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Like it or not, admit it or not, poop has fascinated us over the years. When poop is good, we hardly notice, but when it is bad, we pay attention. About 10 years ago, I wrote a short article for the Internet called “The Poop Sheet” (now called “The Poop Chart”). I really stepped in it that day, and this particular subject seems to have followed me for years. People have reprinted the “Poop Chart” over and over, and I have even been asked to lecture on ferret poop. Here is the full, unadulterated story of “the poop, and nothing but the poop.”

The influenza virus is quite contagious and can be passed on from humans to ferrets, and vice versa. However, it is far more likely a ferret contracts the human influenza virus from a person, than a human catching the flu from a ferret. And much like humans, the ferret flu is caused by the influenza virus. Unlike humans, the flu found in ferrets can sometimes prove to be fatal, especially old and young ferrets with weak immunities. The common flu can also complicate the health of ferrets with secondary bacterial infections and pneumonia. Symptoms and Types The symptoms of this viral infection are the same in ferrets as they are in humans, including:  Clear, thick mucus discharge from the eyes and nose Sneezing Coughing Inflamed eyes (swollen and red) Loss of appetite Weakness and lethargy High degree of fever These symptoms can last anywhere from five to fourteen days.

Pet rats thrive in environments that offer stimulation, and these furry friends can quickly get bored without enough enrichment. Over time, this boredom can progress into more serious issues, like stress and depression.   Rats are so smart that they’ve been known to solve puzzles and engage in other complex tasks. Some rats have even been trained to operate small vehicles or complete intricate puzzles, according to Susan Tyson, VMD, veterinarian at Avian & Exotic Philly Vet Medical Surgical Clinic in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.   Enter: toys.   Toys help replicate a rat’s natural environment and stimulate a rat’s varying senses (smell, sight, touch) to mimic their natural behaviors as closely as possible.   “Toys provide opportunities for playing, exploring, and hiding, which are similar to activities they would do in the wild, like foraging for food, digging burrows, and socializing with their family groups,” says Rebecca Revay, VMD, avian and exotics veterinarian at Mount Laurel Animal Hospital in Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey and membership outreach committee chair of the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians.  In additional to mental stimulation, chewing on toys plays a vital role in maintaining dental health, as it promotes proper chewing patterns. This also supports bone health while encouraging joint movement, according to Dr. Tyson. Make sure your rat has a healthy diet that can also help maintain their teeth.  Additionally, some toys double as hiding spaces within a rat’s enclosure. These types of hideouts are crucial because they offer a safe retreat to rest or escape when a rat feels threatened or anxious. ,Rats are highly intelligent and active pets that thrive on mental and physical stimulation. While love and attention go a long way, giving them a variety of rat toys is key to helping them stay engaged and happy.   From chew toys to burrow boxes and forage mats, well-chosen rat cage accessories encourage exercise, prevent boredom, and support natural behaviors.   Here’s everything you need to know about the benefit of toys for rats, plus which toys are best to keep their little brains busy! 

The different groups of viruses that cause human influenza are thankfully not the cause of the flu in rabbits. In fact, in pet rabbits, we do not usually recognize respiratory disease as being caused by the flu virus but rather by bacterial organisms. In modern rabbit medicine, there are no diseases that we are concerned with that go from people to rabbits. Some people are cautious when they have the flu not to handle their rabbits, as they are aware of the issues of ferrets and the flu. Ferrets can have the flu and give it to people, and people can have the flu and give it to ferrets. Influenza viruses are easily transmitted back and forth from people to ferrets and ferrets to people. This back and forth transmission does not exist in rabbits. This means that if you feel well enough to do it, there is no harm in you picking up your pet out of their rabbit cages and handling them while you have the flu. Posted by: Chewy Editorial Featured Image: Via Shutterstock/Merrimon Crawford,Q:

To spay or not to spay: It’s a legit question to ask yourself if you’ve just adopted a guinea pig.  First off, you should always keep same-sex pairs together—so keep your girl piggies separated from any boys (and be 100% sure about it). This is the best way to prevent a piggie pregnancy, and it also means you can avoid the risk that comes with spay surgery for a tiny pet.      If you and your vet do decide to spay your female guinea pig, the idea age is usually 4–8 months old, but there are several things to take into consideration before making this very delicate decision.   

Those who share their lives with a pet rat can attest to the fact that these little dynamos are intelligent, active and curious. If you are new to rats or perplexed by some of the behaviors your pet rat displays, here is a rundown of common rat behaviors and what they mean.

Baby guinea pigs are such precious little creatures. Ears and legs bigger than the rest of their body they are precious little ones who should be handled with the greatest care but, yes, they can be handled from the moment they are born if you are not interfering with the birthing process and you are doing so with the utmost care. The mother guinea pig will not reject them because you are handling them. Just like the human baby being passed around after birth, they have been listening to your voices, movies, music for however many months they have been in your home in their mother’s womb. So they are no strangers to you, your family or your pets. It has been my experience that handling baby guinea pigs from early on makes them very calm and easygoing with people. Baby guinea pigs can be sexed at birth, but usually only by an experienced guinea pig person like your veterinarian or someone with lots of guinea pig familiarity. Male guinea pigs can become sexually active at 3 weeks (with minimal effectiveness but no less a nuisance). Female guinea pigs need to stay with their mother for four weeks. Male guinea pigs will appear to have a white ring in their genital area. Female guinea pigs will have what looks like a tiny grain of rice. Baby guinea pigs are born supercharged and will start nursing somewhere in a 24-hour period, so don’t panic if they don’t latch on right away. A mother guinea pig needs to clean the babies and eat the afterbirth to chemically generate the mammary glands to start producing milk. Even human moms do not produce milk right off the bat; it takes a day or two. Baby guinea pigs start nursing in 24 hours, and eat solid foods at three days as mom shows them how. They will need to nurse for at least three weeks no matter what. During this time, the mother guinea pig does a lot of other things for her baby guinea pigs. She stimulates them to urinate and defecate by cleaning their bottoms periodically throughout the day. She has to do this for at least three weeks. The mother is also producing a softer stool for the babies to consume so that they have the proper bacteria in their digestive systems. So being with the mother guinea pig for three weeks is very important. A mother-daughter guinea pig combination is often the best. If you are able to pair the male guinea pigs in some capacity with each other, it would be nice to keep the family together because male guinea pigs are difficult to pair, and the best pairings are brothers. While the mom is nursing you can offer her alfalfa, which is a very rich grass. This is one of the few times you can offer it to her and the babies without worrying about the calcium content. Give the mother guinea pig and her babies the freshest and best of foods to ensure a sound base for them to grow from. “A handful of hay a day keeps the vet away,” is my motto. Of course they get about a flake of timothy hay each day because it is so high in vitamin C and there’s no worry about the calcium content. A flake is a segment of a bale of hay. It is about 3 inches wide and the width of the hay bale. Baby guinea pigs grow quickly, and before you know it they will be ready for their own lives. Interacting with them as much as you can will make them the best and most desired of guinea pigs because of their socialization and fearlessness with humans. By: Shannon Cauthen Feature Image: Marco_Piunti/iStock/Thinkstock,Q:

Healthy bunnies dig, eat, chew, and explore with enthusiasm, keeping their sleek coat soft and clean through regular grooming.   When especially happy, rabbits don’t hide it—playful binkies and dramatic flops are telltale signs of a happy, healthy bun.   Sometimes, however, health issues can get in the way of all that joy.  While true allergies in rabbits are not well documented in veterinary medicine, rabbits can develop allergy-like signs such as skin irritation and inflammation or airway irritation. These signs often resemble allergies, making a diagnosis without a veterinary exam challenging.    Let’s look at what can contribute to allergy like signs in rabbits and the steps you can take to help your bun find relief. 

It’s no surprise that spring and rabbits go together. After all, everyone knows of the Easter bunny—the most famous spring rabbit of all! If you’ve just added a bun to your household and are undecided on what to call your new friend, consider picking from a list of rabbit names with spring-like connotations. Just know that while rabbits certainly recognize their names, they don’t always respond to them like a dog would, says Angela Maxwell, founder and CEO of The Bunny Hutch, a rabbit and exotic animal rescue in Virginia Beach, Virgina. “They aren’t as motivated to please humans as a dog is, so like a cat, they can choose to ignore their name,” Maxwell says, adding that one way to get around this is to keep your rabbit’s moniker on the short side. With this in mind, let’s take a look at some cute bunny names that honor the season and would be great choices for your new pet.