantly rubbing its snout on the feeders or the cage itself. Seizure The gerbil is unique among rodents in that spontaneous, epileptic-type seizures can occur, often after handling the pet. Most gerbils do not require medication for the seizures.