Health & Care for Rodents and Rabbits

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There are major differences in the care of rodents. For example, Gerbils and Chinchillas need bathing sand to keep their coat and skin healthy. Long-haired animals need to be brushed regularly and moulting animals also need extra coat care. Rabbits that live outside need regular preventive protection against parasites ( Myiasis). The care products you will find on our digital shelves are mild and 100% suitable for rodents.

The care of rodent & rabbit fur

The coat of rodents and rabbits is very different. For example, one animal needs more care than the other and one animal needs help with this while the other animal does not. Gerbils, Degus and Chinchillas can take good care of their skin and coat themselves. However, they do need special bath sand that ensures that parasites, dirt and grease can be removed from the coat. In the wild, these animals also regularly bathe in dusty sand. A sand bath can be offered daily for a certain time or can be placed as standard in the enclosure. Tip! To keep the sand fresh for as long as possible, a sieve scoop can be used to fish out the droppings.

Mice and rats should not be given a sand bath because these animals have very sensitive airways and cannot tolerate dry matter very well. Rats in particular can react very seriously to this.

Hamsters also like a sand bath from time to time, so it is also nice to offer these animals a sand bath.

Larger rodents such as guinea pigs and rabbits can in most cases take good care of their fur themselves. The animals may need a little support during the moult or may need to be brushed occasionally to remove loose hair. Long-haired animals need to be brushed or combed regularly to prevent tangles from forming. If tangles have developed, it is best to cut them out of the coat. Combing or brushing tangles can cause a lot of pain.

Parasites and vermin

We prefer not to have them around our animals, but sometimes we cannot avoid them and then a thorough approach is very important! Fortunately, we can help with this with various products that offer a solution in times of parasitic distress! Always read carefully what a product can be used for. If in doubt, we are happy to help!

Rabbits and other animals that live outside (especially in summer) are at greatest risk. The flies can cause problems here by spreading the " maggot disease myiasis ". Here too, good prevention with the right resources is a must.

We are often asked whether anti-parasite prevention should be given, but that is not the case. A healthy animal that is kept at home and does not come into contact with outside animals does not need to be treated preventively with anti-parasite.

Vitamins and Minerals

With a complete diet, most rodents and rabbits do not need extra support when it comes to vitamins and minerals. Guinea pigs are an exception to this. The guinea pig cannot produce Vitamin C itself, so we have to give the animals a helping hand by giving them extra Vitamin C. Fortunately, food manufacturers are also aware of this and in many cases already add extra Vitamin C, but a deficiency can still occur in the animals. It can happen that Vitamin C is broken down too quickly by the body, for example due to stress or illness. But it may also be that the food used has not encapsulated the Vitamin C properly, causing it to evaporate. It is therefore very important to store the guinea pig food properly and to occasionally support the animals with extra Vitamin C.

Gnawing material for the growing teeth of rodents and rabbits

Although rabbits are not strictly rodents, they do have incisors in common! With proper nutrition and correct tooth position, problems rarely arise. In addition to food, the animals always need access to gnawing material. If they don't have that, they will think of something themselves and that is often at the expense of parts of the stay. To prevent problem behavior, we recommend healthy and preferably natural gnawing material for the animals. This can be in the form of wood, loam, but also healthy gnawing stones made from corn, for example. We do not recommend gnawing stones that are enriched with sugars and treats, because the animals love to gnaw on them, they do indeed wear out the teeth, but they also become fat and unhealthy. The sugars encourage the animals to gnaw at that moment and not the natural need to gnaw. One result is gnawing because it is tasty and not because there is a want and a necessity. In our rodent material category we have made a selection that is 100% suitable and healthy for the animals.