Are exercise balls safe for small pets? Should I use one for my hedgehog?

You can use an exercise ball with s gerbil. Be sure to keep it away from stairs or ledges. You can also try a different wheel or exercise apparatus. There could be a personal preference. Make sure the cage is big enough for 2 gerbils to prevent stress or bullying.

Guinea pigs may be too large to play inside a ball, but you can still set up a safe activity area outside of their cage environment with the use of an X-pen or other foldable gates. You can then fill that area with toys to play with and chew on, hay to munch on, and other fun activities. This can help your piggies stretch and get a little exercise while still being safe and staying out of areas that may cause harm.

That poses a particular problem but I am glad to hear that it has resolved. i would recommend keeping a good eye on your hamster for recurrence of problems. I would be worried about some type of spinal trauma, such as a back injury or stroke. It is encouraging that it has resolved but keep an eye on the situation. Hamster balls can be good exercise but is probably not for every hamster. If you think it is more stressful, don't put him in it. There are hamster wheels that are open and might be less stressful.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is definitely a good idea to separate your hamsters to avoid fighting. While a running wheel or ball are great activities it doesn’t necessarily meet a hamster’s normal behavior to burrow. I recommend providing plenty of nesting material in both cages. You can also provide various tubes that encourage further burrowing or huts that allow for hiding and establishing a territory. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you have!

I believe a larger wheel makes more sense. If Nala barely fits the 7 inch ball, how should she fit into a smaller wheel? If the wheel is too small she may not want to use it as she would have to bend her body in an unnatural way in order to run in it. The bigger the wheel the better.

Hello, thank you for your question about Shadow. It is difficult to know for sure whether this will lead to a problem or not. Since Shadow is a good sized dog if the ball was small it is possible that it will pass through her GI tract without causing any problems. However, there is always the chance that foreign material can cause an obstruction in the GI tract; this would require surgery to remove the ball. I would recommend continuing to monitor Shadow for development of any signs such as vomiting, diarrhea, inappetance, or lethargy. If at any point she shows these symptoms I would recommend contacting your veterinarian. In the meantime to try and help the ball pass through her GI tract I would recommend offering her canned food to help the material pass. Alternatively you could offer her bread or canned pumpkin with her meals. Hope this helps, good luck!

I recommend to stick with toys meant for rodents. It's hard to know if toxicity is a potential concern but the small threads could become wrapped around his teeth. Many mice like to chew on cardboard boxes and toilet paper rolls. They also make wooden toys for rodents. The clear exercise balls and a running wheel will also be fun for Frankie. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.