Dedicated to the Preservation of Prairie Dogs and their Habitat
The vast majority of this creature’s diet consists of plants, making them herbivores. They eat mostly grasses, shrubs, roots, and seeds. Though the different species don’t specialize on a specific type of plant, they do each have different preferences.
https://defenders.org/wildlife/prairie-dog
Black-tailed prairie dogs mainly consume grasses, sedges, forbs (flowering plants), roots and seeds, though they are also known to eat insects.
Prairie dogs are herbivorous (i.e., they eat plants such as grasses and forbs [grass-like flowering plants]). Prairie dogs also occasionally insects that they find above ground. They do not drink because they get all of the water they need from the plants.
A review of studies on prairie dog food habits shows variable results. Prairie dogs frequently eat the same plant species as cattle and their activities may cause a decrease in grasses normally considered good livestock forage and an increase in forb cover. However, in some instances, prairie dogs may be beneficial to rangeland; plant species diversity and protein content of forage are often greater on prairie dog colonies than off.
Grasses : Wheatgrass; Sand Dropseed; Fescue; Blue Grama; Buffalograss; and, Needleleaf Sedge.
Forbs: Scarlet Globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea) and Threadleaf Sedge (Carex filifolia).
Suitable foods for Urban Prairie Dogs:
Green Leafy Vegetables Kale
Lettuce Spinach
Fruits:
Peaches (cut up) Grapes
Melons (cut up) Apples (cut up)
(quarters or eighths)
Peanuts in shells (not salted)
Grass Hay/Orchard Grass/Timothy Hay*
Corn on the Cob (no husk, cut up)
Fresh Cut Lawn Grass (no fertilizers or pesticides) Carrots (cut up)
* We do not use alfalfa hay
When it comes to diet, the prairie dog seems to be on the veg side of things. It practically has no business with flesh as one would assume. It believes in green food; perhaps because it offers more nutrients and is more readily available in its natural environment.
Prairie dogs feed on grass, plants, root, weed, and insects. So to say, they are obligate herbivores. When in captivity, however, humans can feed them with alternatives to grasses such as special feed and more. But most of the times, they are better of with plant shoots.
From Wikipedia:
“Prairie dogs are chiefly herbivorous, though they eat some insects. They feed primarily on grasses and small seeds. In the fall, they eat broadleaf forbs. In the winter, lactating and pregnant females supplement their diets with snow for extra water.[7] They also will eat roots, seeds, fruit, and buds. Grasses of various species are eaten. Black-tailed prairie dogs in South Dakota eat western bluegrass, blue grama, buffalo grass, six weeks fescue, and tumblegrass,[7] while Gunnison’s prairie dogs eat rabbit brush, tumbleweeds, dandelions, saltbush, and cacti in addition to buffalo grass and blue grama.”
If you want to read the primary literature, search for “prairie dog diet” on Google Scholar. For example, here is one result of that search:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/3898704?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
Prairie dogs are a rodent that belong to the ground squirrel family. They are native to the continent of North America and can be found in the United States, Canada and Mexico. There are five species of prairie dogs. They get their name from the fact that their warning call sounds similar to the bark of a dog. Prairie dogs are an important prey species for many larger animals. If you want to know what these creatures eat, keep reading to find out.
What do prairie dogs eat?
Prairie dogs are considered to be herbivores (plant eaters), but they are known to eat insects such as grasshoppers. Their diet consists mostly of a wide variety of grasses, but they often switch to flowering plants during fall. They also eat seeds, roots, weeds, buds and fruit. They are considered to be a pest in some agricultural situations where they may eat crops like alfalfa or corn. Interestingly, during winter a pregnant prairie dog will eat snow for the water content.
What do prairie dogs eat in captivity?
Prairie dogs are not often kept as pets because they are susceptible to diseases that can be transferred to humans. When in captivity prairie dogs are fed diets of specific grass and hay. They may also be fed fruits, vegetables or supplements to meet their nutritional needs.
When feeding a prairie dog, it seems as if there’s two considerations: can they feed themselves, and is what I have to feed them available on the prairie?
This means that, as a rule of thumb, they should not be eating fruit, and, as a ground squirrel (not a tree squirrel), they should not be eating nuts or seeds. They might eat sweet potatoes (without the skins), baby carrots, squashes, or other similar vegetables. Whether or not you feed them this depends on whether you want to. It’s optional. Keep reading.
The most important thing that your prairie dog can eat, at any age, is Timothy hay. As a pup, 80% of their diet should be this. As an adult, they should get as much as they can eat. One of the more important things that you can learn about this, is that, prairie dogs, who are “selectively herbivorous” in nature, will never eat all of the hay. In fact, they will only eat the parts of it that they detect to be of optimal nutrition, and will leave the rest. This means that the hay should be replaced with new hay -every day-. Extra hay in the cage doesn’t mean that they’re not starving. You also might be tempted to simply add new hay to the cage without removing the old stuff. While this might be fine for more mature dogs, be aware that old hay presents the risk of mold, which can be very toxic to pups.
Make sure that, whatever you give your dog (hay, or hay-like foods such as pellets), check that it is not based off of alfalfa (commonly found in many rabbit foods) which is too high in protein content. Prairie dogs thrive on “grass” types of hay. Alfalfa is -not- a grass hay but is a legume hay and far too rich (high protein levels) and, over time, will cause them harm. All pellets, cubes, vegetables, and such should be considered supplemental feed, while quality grass hay is considered their primary diet.
All of this means nothing if the PD can not feed itself (if it is less than six to eight weeks old and hasn’t successfully transitioned to a solid diet). You will need to hand-feed it with a syringe. Timing and amounts per feeding will vary case by case, and you should seek independent consultation to make sure you have the proper instruction for your pup. Syringe feedings will consist primarily of goat’s milk, water, Gerber sweet potato baby food, powdered timothy hay pellets or finely minced hay (think pesto), and powdered non-sugared cheerios. It should be of the consistency to pass smoothly through the syringe and not clog. The more hay powder you can get in the mixture, the more beneficial it can be to helping the pup transition to a solid diet.
Dr. Seaberg recommends that any supplemental pellet you choose should contain timothy hay or another grass hay as its primary or first listed ingredient. If the first ingredient is not timothy hay or another grass based hay, I’d stay away. Read the ingredient list to be sure. The pellets also should not contain any dried corn whatsoever. Her preference and first choices are American Pet Diner’s Prairie Dog Natural (Dr. Seaberg served as nutritional consultant in the development of this pellet) or Oxbow Animal Health’s Essentials Adult Rabbit Food. Both companies also offer excellent grass hays.
As a footnote, the previous, primary source for our dogs’ food was Exotic Nutrition, until we learned that they’re simply relabeling a lot of their food as “prairie dog food”, and that their food is not specialized for the diet of a prairie dog. Stay away.
Much of the credit for this page goes to Dr. Seaberg.
What can I feed a prairie dog?
Similar to rabbits, prairie dogs require a diet high in fresh fiber. Feeding hay is essential, mainly timothy or other grass hay, avoiding large amounts of the richer alfalfa hay. Rabbit pellets may be offered in small amounts (about ¼ cup per pet,) decreasing or even eliminating this after 1 year of age.
Do prairie dogs eat apples?
Anyone can feed a prairie dog. They eat: Only lettuce and celery; leafy greens such as kale and spinach are not easily digested by prairie dogs. On occasion, an apple, grapes or melon.
Basic Prairie Dog Care.
Avoid seeds and nuts as treats as they are very high in fat, and prairie dogs already have a tendency towards obesity. Make fresh water available in a water bottle.
| Guavas | Orange |
| Beet greens | Cabbage |
| Cauliflower | Rutabaga |
| Kohlrabi | Raspberries |
| Strawberries | Spinach |
Can prairie dogs eat peanut butter?
Prairie dogs, especially the bigger ones, apparently like peanut butter. About 70 percent of wild prairie dogs successfully ingested peanut butter flavored baits containing an oral sylvatic plague vaccine that were distributed throughout their habitats, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey study.
Do prairie dogs eat carrots?
Fresh vegetables suggestions would be raw sweet potatoes & raw carrots. The Prairie dog eats a simple vegetarian diet of pellets, fresh hay, grasses, fresh fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts, and fresh water.
DO PRAIRIE DOGS DRINK WATER? Not usually, but they will. In the wild, they get enough moisture from the native grasses and weeds that they normally eat. In Albuquerque during a drought, they will eat cactus to receive their needed moisture and to prevent starvation.
When kept as a pet, Prairie dogs should be fed a high fiber pellet diet along with Timothy Hay or Timothy Hay Cubes. Exotic Nutrition has formulated a diet high in fiber, made from all natural, locally grown grain products. Exotic Nutrition’s Prairie Dog Diet & Prairie Dog Pup Diet emulates the natural nutritional needs of Prairie dogs.
In the wild, grasses are the preferred food of the prairie dog, and generally makes up about three quarters of its diet.
In captivity, Prairie dogs should be offered a high fiber diet such as Exotic Nutrition’s Prairie Dog Diet. This food was formulated specifically for the nutritional requirements of captive Prairie dogs and is very high in fiber content.
You should also offer Whole Oats & dried Timothy Hay or Timothy Hay Cubes. Fresh vegetables suggestions would be raw sweet potatoes & raw carrots.
The Prairie dog eats a simple vegetarian diet of pellets, fresh hay, grasses, fresh fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts, and fresh water.
How much to feed: The amount to feed depends on several factors, the age and sex of the Prairie dog, its activity level, its individual metabolic rate and its present health.
At all times watch the weight of your Prairie dog. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that (barring a metabolic disorder) if it is getting fat, cut back on the food, and if it is too thin, increase the food.
Water: In the wild, Prairie dogs very rarely drink water. The obtain all the moisture that they need from their foods. But, iin captivity Prairie dogs live in artificially heated and cooled environment that take water for the very air that they breathe. Many of the foods we feed are dried or processed and do not contain sufficient water to supply even their meager needs. A water bottle with a lick spout works fine for Prairie dogs that are familiar with one. However, some babies do not know what to do with the spout. We suggest that if a baby Prairie dog is supplies a water bottle, clip a small dish under the spout on the side of the cage. They will soon learn to associate that part of the cage with water and in the process they will bump the spout and water will be released. When you remove the dish, the Prairie dog will have been trained to use the water bottle.
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/prairie-dogs-feeding
By Rick Axelson, DVM
Care & Wellness, Nutrition, Pet Services
What do prairie dogs eat?
In the wild, prairie dogs tend to eat grasses, plants, and leaves. As captive pets, it is essential to feed a diet that approximates what they eat in the wild in order to prevent dietary-related diseases such as obesity, malnutrition, and gastrointestinal disorders, which are among the more common health disorders in captive prairie dogs.
“Similar to rabbits, prairie dogs require a diet high in fiber.”
Similar to rabbits, prairie dogs require a diet high in fiber. Also like rabbits, prairie dogs are “hindgut fermenters”, which means that the digestion of their food occurs by bacterial fermentation in the lower intestines, and which also means that they require a large amount of dietary roughage. Obesity is a common problem in pet prairie dogs due to improper diet and lack of exercise. Feeding mainly timothy or other grass hay, is essential. Avoid feeding large amounts of the richer alfalfa hay, except in the young, growing animal Timothy rabbit pellets or rodent chow (1-2 blocks per week) may be offered in small amounts to the young prairie dog, decreasing or even eliminating this after 1 year of age. Fresh vegetables (especially a VARIETY of dark green leafy vegetables such as parsley, cilantro, kale, collard greens, bok choy, clover, dandelion, carrot tops) should be offered.
How often should I feed my prairie dog?
Food should be freely available all day and night.
Do I need to give my prairie dog any supplements?
Supplements have not been developed for prairie dogs specifically, and no general recommendation can be made regarding supplementing the diet of a normal, healthy prairie dog that is fed as directed above.
Can I offer my prairie dog treats?
Yes, but they should constitute no more than 5% of the daily food intake. Acceptable treats include a variety of fruits. SMALL amounts of various fruits can be offered occasionally. To avoid obesity, dental disease, and fatty liver disease AVOID dog and cat food, nuts, raisins, animal protein, additional carbohydrates, and table scraps.
What are the water requirements of prairie dogs?
Fresh water should be available at all times. Water containers must be cleaned thoroughly every day with soap and water. Most owners choose to offer water through a sipper bottle hung in the cage, as water bowls are easily soiled and are often spilled. Wash and rinse the bottle whenever you change the water (at least daily), and check to make sure the sipper tube has not become clogged with food.