Every pet deserves the best life its owners can provide. Some take cats or dogs home to be treated like royalties. Some choose tiny pocket pets or exotic mammals like rabbits, ferrets, and hedgehogs.
It is easy for family pet owners to search for veterinarian hospitals accommodating the usual domestic animals, but exotics also need their health checked. To be sure that your exotic pet is healthy and getting its needs, you may continue reading for pointers.
How to Raise an Exotic Mammal
First of all, you should do your research. If you are yet to get your exotic, do not be impulsive. Know what it requires to raise the particular species you are interested in. If you have your pet already, make sure you can give the following.
Health and Wellness
Get a great vet that can manage such animals. Usually, these small pets are prey in the wild. That means they are great at concealing any sign of pain or disease. Sometimes illnesses in these pets only show when they are at an advanced stage. Regular checkups are necessary so they can be examined because preventive veterinary care is necessary. Learn more here about total wellness and vet offerings.
Proper and Well Balanced Nutrition
Always ask your veterinarian and do the appropriate research to provide your pets with the ideal diet plan. Pocket pets, such as rodents, can be given pellets but likewise require fresh fruits, nuts, and twigs. These are the food they forage in nature and ought to be easy enough for the pet owners to supply.
A “Natural” Habitat
Don’t simply lock your cuties in store-bought tanks or cages. The bigger their accommodations are, the better. See to it their housing can replicate a little bit of their lifestyle in the wild to ensure they are stimulated.
Give them toys to keep them busy and still be able to practice foraging and outdoor skills. If you need to supply lighting and heating devices, do so. Such a setup can help prevent depression in pets.
Regular Grooming
Get to know how to groom your pet. Some exotics hate being touched, like chinchillas, while ferrets love it. Discover their nature and know the regimens they have to live with. Some rodents require claw cutting, and some require trimming of teeth. Ask your trusted vet about grooming and dental services for your exotics. Your local dog and cat dentist may help you with your exotics, too.
Spaying and Neutering
Pocket pets mature sexually quite early, and if not addressed, you might be welcoming babies– a chock-full, maybe. If you are not planning to raise a lot, think about these procedures. These likewise can protect your pets from developing health problems linked to their reproductive system. Vet hospitals like Oak Grove Animal Hospital can help with procedures like these, and help is just one call away.
The Takeaway
As easy as it seems to raise something so small, exotic pocket pets require love, care, and attention in many ways. The best way to keep them well is to find a trustworthy vet to deal with these cuties. Listen to the veterinarian’s recommendations and do your own research if possible. Provide a well-balanced diet as well as a stimulating environment. Some have brief lifespans, so let them get all the love they should have.
