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Pet Fitness Tips: Our Fave Pet Writers Talk Furry Fitness

dr. laurie hess

Dr. Laurie Hess gives a sugar glider an exam. Will she give him a workout to do at home?

Dr. Laurie Hess: Dr. Hess of Veterinary Center for Birds and Exotics in Bedford Hills, NY, is a board-certified avian veterinarian and exotic animal practitioner who has treated only birds and exotic pets for the past 20 years. She writes on her VCBE Blog and Vetstreet. She was a competitive gymnast from age 7 until age 43 (yes, really) and as a Type 1 diabetic, she exercises every day. Currently, she spins 45 to 60 minutes each morning (she even got certified so she could create better workouts for herself) and lifts weights several times a week. With all that animal and fitness experience, she had plenty to say about exercising small animals.

“Even small mammals like rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas and smaller rodents (like hamsters, gerbils, rats, mice and degus) need to exercise. These pets tend to spend a lot of time in their cages and are generally pretty sedentary. Their owners have to make an effort to provide them with opportunities to exercise.

“For rabbits and guinea pigs, this means taking them out of their cages and letting them run around in safe, penned off areas of a room where they can’t chew on inappropriate things, like wires or painted baseboards. One thing that can be fun for these larger mammals is to set up an obstacle course for them with tunnels and ramps. These courses provide them with both physical and mental stimulation.

“Smaller rodents enjoy obstacles courses, too. They can run through paper towel rolls and burrow through rolled up towels. Smaller rodents also love to run in commercially available wheels in their cages, especially at night, as many of them are nocturnal. These wheels should be smooth-sided without any holes in which small limbs and toes can get caught. Providing exercise for all of these exotic mammals simply involves a little bit of time and some creativity.”

Just as with people, Fit Bottomed Pets come in all shapes and sizes. How do you keep the junk out of the trunk in your pets? —Kristen

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