PRAIRIE DOG INFORMATION

INFORMATION ON PET PRAIRIE DOGS

PRAIRIE DOGS IN CAPTIVITY...
Prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianos) make excellent pets, if you can obtain one at a young age (6-8 weeks) , or if you inherit one from an owner that acquired the Prairie dog at a young age. Generally baby Prairie dogs become available in the United States between the months of April and July. This is the time of year Prairie dogs breed and the pups are collected from the South Western United States. Most Prairie dogs offered for sale in the United States are obtained this way; they arrive at livestock distributors facilities around the end of April each year,  and get to the pet stores around the first week of May.  Prairie dogs are very affectionate creatures, it doesn't take long for a baby Prairie dog to bond to you and desire to be with you at all times. Prairie dogs require companionship, they need to be with either another Prairie dog or require much attention from you as its owner. Pet Prairie dogs are very clean animals. We have kept three Prairie dogs in a large cage in my office for many years and except for a once a week cleaning, have done little else to maintain these sweet creatures. They stay odor free and healthy. The only thing we feed them is EXOTIC NUTRITION PRAIRIE DOG DIET, along with some PRAIRIE DOG BOOSTER Supplement sprinkled on the occasional treat of sweet potatoes or SUGAR BEET TREAT.  This diet gives our Prairie dogs the high fiber  that they need and the balanced nutrition they require. Baby Prairie dogs require a diet higher in protein than adult counterparts; we feed all our baby Prairie dogs EXOTIC NUTRITION PRAIRIE DOG PUP DIET until they are 6 months of age then we switch them to the regular PRAIRIE DOG DIET.

BABY PRAIRIE DOGS

Baby Prairie dogs (8 weeks-6 months) require a diet higher in protein than adult counterparts; we feed all our baby Prairie dogs EXOTIC NUTRITION PRAIRIE DOG PUP DIET until they are 6 months of age then we switch them to the regular PRAIRIE DOG DIET. Prairie dog pups (under 8 weeks old) may need a milk supplement until they are weaned. We offer a powdered goats milk, a recommended formula for baby prairie dogs (available on our web site). Check the Prairie Dog Nursing Department for the milk replacement and feeding bottles. We highly recommend that if you are bottle feeding a Prairie Dog pup, that you purchase a copy of 'BARRONS' Prairie Dog book ($8.95)also offered on our site. This book has complete bottle feeding instructions for nursing Prairie Dog Pups.

AILMENTS

     The most common ailments of Prairie dogs are diet related;  heart disease, pulmonary edema and respiratory distress are all diet-related and can be avoided with proper nutrition. Feeding your Prairie dog food that is made for other species of animals or table foods will cause health problems in later years.  High fiber pellet Prairie dog diet is recommended.
   A pleasant aspect about a pet Prairie dog,  is the lack of bothersome noises they make. Very rarely do our Prairie dogs make a sound,  except an occasional squirrel like chirp. No loud barking or squaking just cute squeaks now and then.  Prairie dogs do have a long life span (7-12 years) so if you are pondering obtaining one, think about keeping him for that length of time. It is important to have your animals neutered. Prairie dogs go through hormonal stages during breeding season, which will cause your pet to become very aggressive for a 2-3 month period if it is not neutered. The recommended neutering time is by November of the first year of the Prairie dogs life. A prairie dog spends most of its life in the wild chewing on things and that does not change once you have brought the animal indoors. All feed dishes should be made of metal or ceramic, and a good supply of non-toxic branches or chew toys should be provided to your animal. A rabbit water bottle hanging on the outside of the cage works well for a water supply, and a few large pieces of PVC plastic piping works great for tunneling. A minimum size cage would be 24"x24"x30" for one animal and 30"x24"x36" for two animals. Wire mesh should be ½"x1". Leash training can be a simple matter. Make sure you obtain a good quality figure-H harness for your pet. These harness usually have easy to adjust snaps to fit most Prairie dogs. When you first attach the harness to your Prairie dog give it a little time to get use to the harness. Attach it for a few hours each day when your Prairie dog is in his cage and keep watch on your animal so the harness doesn't get snagged. After a few days when the animal is comfortable with the harness on, take him out for his first walk.
For more detailed information about Prairie dogs, pick up a copy of PRAIRIE DOG PRIMER book (see book dept. on this web site)