Resources
Please note:
This resource list is by no means an endorsement of any particular product. It is put together, along with OPINION, based on educational research and background, and what continues to work for numerous prairie dogs over their entire life. The recommendations are made based on overall long term health and safety and if nutrition is suitable over the life span of your beloved pet. It is possible that a prairie dog may not want to try, or just plain dislike one item one day that is recommended and then love it the next. Prairie dogs, like people, often don't go running to eat their brussel sprouts or veggies when they want other non-healthful treats instead. Especially if their owners are known to "cave in" to their pet's pleadings and don't think of the long term consequences of repeated indulgences. If your prairie dog is only used to eating healthy foods, they will not beg for those that are unhealthy as often. They will beg for healthy treats and your attentions instead.
All ADULT prairie dogs must be fed a strict diet consisting of 98% timothy or other grass type hay and 2% treats until they reach geriatric age. Limited quantities of chemical-free grasses mixed with daily hay are also encouraged when they are in fresh supply as long as they do not interfere or replace normal water intake when grass isn't available. Adult prairie dogs should also have a very limited protein supplement once a week, be it one or two pieces of high quality dog kibble, a SMALL fist-sized portion of alfalfa hay, or a teaspoon of some form of bugs. Some prairie dogs prefer live bugs, others prefer them dead and crunchy, and whichever they choose as their personal preference. Spring and summer are typically peak months when two pieces of dog kibble should be given weekly due to rut season.
Treats should consist of various types of vegetables and some of the supplemental products referenced here that your prairie dogs enjoy. Once a consistent diet has been established with your pet, try to stick to it. Their digestive tract can be sensitive to a highly varied and inconsistent routine over time. If you must make dietary modifications due to weight, or for any other reason, do so slowly over the course of many weeks, supplementing a few pieces of the new food in every few days while removing the unwanted item gradually so you don't shock their system. Overnight changes can be awful.
Any pelleted type of feed, developed with prairie dogs in mind, is suitable as a treat but should never be considered a complete diet, regardless of its grass content. This is important to note as pelleted feeds do not enable a prairie dog to replicate the type of chewing necessary for proper tooth wear as they chew grasses and hays differently than they chew pelleted feed or other non-grass treats. Even tooth wear and overall mouth abrasion from hay or grass is essential in long term tooth maintenance and to avoid the possibility of odontoma. Some vegetables to stay away from include: dried corn (small pieces of fresh can be given a couple times a year as a very special treat), spinach (it interferes with calcium absorption), and iceberg lettuce. Otherwise, be smart and only feed treats in quantities that make sense for your pet's size. For instance, giving an entire leaf of romaine lettuce can almost be the equivalent of a human eating an entire head of lettuce. The results of that could be disastrous! Some people have noted that broccoli can cause gas in their PD. I've never known that to be the case if feeding in small quantities. Again, this is a treat, not a meal!
Geriatric prairie dogs are generally those that are around 6-8 years and up. They have a higher protein requirement and should be given protein more often than a young adult. Geriatric conditions in prairie dogs are best judged on an individual, case-by-case basis as different factors contribute to their overall age. Contact the webmaster for more information if you feel your prairie dog needs intervention.
Some of the companies listed here will offer you tips and advice on prairie dog care. Keep in mind that many of these companies do not actually keep prairie dogs as pets. They do not have educational backgrounds specializing in their captive care and may not make the necessary adjustments for what may be acceptable in wild settings with the work they perform versus captive pets. They also do not account for those whose nutritional needs are somewhat varied, so getting care advice may not be a wise choice. Plus, they are trying to sell their product. Many, but not all of these companies' advice come from limited research, not from years of exposure to captive pets or actual experience. A good rule of thumb is to listen to everyone and filter out what works for you, as there is always something new to learn every day, even if you don't use the information yourself. If you come across anyone claiming that they are "EXPERTS" on prairie dog care, run the other way! It is one thing to have lots of experience, education, and exposure to prairie dogs, but no one is an expert as learning is a continual process that is never finished. To sum it up, be careful!
Do not feed seeds and nuts because their fat and oil content are too high for your pet's long-term health, unless they are given as a very rare treat such as special occasions or major holidays, 3-4 times per year. Prairie dogs that are given seeds and nuts often as treats may not suffer initially, but long term many report fatty, sebaceous cysts and other health matters from trying to process too much oil that is not natural to their diet.
Do not provide branches, wood, or plastic items for chewing to wear down their teeth. Proper tooth abrasion and even wear throughout the mouth can only occur with a plentiful diet of hays and grasses that wear the entire mouth. Prairie dogs have suffered dental abscesses, splintered wood fibers imbedded in the gut lining, and other long term health complications from chewing wood and other materials in the name of tooth maintenance. Respiratory concerns also arise because you cannot get urine and other matter removed from wood safely.
Prairie Dog Food & Supply Resource List
Address: 29012 Mill Rd. Murdock, Nebraska 68407
Phone: (800) 249-0366
Website: www.oxbowhay.com
Oxbow is a great source for various types of grass hays. They carry Western Timothy, Orchard Grass, Oat, Organic Meadow Hay, and Botanical Hay on their site under the product section marked "Hay." Try ordering their first cut timothy or ask for their best batch for prairie dogs and they will know what to ship. Oxbow's timothy hay is generally far superior to most pet store bagged hays or even feed store hays. It is usually very fresh, green, fragrant, and full of flowers. I order a 25 lb. box and store it in a cool, DRY place, monitoring it for mold. A box of that size typically feeds two prairie dogs for a couple of months, if stored properly. I will also buy a 9 lb. box of oat hay and mix it at a ratio of about 75% timothy to 25% oat. That will make my supply last about three months. My prairie dogs like to forage for the oat heads and will often eat more timothy when it's mixed. I personally keep my hay in the garage, safe from pests that can nest in it, and away from chemicals, with the box open to let it breathe, preventing mold growth. Some people will keep their hay in a large Rubbermaid trashcan container with holes in the lid so it can breathe.
Offering different hay types may provide a treat due to variety; however, some prairie dogs don't care for anything but timothy. Keep in mind that their tastes do change from time to time. Another way to encourage high hay intake is to discard soiled and uneaten hay daily, replenishing with a fresh supply. Over time I've also learned that not all hay is quality hay and there is a lot of variation. The larger hay bundles often are better quality than the smaller ones. My prairie dogs refuse to eat the hay from small pet store bags, and will often use it as a latrine, so I have to plan ahead.
In the fortified feeds section of Oxbow's website, products worth trying as a supplemental treat include: Hay Cakes, Bunny Basics T pellets, and Bunny Basics 15/23 pellets for lactating mothers and pups. Most prairie dogs enjoy their pellets quite a bit when mixed with their daily treats. On rare occasion, some prairie dogs will have difficulty eating any type of pellet feed because they are too complex due to the differing binding agents used to make them. Ask me more about this if you have any questions about what to look for as far as symptoms in your pet. Pellets, hay cakes, and many other treats can lead to obesity if overdone, so watch your prairie dog's daily intake and follow recommended ratios of hay and treats.
Oxbow's recommended daily serving of hay cakes, and pellets is not an amount I would recommend when given with other treats. If my prairie dogs ate the amount they recommend, they would be ready to explode!
Something to consider in your purchase is the price of shipping. If you are on the east coast, it is inexpensive when compared to shipping to the west coast where the shipping costs alone will be more than the food! If you're on the west coast, it can be a little costly coming from Nebraska and can take more time too. Plan ahead when ordering so that you don't have to resort to expensive pet store hay while waiting for delivery. There are some local retailers that also sell some of Oxbow's products (Bunny Basics T), or look online to find a list of retailers near you. Sometimes Oxbow's hay quality can wane as their prime growing season comes to an end. Early spring is typically when the best is available although sometimes they have a fresh crop late season too. I will order from American Pet Diner if my hay quality changes due to end of season availability.
Another important Oxbow product to note is called, Critical Care, found under the professional line section of the site. It is a high fiber, syringe formula for prairie dogs and other herbivores that are unwilling to eat their typical diet due to illness, convalescing from surgery, or have poor nutritional health. It has all the nutrients necessary to provide a complete diet and is combined with plenty of powdered, high quality timothy hay to promote proper gut motility and digestion and prevent stasis. This product has proven to be very useful in helping restore an ailing prairie dogs appetite and aiding in the reestablishment of healthy bacteria to a jeopardized immune system from antibiotic use (when combined with a beneficial probiotic regimen). Critical Care product has been highly received by many of the veterinarians I work with and has proven to be an important tool to regaining proper health. Something to note is that this product is designed only to be used in conjunction with veterinary care and will only be sold with your confirmed veterinarian's information. If your vet is not aware of this product's benefits, please feel free to have him/her call Oxbow direct or they can call me about it as well.
It is vital that a prairie dog be given a probiotic throughout the course and for up to two weeks following any antibiotic use in order to rebuild their natural immune system to fight off future illnesses. There are a few different probios products and Bene-Bac is widely used with prairie dogs. Poop therapy in the form of healthy fecal matter from other prairie dogs (that have had a flot verifying they are clear) works best of all but isn't always possible.
Healthy Handfuls was not designed for prairie dogs and therefore should not be given routinely but only on rare occasion to avoid long term health issues. Give a piece 3-4 times a year as a special treat.
I DO NOT recommend providing: FIBRevive, Eco-Straw Litter (I've had some reports of prairie dogs eating it), Organic Barley Biscuits, Organic Rabbit, Organic Guinea Pig, Regal Rat, Cavy Cuisine, Cavy Performance, or Chinchilla Deluxe, Daily C, Papaya Fruit Plus, and the Simple Rewards Strawberry, Banana, Timothy, or Veggie Treats.
Oxbow is a great company to work with that is cares about long term animal health. They have a fairly easy return policy if you aren't satisfied with your order.
Address: 5551 Dutch Hill Rd. Hinsdale, New York 14743-9728
Phone: (800) 462-2464
Website: www.brisky.com
Select the All Pets option on their website and look at the wide selection of prairie dog related items under the Prairie Dog link that Brisky's has to offer. The people at Brisky's are great to work with, very friendly, caring, and open to your input. Their site contains some fun prairie dog merchandise for owners as well.
•Note: All fruit and vegetable treats referenced below are dried, dehydrated, or processed in some manner.
Brisky's offers the following treats that I would recommend in limited amounts based on an adult diet: Beet Pellets, Carrot Pieces, Prairie Dog Oats, Prairie Pride, Sweet Potato Bits, Timothy Hay Cubes, Garden of Eatin Wheat Grass, and Timothy Hay Pellets. Many people are also raving about Prairie Pride and their kids response to it, please be careful, this is a treat! They seem to really like the stuff. On rare occasion as a special treat, such as a holiday, or 3-4 times per year you could give a Veggie Chip.
I really like Brisky's Prairie Dog Oats because they are natural and contain no preservatives or added sugars. They also provide a great, healthy way to help your prairie dog gain weight. Weight loss can be a concern when a prairie dog is ill, recovering from surgery, or is geriatric. This normally isn't a concern for the average young adult prairie dog although I will tell people to keep a limited supply on hand, just in case it's needed. They love them, too!
An alternative protein source to the vegetarian dog kibble for your prairie dog could be in the form of bugs and Brisky has a few types to try if you are interested: Freeze Dried Crickets, Meal Worms, and Wax Worms. I would suggest ordering a free sample from their site before committing to the expense of an entire container to determine if your prairie dog likes them. Some prefer live insects to dead ones on occasion to supplement protein. Plus, they will simply catch live insects buzzing around just as other animals do.
If you have a female prairie dog that you suspect may be pregnant, Brisky's sells an easy to clean, galvanized nesting box that is safe with no sharp edges. This nesting box is essential since it allows the mother and pups some privacy after birth and during lactation, and the mother can get out as needed while the pups stay contained and accounted for. It also enables you to add food and allows adequate ventilation.
They also supply some nice water bottles, hay bins, crocks, and other feeders. Brisky's carries a larger 15” exercise wheel for your cage than most stores which fits a prairie dog's adult size with no problem. If you choose to use the Super Thru-Way, be extremely vigilant and supervise when in use that they do not chew and ingest any pieces.
Personally, I DO NOT recommend the following Brisky treats specified for prairie dogs on their website: Alfalfa Jumbo Pellets, Apple Pellets, Apricots, Banana Chips, Blueberries, Carob Drops, Cherries, Coconut Dices, Corn Nibbles, Ferret Liver Treats, Gold Dust, Golden Wheels, Green Peas, Mango, Orchard Sweets, Papaya, Peanut Bugger, Peanut Meal, Pineapple Dices, Raisins, Salt Spools, Rose Hips, Spinach Flakes, Critter Cookies, Brisky Milk Replacer, Brisky Magic, Brisky Pet Vitamins, Chewable Milk, Cuttlebone, Egg Food, Furovite, Prozyme, Taurine, or Yogurt Delights. I also would not use the Prairie Dog Protein Nuggets due to their dried corn content since other non-corn products are available as referenced in other materials.
I also would not recommend the following other products from their site they say are for prairie dogs: B-Calm, Brisky Bitters, Chew-Chew Blocks, Chinchilla Chew Log, Grass and Willow Bunny Roll, Hamster Hut, Cozy Keet, Mouse Chew House, Prairie Dog Chew Log, Wonder Webbing, Tree Branch, Willow "Chew" Ring, Fur-N-Fiber, B-Dry Pet Litter, Fuzzy Buddy Bed N Bedding, B-Fresh Odor Control, Eucalyptus Pet Litter/Bedding, Bi-Odor, Dry Bath, Prairie Dog Flea Spray (take to the vet if you suspect fleas), and none of the willow branches, wood, or plastic items due to safety issues.
Brisky's also sells the book, Bringing a Prairie Dog Pup Into Your Home. This is a great basic guide for prairie dog owners; however, often people will take what they read in a book as an absolute and when it concerns a living creature, this can have disastrous results. With prairie dogs and other animals, individual characteristics unique to each animal, its environment, resources available, and more must be taken into account and sometimes what is recommended in books simply does not apply to the multitude of variables that can occur. That is why individual consultations that consider all aspects of your pet and the many variables of each incident work best.
They sell hay too but it isn't an item they push to sell or mainly market like Oxbow or American Pet Diner. I have never been impressed with their hay. Brisky's website also has some fun pet related artwork and prairie dog merchandise that you don't see in stores locally.
Address:HC 62, Box 186 Eureka, Nevada 89316
Phone: (800) 656-2691
Website: www.americanpetdiner.com
Email:info@americanpetdiner.com & orders@americanpetdiner.com
American Pet Diner carries great hay and can provide faster and cheaper shipments than Oxbow to those living on the west coast since it is coming from Nevada instead of Nebraska. If on the east coast, Oxbow is your better choice to save on shipping costs and time. I often rotate between Oxbow and American Pet Diner for my hay orders as quality can vary depending on growing season. Oxbow's is best early spring while American Pet Diner's is fresher later in the summer when Oxbow's season starts to wane. They provide Timothy Gold Hay which is second cut timothy that is mostly leafy and a high-green color, while their Timothy High Fiber Hay is a first cut timothy that contains very coarse stems and lots of seed heads and is mid-green in color In addition to high quality timothy hay, they provide Mountain Grass Hay which is orchard grass hay. From their site, I would also recommend Timbo Smaks and Mountain Grass Smaks as a treat. On rare special occasions, such as holidays, maybe 3-4 times per year, you could provide the Carrot Cake or Pumpkin Pie Cookie. They also have a fun Timmy Tunnel, Chew-A-Toy, and Hay Cube Box (you could always make your own) that I would highly recommend as an enrichment activity. In answer to Oxbow's Critical Care, American Pet Diner has developed a comparable product called Critter Be Better that is getting favorable reviews from some owners.
Address:737 Industrial Park Drive Newport News, Virginia 23608
Phone: (757)988-0301
Website: www.exoticnutrition.com
Email:exoticdiet@verizon.net
Exotic Nutrition primarily deals with Sugar Gliders and is more specialized with their diet. They also carry a prairie dog diet. Personally, I am happier with what Oxbow, Brisky, or American Pet Diner offers. Exotic Nutrition's protein content is too high in the adult diet and the feeding instructions would harm a prairie dog if they stayed on this diet long term. They made adjustments to their pup diet because the protein content was through the roof, causing some babies problems. Agan, their recommended daily intake is too high. They carry treats on their website, noted to be for prairie dogs, the majority of which I would not recommend because they are not natural to what they would find in their diet in the wild since there isn't an abundance of fruit on the prairie. I also do not recommend the Prairie Dog Booster when compared to Oxbow's Critical Care or American Pet Diner's Criter Be Better formula. Prairie dogs do NOT need a typical "multivitamin" and Critical Care or any other booster should only be used as needed for convalescence or geriatrics. All wooden or plastic items on their site should be avoided because you do NOT want your prairie dog to accidentally ingest wood or plastic when they are "working." They do offer Bene-Bac which is a helpful probiotic when you need to add valued micro-flora back to their system. They also supply feeding syringes and heating pads, but both can usually be obtained from local drug stores and veterinary offices. They carry Carefresh litter, too, although you can often find it at local pet stores and save in shipping. I also like the harness and leash they have available for those prairie dogs that actually enjoy going outside and don't feel they are being fed to outside predators. I personally would not purchase the grassy hut they sell without knowing what type of grass it is made from and what materials were used in the construction of the frame that might be hazards if ingested.