Health & Care for Rodents and Rabbits
You can order health and care products easily and quickly at DRD Rodent Shop ®
There are major differences in the care of rodents. For example, Gerbils and Chinchillas need bathing sand to keep their fur and skin healthy. Long-haired animals must be brushed regularly and moulting animals also need extra coat care. Rabbits living outside need regular preventive protection against parasites ( Myiasis). The care products that you will find on our digital shelves are mild and 100% suitable for rodents.
The care of the rodent & rabbit fur
The fur of rodents and rabbits is very different. For example, one animal needs more care than the other and one animal needs help with this and the other animal does not. Gerbils, Degus and Chinchillas can take good care of their skin and coat themselves. They do need special bathing sand for this, which 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 in the enclosure as standard. Tip! TO keep the sand good for as long as possible, a sieve shovel can be used to fish out the poop.
Mice and Rats should not be given a sand bath because these animals have very sensitive airways and cannot handle the dry matter very well. Rats in particular can react very seriously to this.
Hamsters also like to have a sand bath from time to time, so it is nice to offer a sand bath for these animals as well.
Larger rodents such as guinea pigs and rabbits can in most cases take care of their fur themselves. It may be that the moulting animals could use a little support or brushing occasionally to remove loose hair. Long-haired animals should be brushed or combed regularly so that no tangles form. If tangles have arisen, 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 escape 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 outdoors (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 often get the question whether anti-parasite prevention should be given, that is not the case. A healthy animal that is kept at home and does not come into contact with animals from outside does not need to be treated preventively with an 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. An exception to this are the guinea pigs. The guinea pig cannot produce Vitamin C itself, so we have to help the animals 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 is possible 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 that is used has not properly encapsulated the Vitamin C, causing it to evaporate. It is therefore very important to store the guinea pig food well and to support the animals every now and then with extra Vitamin C.
Gnawing material for the growing teeth of rodents and rabbits
Although strictly speaking rabbits are not rodents, they have the growing incisors in common! With proper nutrition and the correct position of the teeth, problems rarely arise. In addition to food, the animals always need access to rodent material. If they don't have that, they will come up with something themselves and that is often at the expense of the parts of the stay. To prevent problem behaviour, we recommend healthy and preferably natural rodent 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, the teeth do indeed wear out, but they also become fat and unhealthy. The sugars encourage the animals to gnaw at that moment and not the natural need to gnaw. A result is gnawing because it is tasty and not because there is a need and a necessity. In our rodent material category we have made a selection that is 100% suitable and healthy for the animals. 
