When kept as a pet, Prairie dogs should be fed a high fiber pellet diet along with Timothy Hay or Timothy Hay Cubes. Exotic Nutrition has formulated a diet high in fiber, made from all natural, locally grown grain products. Exotic Nutrition's Prairie Dog Diet & Prairie Dog Pup Diet emulates the natural nutritional needs of Prairie dogs.
In the wild, grasses are the preferred food of the prairie dog, and generally makes up about three quarters of its diet.
In captivity, Prairie dogs should be offered a high fiber diet such as Exotic Nutrition's Prairie Dog Diet. This food was formulated specifically for the nutritional requirements of captive Prairie dogs and is very high in fiber content.
You should also offer Whole Oats & dried Timothy Hay or Timothy Hay Cubes. Fresh vegetables suggestions would be raw sweet potatoes & raw carrots.
The Prairie dog eats a simple vegetarian diet of pellets, fresh hay, grasses, fresh fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts, and fresh water.
How much to feed: The amount to feed depends on several factors, the age and sex of the Prairie dog, its activity level, its individual metabolic rate and its present health.
At all times watch the weight of your Prairie dog. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that (barring a metabolic disorder) if it is getting fat, cut back on the food, and if it is too thin, increase the food.
Water: In the wild, Prairie dogs very rarely drink water. The obtain all the moisture that they need from their foods. But, iin captivity Prairie dogs live in artificially heated and cooled environment that take water for the very air that they breathe. Many of the foods we feed are dried or processed and do not contain sufficient water to supply even their meager needs. A water bottle with a lick spout works fine for Prairie dogs that are familiar with one. However, some babies do not know what to do with the spout. We suggest that if a baby Prairie dog is supplies a water bottle, clip a small dish under the spout on the side of the cage. They will soon learn to associate that part of the cage with water and in the process they will bump the spout and water will be released. When you remove the dish, the Prairie dog will have been trained to use the water bottle.
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Notice: Exotic Nutrition cannot provide specific care guidelines on an individual basis. Please consult a veterinarian or experienced breeder or wildlife rehabilitator.
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