21/06/2025
We all know how important it is to keep our dogs and cats cool on warm days, but may not realise that it's just as important for small animals too โ
Small pets like rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, and rats should be kept cool and hydrated during warm weather to prevent them from developing life-threatening heatstroke.
Signs of heatstroke in small pets:
- Drooling.
- Quick breaths.
- Struggling to breathe.
- Acting very sleepy or lethargic.
- Collapsing.
- Seizures.
It's also a good idea to keep on top of cleaning their enclosures to prevent flystrike or a build up of wet bedding and mouldy food ๐ฐ๐ฐ
Learn more:
Rabbits - https://pdsa.me/gLqU
Guinea pigs - https://pdsa.me/EEcU
Other small pets - https://pdsa.me/RlMU
[Visual description: An infographic titled: "Keeping small pets cool." It features tips such as: Keeping pets in the shade, offering safe watery fruits and vegetables (in moderation), swapping out plastic houses for something cooler like cardboard boxes, freezing a water bottle and wrapping it in a towel before placing it next to your pets' enclosure, placing a fan in their room but not pointed directly at them (making sure they can't nibble any wires), grooming long-haired or fluffy pets, refreshing their water every day, and putting a cool tile or empty ceramic bowl/tea cup in their enclosure for them to sit on/in.]
