Hand-rearing and Supplementation of Small Mammals
Young
rodents or Rabbits may require hand-rearing if abandoned or attacked by
their mother, if the mother dies shortly after birth, or if litters are
too large for the mother to rear without help, (e.g. more than two
Chinchilla kits) in the latter case the young can be "topped
up" and returned to the nest.
If other lactating females , with young of similar age , are available
fostering can be attempted. Chipmunk females seem to readily accept
young which are not their own, as do most Guinea pig sows. Caution and
supervision are required with other species and placing the scent of the
nest on the fostered young will help acceptance.
Substitute milks can be : Goats milk, just as it is; canned evaporated
milk diluted 50:50 with pre-boiled water; dried skimmed milk powder
mixed double strength with pre-boiled water; Lactol or other cat / dog
milk substitutes. Begin all rearing by introducing the milk mix in
diluted form for the first feed and give only a small quantity until the
reaction of the digestive system is judged. Whatever formula is used
once it is found compatible DO NOT CHANGE as this will
cause digestive upsets.
Milk substitutes should be mixed at body temperature plus 2 C to allow
for cooling in the container and then tested on the wrist before
feeding. Use syringes with small cannulae or string "wicks"
for small rodents, advancing to cat feeding bottles and small teats for
Rabbits etc.
Recommended amounts are as follows: (individuals vary greatly......Never
Overload !)
| Species | Blind,
Hairless/ New-born |
2-4 weeks | Up to weaning age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mice and Dwarf Hamsters |
2 to 3 drops
every half hour |
Up to 0.5ml every hour |
Up to 1ml plus solids |
| Rat, Gerbil Chipmunk Hamster |
1ml 12 times daily | 2ml x 8 feeds | 3ml x 6-8 feeds plus solids |
| Rabbits | Usually fed only twice daily by doe, but need more frequent feeds hand-reared. 2-4ml or to Capacity every 2-4hrs. | 6-8ml x 4 feeds plus hay | |
| Chinchillas and Guinea pigs |
2ml every 2 hours | 4-6ml x 6 feeds | Feed to capacity plus hay ad lib and solids |
| (born fully furred, with eyes open) | can take semi-solids very early, but still need milk. | ||
Young animals at weaning can be offered cereals (Weetabix, Farex etc.) and brown bread soaked in milk mixture, plus small quantities of greens; slowly increasing the amount as their caecal bacteria increase in numbers to break down the cellulose. They would naturally seed their gut with bacteria from their mothers faecal pellets, encountered in the nest whilst small. If cellulose material is given in too large a quantity before gut flora have increased to cope, this material decomposes and ferments, causing toxicity and enteritis which is often fatal.
References:
1.
The Biology and Medicine of Rabbits and Rodents. Harkness
and Wagner.
2. Keeping Small Rodents. Chris Henwood.
3. Manual of Exotic Pets. BSAVA.
4. Pet Care Manual. Pet Trade and Industry
Association.