Prevalence and awareness of obesity and related husbandry practices in Estonian rabbits, guinea pigs, and rats

Obesity has significant implications regarding the welfare of companion animals. Data regarding obesity in exotic companion mammals (ECM) are sparse. The aim of this study was to investigate obesity in pet rabbits (<i>Oryctolagus cuniculus</i>), guinea pigs (<i>Cavia porcellus</i>), and rats (<i>Rattus norvegicus</i>) in Estonia, and to survey husbandry practices and owner awareness. Husbandry data were collected from patients visiting the Estonian University of Life Sciences' small animal clinic via anonymous questionnaires over an eleven-month period. Three hundred and fifty-one questionnaire responses and body condition score (BCS) data for 177 patients (71 rabbits, 73 guinea pigs, 33 rats) were collected. Twenty-eight percent of rabbits, 23% of guinea pigs and 28% of rats were overweight (BCS > 3/5). Male rats were more likely to be overweight than females and there was a negative correlation between age and body condition. There was an increased likelihood of male guinea pigs being underweight. Owner questionnaires revealed that 20% of rabbit owners, 14% of guinea pig owners and 11% of rat owners believed their pets to be overweight while 58% of owners had not received husbandry advice from a veterinarian. Obesity is a significant welfare issue in the Estonian ECM population and several detrimental husbandry practices were identified, including inappropriate feeding, insufficient physical activity, individual housing. Further studies might investigate veterinarian awareness of the issues at hand and tendencies for other species.