How to Care for Newborn Prairie Dogs
Few animals are more commonly associated with the rolling prairies of the Midwest than the small, chattering prairie dog. These little rodents live underground in caverns that can include upwards of 10 inhabitants and are seen from Montana to Texas. In areas where they're common, prarie dogs have become popular pets. If your prairie dog has babies or you wind up with baby prairie dogs that are too young to care for themselves, there are some steps you can take to make sure they grow up healthy and strong.
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Things You'll Need
- Box/aquarium
- Blankets
- Heating pad
- Syringe
- Gator Aid/Pedialyte
- Goat's milk/puppy milk replacer
Instructions
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Set up an aquarium or box for the babies. Give them blankets to nest in and place a heating pad, set on low, under one side of the aquarium or box. Make sure the heating pad only heats one side of the cage. The babies should be able to get away from the heat if they want to.
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Feed baby prairie dogs a mixture of half Gator Aid or Pedialyte and half goat's milk or puppy milk replacer. Warm the milk, then use the syringe to drip it into the pup's mouth very slowly. Feed 5 cc of milk at a time and watch for a pup that is gasping or has milk coming out its nose. Feed every two to four hours.
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Stroke the pup to help it go to the bathroom after it eats. Rub a cloth up from the pup's stomach toward its tail. Don't squeeze or push. This action should simply stimulate the pup's body to eliminate waste. This must be done every time the newborn prairie dog eats or its bladder and bowel could burst.
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Tips & Warnings
Prairie dogs are closely related to squirrels, chipmunks and marmots.
Like any wild animal, prairie dogs have sharp teeth and can bite.
References
- Photo Credit prairie dog image by Poleboy G from Fotolia.com
