Prairie Dog Care Information

A prairie dog is diurnal which means they are active in the daylight hours. You will find them in the wild in short grass prairies and plateaus of Mexico, Canada, Montana, the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Utah, and Wyoming. Early settlers affectionately called them "sod poodles" due to their dog-like bark. The scientific name Cynomys in Greek is "mouse dog".
A prairie dog can run up to 35 miles per hour for short distances. They also are fascinating little builders. They build their burrows based on the Bernoulli Principle in Physics! One mound entrance is built higher than the other is and this guarantees fresh airflow throughout the burrow! They build a bathroom, bedrooms, nursery, and security room. The security room is close to the entrance so that the prairie dog can listen for danger before venturing outside.

Some humans believe that prairie dogs are "pests" and try to eliminate them through prairie dog hunts, toxins, trapping, etc.

The prairie dog you obtain from a pet shop may either be a baby caught in the wild or from a breeder. Black-tail prairie dogs are the ones you will commonly find in pet shops and offered by breeders or trappers. Although it isn't common, some places offer white-tail prairie dogs for sale. DO NOT PURCHASE a white-tail prairie dog since they are not as sociable as the black-tail and have special biological needs since they truly hibernate in the winter.

Do you like Winnie the Pooh?

I am the proud owner of two adorable little PDs. My male is named Tumbleweed and my female is named Blossom. I don't know how I ever did without these two! They brighten my day when I come home and am greeted with a "Yaa-hoo!" bark! When my family coughs or sneezes they bark. When they want cuddled they bark! They love to be held and at times they love to play chase and wrestle!

In the past I have owned guinea pigs, hamsters, and a rabbit. While I loved them they didn't return the affection back. Prairie Dogs are different. They will let you know when they want to be with you, when they want a treat, when they are mad, when they are sad, etc. They don't just sit and stare at you, they communicate with you! Many previous hamster owners will appreciate this fact; prairie dogs sleep at night just like you do! No midnight exercise wheel squeaking from these little guys!

A prairie dog reminds me of Winnie the Pooh. They have the fat little bellies and the sweetest little faces. Remember that stuffed animal you had as a child that you wish was alive and would be your best buddy? Well, prairie dogs are God's real life little teddy bears!

I Eat Like a Horse!

Prairie Dogs are one of the cheapest pets to feed! In fact if you feed them too well, THEY WILL GET SICK AND DIE!

A prairie dog shouldn't weigh over 4 pounds. In captivity they can get REAL FAT if they are fed incorrectly and not allowed to exercise. You can weigh your PD by putting him in a box and weighing the box with him in it and then weighing the empty box and subtracting the two (a trick I learned from my vet). If your PD is over 4 pounds, he is heading toward an early grave!

My prairie dogs THRIVE on hay, rodent blocks, and fresh fruits and vegetables. I have a friend who is a farmer and he provides me with hay made up of orchard grass and clover. His method for baling the hay provides my PD's with hay that still has a green color and sweet smell to it, however ANY hay will do just fine. I try to provide as much variety as I can for my PDs, so I search for hay made of other sources like oats to add to their diet. Due to it's richness, try to avoid alfalfa hay for regular feedings except as a treat.

Depending on where you live, storing hay may not be an easy task. You can store the hay in plastic containers or garbage bags to keep wildlife away from it (prairie dogs can get diseases from wild rodents who may take up residence in your hay) but you should replace any hay kept airtight every couple months. The best way to store hay for long periods is to build a container out of wire mesh and boards. Make sure your container is built in a fashion that makes it hard for wildlife to come in contact with the hay. I elevated my container several feet off the ground. The wire allows air to flow through your hay but keeps the hay from spreading all over the place. You MUST keep the hay dry at all times! This prevents mold from forming on your hay. You can see the mold when it is at its worst (i.e. white powder on hay), but mold can make your PD sick before it reaches a point that actually be seen. Keep your hay dry and allow air to get to it.

If possible, buy your rodent or lab block from a feed store. These stores provide animal feed to farmers and research laboratories. Make sure you buy rodent BLOCKS and not the fine ground up feed. Your PD needs the BLOCKS to keep his teeth filed down. The rodent blocks from the feed store contain proper nutrition. You can get rodent blocks in pet shops but they are mostly filler for the tummy with little actual nutrition in them. A big bag of rodent block from the feed store costs less than $20 and will feed your prairie dogs for YEARS! Make sure you buy RODENT or LAB blocks and no other. You should limit the rodent blocks to 3 a day for adults. Pregnant and pups (up to 18 months old) need twice the amount. Too many rodent blocks will make for a fat prairie dog!

Give them a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. You don't need to limit these. Each PD has their own likes and dislikes in regards to food, but I find that fresh corn on the cob is a favorite. I leave the shuck on. My PDs like to eat the corn silks and will chew on the shucks after they dry out. They seem to like it as much as hay! They also like collard greens, carrots, potatoes, green beans, plums, and raisins. They especially like raisins, but if you give them too much fruit you will have a PD with the "green apple trots". I only give 1 or 2 raisins a week as a treat. Also DON'T give your prairie dogs any GREEN part of the potato, it is toxic to them!

In the wild a prairie dog's appetite will change. What they may eat today they will not want tomorrow. Keep variety in their diet with different hay, vegetables, and grasses.

Prairie Dogs are ground squirrels and like squirrels they love nuts; HOWEVER too many nuts will kill them in the long-run. Save nuts for treats only and don't make it part of their daily diet. A zoo almost lost their entire prairie dog colony due to visitors throwing them peanuts. Prairie Dogs LOVE peanuts, however the zoo's prairie dogs developed gall bladder disease from the high fat content of the nuts and they did not live very long (healthy captive and very lucky wild prairie dogs can live for 12 years).

Try growing native Badlands grasses for your prairie dogs. Your local garden shop should be able to get the seeds for you. Prairie Dogs love grammas, switch grass, buffalo grass, Indian grass, little blue stem and big blue stem. Prairie Dogs also like prickly pear cactus.

You can also give your PD an occasional spoon of dry dog food, a dog biscuit, dry cereal, peanuts, crackers, non-fat potato chips and parrot mix. Try to limit these to treats however, or you will get a FAT prairie dog.

A good treat for your PD's teeth is the dried corn on the cob available at pet shops and Wal-Mart. They love them and the gnawing is very important for their teeth. Other items that are good for their teeth are hard beef bones, dried pig ears, or antlers.

Each PD will drink water at varying amounts. My male drinks very little, but my female drinks like she is in the Sahara Desert! Each PD is different, and make sure you freshen their water once a week.

Living Quarters

My PDs live indoors. I prefer this so that we are around each other as a "clan" when I am home, and also because it keeps fleas and other pests away from them.

I found the best cage for them is a multi-level ferret cage. My male has a two-level cage and my female has a three-level cage. I took the bottom wire floor out of the cage when I bought it since PDs like to build nests and it was easier for them to build on a solid metal floor and it is just as easy for me to clean up. The multi-level ferret cage simulates a "burrow" and the PDs have room to move around and stand up and bark. I also switch them from cage to cage at times so they don't become "bored" with their living arrangements. They seem to especially like a layer of hay on the top level of the cage, which makes them feel "secure", when they sleep on the bottom. You can also put a ferret exercise wheel in the cage for them to exercise with.

I clean my PDs cage once a week. I line my PDs cage with baking soda or some other odor absorbing product (found at the pet shop) first, and then cover that with corn cob bedding. You can also use pine shavings or newspaper. Your PDs can make the most elaborate nests out of newspaper so make sure you put enough for lining the cage floor AND the nest! DON'T USE CEDAR. They can't tolerate the cedar vapors.

My PD's make a nest out of part of their hay I put in for them to eat. I also provide them with non-loft polyester batting which they weave into the hay. One time my male PD had made such a fluffy nest out of the batting that he looked like he was sleeping on a cloud! You can also buy bedding material at the pet shop, but it's cheaper to buy a big bag of non-loft polyester batting. IMPORTANT NOTE: NO COTTON T-SHIRTS, SOCKS, BLANKETS, BATTING, etc. UNLESS YOU CAN DRY THAT ARTICLE IN YOUR CLOTHES DRYER AND THE LINT VENT ON YOUR CLOTHES DRYER COMES OUT CRYSTAL CLEAR! A PD can DIE if foreign material such as cotton fibers or other small particles get in their respiratory system! They were not designed to expel the foreign substance like we can.

Some owners have found that clay flOver pots make nice sleeping quarters for PDs!

If you find that your PD can open the cage door, go to the hardware store and buy the clips that are at the end of a pet leash. These will keep the PD from opening the door. I had trouble when my PD lived in a rabbit cage, but the spring-loaded door on the ferret cages has worked fine.

Are You the Pet I'm Looking For?

Prairie Dogs have special needs since they still are basically wild animals even if bred in captivity. While you may think you own the prairie dog, the prairie dog will think it owns you. Not all canine owners want Rottweilers for pets and not all exotic pet owners will want a prairie dog.

A prairie dog goes through rut in the fall and winter months. With rut comes a general nastiness and with nastiness can come bites. If you are terrified to handle an animal that may bite, then you may not be a good owner for a PD.

A prairie dog can have a musky smell due to scent glands they "rubberstamp" their territory with. You usually smell this odor when a PD is frightened or gets older. This is very mild, but some humans have sensitive noses and don't like it.

A prairie dog must not be left abandoned alone in a cage. They are social animals and can go insane or possibly die of loneliness if left abandoned. You must make a commitment for the life of your pet (which can be up to 12 years). If you want a PD just for the novelty or as an impulse buyer, the odds are not in the PD's favor. Captive PDs can not be released into the wild (they would most likely be killed by wild PDs) so if you tire of it, you will have to have the vet put the pet to sleep.

A prairie dog isn't a poodle! While they can be leashed trained and learn to come when you call their name or beg for a treat, they can't be taught to "give howdy" or roll over or bark on demand. Prairie dogs are more catlike than doglike. They have a mind of their own and consider you blessed that they accept you as part of their family. You can control a PD, but like a cat, you can never dominate a PD.

PHMO

If your vet calls your Prairie Dog a Groundhog, take your PD to another vet! This happened to me! The vet was also afraid to touch my PD. Needless to say, would you want a doctor to prescribe a treatment for you if you were never examined? I went in search of another vet.

I found a wonderful vet through the local wildlife rehab group. My new vet is used to wild animals and she takes loving care of my babies!

Don't be surprised if your vet doesn't want to take care of your PD. Not all vets want to take care of exotic pets. I would suggest you contact your local wildlife rehab group or zoo and see who they recommend. If you don't have a wildlife rehab group or zoo in your area, then look in the yellow pages for vets who say they handle exotic pets or rodents.

It pays to have the vet check your PD's teeth from time to time to make sure they are growing correctly and are wearing away properly (don't forget those rodent blocks!). The vet can correct problems if caught in time.

My prairie dog's vet has not recommended any vaccinations, however I am told that some vets do. If your prairie dog is going to be outdoors an extended period of time, I recommend that you check with a vet who specializes in exotic animals or rodents to determine if any vaccinations are in order or required by your state.

Prairie Dogs are very healthy animals (unless fed wrong). If you notice a difference in your pet's bowel movements, appearance (i.e. missing fur, "runny" eyes, etc.) or activities (i.e. won't eat, won't come out of the nest, etc.) you need to contact a vet immediately.

Bubbles Bubbles Everywhere

Prairie Dogs are clean animals but since they are confined to cages for most of the day, I recommend that you give your PD a bath at least every 3 months. This washes away germs from their fur that they will normally get living in a cage. Make sure your PD has bonded to you, don't terrify a new pup until it has learned to trust you first.

I have found the best way to bathe my PDs is in the bathtub with a detachable shOverhead so I can rinse their bellies well. The best shampoo is baby shampoo so it won't hurt their eyes. You might need a partner to help you keep them in the tub! I actually have gotten to the point where I can bathe my PDs alone without any help. They are use to the ordeal now.

The water temperature is right if it doesn't burn your wrist. You really only need to take the chill out of the water.

Once the bath is over, scoop up the PD in a big bath towel and put him in his cage. Try to dry him with the towel as much as he will allow. Take a blow dryer on LOW and hold about 6 inches away and dry his fur. You can brush him with a hamster or cat brush as you dry his fur. My male PD LOVES this part of his bath. He becomes so relaxed and eats up the attention.

A prairie dog's fur is soft anyway, but after a bath it really is beautiful and soft!

Spooky at Halloween

Beginning around Halloween and lasting until Spring, your prairie dog will transform from the lovable cuddly pet you brought home from the pet shop into a "ghost". Native Americans call them "ghosts" when they enter rut. Breeding season is the reason for the transformation into a PD poltergeist. The best thing you can do is wear gloves (I recommend fireplace gloves as they protect your arms as well) and leave your little "ghost" alone until spring comes. Keep his cage clean, rub him through the cage with a brush occasionally, but generally let him be!

Females will want to build nests out of anything they can get and will not want to be cuddled as much. Males may not want to be cuddled AT ALL, and PDs in general can bite without much warning during this time.

This is when many owners who don't know what is happening get scared and want to get rid of their PDs. It can be frightening at first (especially if you have a male), but CHEER UP, once Spring arrives, your PD will be lovable again! They transform from poltergeists back into Pooh Bears!

You can have your PD neutered to avoid or "lighten up" the "ghost" syndrome. They CAN NOT be neutered between October and February however due to the hormone surges which could cause excessive bleeding. I recommend that all new pups be fixed in their first year. Adults have a tendency to want to chew out their stitches.

While best left alone while a "ghost", you can discipline your PD if he bites (regardless of rut time or not). Thump him sharply on the cheek (or nose if you can't reach the cheek) and say "no" firmly. Keep it up until your PD quits trying to bite. The PD must only be disciplined by a "PD family" member or the PD will think the nose thump is an aggressive act. After your PD backs down and quits "sassing" you, leave him alone until he cools off. Use the eraser side of a pencil if you are scared to thump him with your finger. He will soon learn to "think twice" before biting again.

Males can be especially funny when they are upset. My male's tail frizzes like a cats and he blows air though his cheeks and lips like he is making a "motorboat" sound. I don't touch him during this period, but I do talk calmly to him through the cage (and hold back a laugh) but DISCIPLINE if he tries to bite.

A PD bite can be bad, but an AGGRESSIVE PD bite can be severe! Many a PD owner has had to travel to the emergency room for stitches when bit aggressively. Sometimes they hold on steadfastly and won't let go! I learned the hard way to wear gloves if I am unsure of their mood!

I have a very dominant male and he DOES NOT tolerate strangers in the house. He will try to attack them. You must discipline your PD if he acts in an aggressive manner toward you or someone else. He thinks he is protecting the "burrow" from an intruder and you won't totally change his nature. Keep him in the cage when company is over or they may get chased through the house! BAD NEWS: don't expect your male to EVER accept strangers. It is not in a male PDs nature to do so. In the wild, male PDs have been known to KILL PDs from other coteries who they think have invaded their territory. The same is true in captivity, while they can't "kill" strangers, they can inflict a very nasty bite.

I have found that even when my male PD is a "ghost", he will allow his "family" to rub him through the cage with a brush. His tail may frizz, but he'll roll over on his back so we can brush his belly. Even cranky, he is spoiled! One rut season, my male wanted to be cuddled anyway so I held him (with gloves since he wanted to give me "love" bites which may be fine for a female PD with fur, but not human skin!). He also "talked" in his sleep during this time (i.e. whining, sighing, barking, etc.). I would scoop him up and rub him and he would continue to "tell" me how miserable he was that he wasn't "married". It was a bit sad to see him like this but also funny! I did not know much about PDs when I first got my male and didn't know to neuter him as a pup. I have since decided to leave him "intact" as I don't want to run the risk of him pulling stitches out or being put to sleep unless absolutely necessary. I would however, neuter any new pups I bring home.

A female PD's tits can become inflamed and look like a tumor during rut. This is caused by those pesky hormones. The tit will be tender and the female will not want to be handled. You can apply a warm compress to the tit to help reduce swelling, but the best thing is to leave her alone and wait till she is back to normal.

Captivity is also causing some changes to a PDs spooky season. My male has gone into rut as early as July! Be prepared for rut at anytime, but remember it is a temporary condition.

This crankiness and boldness saves their lives in the wild. It seems everything wants to eat them (coyotes, hawks, ferrets, etc.). Keep them in line with discipline, but also respect the personality God gave them to keep them alive. The bad mood WILL PASS (except for male PDs and strangers).

Mommy, my belly hurts!

Infections As with most animals, Prairie Dogs can be victim to parasites, bacterial, viral, or fungal infections. Don't handle another animal whose health is in question and then your PD without sanitizing your hands. Keep the cage clean and change the water and food on a weekly basis. Be aware that a PD kept outdoors can pick up diseases from wild rodents. DON'T TRY TO DIAGNOSE AND TREAT YOURSELF even if your PD has something as simple as fleas! You could harm your PD by an incorrect diagnosis or over-medicate due to your PDs size. Let a vet treat the problem!

Keep your PDs healthy by sanitizing their cages at least every 3 months. I sanitize my cages by washing them as usual and then soaking their cages with Clorox full strength for at least 15 minutes. I then rinse the Clorox off VERY WELL with a hose for at least 3 -5 minutes to make sure the Clorox is gone. I then let the cages air dry in the SUN for at least 15 minutes. The sun will kill bacteria and molds. I also give my PDs a bathe at this time to make sure I am putting back clean PDs in clean cages.

Zoonoses If your PD is newly acquired, it is possible that you could catch a zoonose (i.e. diseases that can be transferred between humans and animals) if your pet was sick itself or around sick animals in the wild or at the breeder. Practice good personal hygiene when handling your new PD at all times, but especially during the first few weeks.

If you keep your pet's cage clean and your PD has limited contact with wild animals, you shouldn't worry too much about a zoonose. If in doubt, ask your vet.

Poisoning If you let your Prairie Dog play unsupervised, he can be poisoned on things that you wouldn't consider toxic (i.e. green parts of potatoes, goldenrod, azaleas, African violets, poinsettias, freshly fertilized grass, tobacco, moldy food, chocolate, caffeine, algae, etc.). If in doubt, get your PD to the vet or contact the National Animal Poison Information Network at 1-800-548-2423. There is a charge, but it's worth it to save your little one.

I am a Social Butterfly!

Prairie Dogs are social creatures, and I have two because I wanted them to have each other for company when I am at work. Make sure your PD is around the family for most of the day. A PD could die from loneliness for go insane if left abandoned.

My PDs greet me when I come in from work with a bark. When my female wants a treat, she barks at me until I come over to the cage. I let her sleep in a cage in my bedroom and one morning (EARLY ONE MORNING right at sunrise) she barked at me until I woke up. I pretended to be asleep even after my "little alarm clock" woke me up. She would sit and stare at me and then bark some more until I got out of bed and gave her attention.

If you already have one PD, you may not be able to add another without trouble if one is already an adult. I was successful, but I also added a female to a male. I suggest if your PD is still a "kid" and you want two, then you get another one soon so they can grow up together.

In the wild, prairie dogs COMMONLY kill "pups" which are not part of their burrow. Prairie Dogs have at times cannibalized "pups" and one male had killed and eaten part of another adult male he thought was invading his burrow! They are social ONLY WITHIN their home coteries and contrary to popular belief do not just bounce in and out of each other’s burrows in the wild. Each coterie (or home group) has a territory and limited mixing between coteries is permitted (mostly in the summer months) when males move on to new female harems and new pups are learning to fit in with the colony.

NEVER leave a new prairie dog unattended with your other one until you see how they are going to get along. They have to accept each other as being of the same coterie or burrow. Even though Tumbleweed never showed aggression toward Blossom, I didn't trust leaving her alone with him until she was big enough to "take him on" if necessary. They interacted with each other with me around while she was a growing pup. I knew he had accepted her when he "defended" her from a stranger that was admiring them from afar!

A good tool to keep with you in case you have to break up a PD fight is a spray bottle filled with water.

Other owners have told me that their dogs and/or cats get along great with their PDs. They appear to treat the PD as an equal. The PD also treats them as an equal. I have known of cats attacking PDs, especially young ones, so I advise caution until you are comfortable with their behavior towards one another.

The Terrible Twos

Oh the terrible twos! What parent hasn't been glad when their child gets out of that stage!

If you don't raise your pup right from the start, you may never get out of that difficult stage with your PD! Prairie Dogs will become your master if you don't master them.

I get email from new owners who are perplexed because their PD is acting like a brat. It demands to be let out of the cage when it wants out and bites them if they pick it up to put it back. Prairie Dogs must NEVER be allowed to dominate or you will have one BRAT on your hands! Unlike a human child, you can't sit it down and have a discussion about the bad behavior or send the PD to "time out". Once you have a brat for a PD, it is hard to undo the bad habits you let it get away with.

When you bring that sweet little pup home, hold it even if it protests, discipline if it bites, and NEVER, NEVER let it just jump out of the cage when you open the door. You must ALWAYS have it jump or walk into your arms and then YOU put it down on the floor. A PD must always ASSUME that they don't eat without you, have freedom without you, etc. You may think this is cruel, but it is crueler to have to put the pet to sleep because the owner just can't deal with it anymore.

When Tumbleweed was a pup, I put gloves on and held on for the duration while he bit me and squeaked and wanted loose. I talked softly to him, slapped his nose when he bit, but would not put him down until he calmly sat in my hands. He learned that being mean wasn't going to get him very far. I taught him that he must always wait for me to take him from the cage to the floor. He always jumps in my arms when the cage door is opened.

Blossom was taught the same way as a pup . At times they will have temper -tantrums and tell me they don't want to do something (like being put back in the cage), however I remind them that I pay the hay bills. Since I didn't give an inch while they were pups they are easier to bring back in control when they do misbehave. If I had let them have their way, I would have a WAR on my hands instead of a minor skirmish.

Like all living things, a PD is going to have bad days and they will want to do what they want to do. PDs however will test you and are intelligent enough to know when a certain behavior gets them what they want (i.e. "if I bite her, she puts me down", "if I bang my cage door loud enough, she lets me out", "if I want freedom, I better let her put me on the floor", etc.).

Between you and the PD, it's the one who is most stubborn who wins the argument. Since each PD has it's own personality, some are easier to deal with than others, but in general, you can't spoil the PD, or you will have one PD brat!

Puppies!

I don't recommend you breed your prairie dogs. There are more than enough places for new owners to obtain them, and you can't easily just give them to anyone. You run the risk of having to euthanize unwanted pups!

If an "accident" happens and your female is pregnant, DON'T HESITATE to order "Prairie Dog Pets" from RZU2U. A detailed description of nest requirements, baby formula, etc. can be found in Pat's book as well as addresses of successful PD breeders.