Prevention Starts in the Cage

To prevent skin irritation and respiratory illness, never use cedar shavings in your small pet's cage. Also note that small animals can be allergic to cigarette smoke, perfumes and cleaning products. Take care to keep them away from his cage.

If your pet's cage is too small and he doesn't get sufficient exercise he may experience cage paralysis where he temporarily loses the use of his hindquarters. Fortunately, moving him to a larger cage usually does the trick.

Injuries can result from overzealous exercise or exploration. Inspect your pet's cage regularly for sharp edges on plastic that may have been chewed. Be sure your pet's exercise wheel is still safe and in good shape. If you have several pets in one cage take note if they are not getting along well. Most small animal injuries are caused by other small animals.

Proper Food and Drink

Pets that ingest fluffy commercial bedding or that don't have sufficient water supplies can become severely constipated. Don't place any type of fluffy bedding in your pet's cage and be sure he always has access to fresh, clean water.

If you overfeed your little friend with fresh fruits and vegetables he may develop the opposite problem: diarrhea. Diarrhea is a serious problem for small animals as they can experience rapid dehydration. Limit fresh fruits and vegetables and remove them from the cage if your pet loses interest after a few hours.