How do I keep a health record for a rabbit, hamster or other small pet?
Add your pet as a small mammal and pick the kind, from rabbit to hedgehog. VetVitae weighs small mammals in grams and warns you when one loses 10% in a month, which the app notes "In small animals this is often the first sign of illness or dental trouble." Animals that fit no group go under Other.
Updated November 9, 2026
- On Pets, tap Add pet and pick Small mammal.
- Pick the Kind of animal. It's optional, and Other takes any name.
- Fill the rest you know, like the birth date and spayed or neutered.
- Save, then log a first weigh-in in grams. The Overview suggests it: "A first weigh-in is a good start."
Which animals are small mammals?
Small mammal covers Chinchilla, Degu, Ferret, Gerbil, Guinea pig, Hamster, Hedgehog, Mouse, Rabbit and Rat, plus any other you type. The kind changes a few things in the app, like the care offered and the routines suggested.
The profile is the same as for cats and dogs, except blood type. Spayed or neutered, microchip, registration, coat and the usual groomer all stay, since rabbits, ferrets and guinea pigs are neutered, chipped and groomed. See the pet profile.
Why grams, and what is the weight loss warning?
Small mammals are always weighed in whole grams, because exotics vets weigh and dose in grams and one unit fits a 30 g mouse and a 3 kg rabbit. The weight loss warning tells you when a weigh-in is 10% or more below the highest one in the 30 days before it.
When it applies, the Weight section shows "Down {percent}% since {date}." with "In small animals this is often the first sign of illness or dental trouble." The warning also shows on the Overview, on the vet link and as a Down tag on the weigh-in. It clears once a weigh-in comes back within 10%.
Small mammals don't get the 1 to 9 body condition score, which is made for cats and dogs. See weight.
What changes per kind?
A few kinds get care that fits them. Everything else works as for any pet.
- Chinchillas and degus get Dust bath instead of Bath, with no grooming. The form shows the app's note, "Only chinchilla dust, never water. Take the bath out after 10 to 15 minutes." (for degus, "Only dust, never water.").
- Rabbits have no Bath, only Grooming and Hygiene.
- Female rabbits 6 months or older, or of unknown age, that aren't spayed show a note under spayed or neutered: "Unspayed female rabbits have a high risk of uterine cancer. Ask your vet about spaying." It goes away when you pick Yes.
Which routines does VetVitae suggest?
When you add to Care, VetVitae suggests routines for the kind, which you check off in one tap. For a rabbit: Fresh hay, Check droppings, Check the bottom, Scoop the litter box and Change all the litter and wash the box. Chinchillas and degus get Dust bath as a routine, guinea pigs Fresh vegetables, ferrets Play time out of the cage, and so on. See routines.
What about vaccines?
Rabbits and ferrets have a vaccine list. Rabbits get the vaccines sold where you live, like Myxomatosis and RHD in Europe or RHD in the US. No rabbit vaccine is sold in Brazil, so there their Vaccines section stays hidden. Ferrets get Distemper and Rabies. Other small mammals have no vaccine plan, so the Vaccines section is hidden. Deworming, visits, exams, medicines and observations work as for any pet. For tests, small mammals can log E. cuniculi, Giardia and Other.
What is Other for?
Other is for any animal outside the groups, like a mini pig, a goat or a horse. You type the animal under the species in What animal?, and VetVitae uses that name wherever the species would show ("Mini pig").
- There is no breed list for Other.
- Weight stays in your unit, kg or lb, since a mini pig can weigh 40 kg. There's no body condition score and no weight loss warning.
- Spayed or neutered, microchip and registration stay on the profile. Coat and blood type are hidden.
What to know
- Every small mammal and Other animal can have an emergency card and a pet tag.
- The Overview suggests a weigh-in when there's none in 90 days, and a primary vet when none is set. It doesn't ask for a microchip, which it only asks of cats and dogs.
- Observations offer suggestions for small mammals, like not pooping, overgrown teeth or head tilt, to log quickly what you notice. The app never says what they mean.
- For care, teeth and warning signs for each animal, see the care guides: rabbit, hamster and guinea pig.
Questions
Can I log my ferret's vaccines?
Yes. Ferrets have Distemper and Rabies in the vaccine list, with the brands sold where you live, and each dose gets its reminders like a dog's or a cat's.
Why can't I log a bath for my chinchilla?
VetVitae offers chinchillas and degus a Dust bath instead of a water bath. The form says "Only chinchilla dust, never water." A dust bath is best kept as a routine you check off, so the add list suggests Dust bath as a routine too.
Why doesn't my rabbit have a body condition score?
The 1 to 9 body condition score in VetVitae is made for cats and dogs, so small mammals, birds, reptiles and fish don't get it. Your rabbit's weight in grams, with its trend and the weight loss warning, is what VetVitae follows instead.
Why does the weight loss warning look at 30 days?
Small animals lose weight fast when something is wrong, so VetVitae compares each weigh-in with the highest one in the 30 days before it. Weighing every week or two gives the warning enough to compare with.
Can I add an animal that isn't on any list?
Yes. For a small mammal not on the list, pick Other under Kind of animal and type it. For an animal outside every group, pick Other as the species and type it in What animal?.
Still stuck?
Write to contact@vetvitae.com. A person answers.
VetVitae is a record, not medical advice. Ask your vet about doses and schedules.