of health problems in rodents involve housing or feeding
Rodent and rabbit veterinarian online
Rats
Hamsters
Guinea pigs
Chinchillas and degus
Online consultation with a veterinarian for rodents and rabbits
For rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, chinchillas, degus and rabbits: we help you understand how urgent it is, make sense of the symptoms and choose the next step.
Rats
Hamsters
Guinea pigs
Chinchillas and degus- 01 No appointment or account needed
- 02 Rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, chinchillas, degus, rabbits
- 03 18+ years of clinical and online practice
Emergency? If your animal is struggling to breathe, bleeding heavily, having seizures, has collapsed or lost consciousness, go to the nearest veterinary clinic now. Online consultations are not for emergencies.
How it works
How the consultation works
- Fill in the form and payBriefly describe the problem and pay for the written consultation.
- Send the detailsAfter payment you receive a link to the questionnaire: photos, video, weight, diet, droppings and any tests already done.
- Get a plan of actionThe veterinarian explains how urgent it is, the likely causes, which tests make sense, care and follow-up.
Clinical practice
The doctor works with rodents in the clinic and online
In a consultation the veterinarian looks at photos, video, radiographs, how the condition has changed and how the pet is housed, and if there are warning signs, says what to do today.
Common concerns
What a rodent veterinarian helps with online
The assessment comes from the whole picture: the veterinarian compares the complaints, the species, age, weight, housing and any test results.
Appetite and weight: not eating, weight loss, weakness, drinking less or a sudden change in behavior.
Breathing: sneezing, wheezing, nasal discharge, porphyrin in rats, breathing with the flanks.
Teeth and chewing: drooling, refusing hard food, teeth in chinchillas, degus and rabbits, uneven wear, suspected pain.
Digestion: diarrhea in a guinea pig, constipation, bloating, wet tail in a hamster, changes in the droppings.
Skin and coat: itching, bald patches, scratching, crusts, suspected parasites.
Lumps and injuries: a lump on a hamster or rat, swellings, wounds, limping, a fall, bleeding, decline after giving birth.
Finding the cause
Why the veterinarian asks about housing and diet
In rodents a symptom often looks like a separate disease, but it is set off by mistakes in feeding, hay, bedding, humidity or the cage.
Why do a guinea pig's teeth overgrow?
Overgrown teeth are often a consequence rather than the first cause. The veterinarian asks about hay, diet, weight, drooling, droppings and chewing, because without changing the conditions the problem comes back.
What matters when a rat sneezes?
The veterinarian looks beyond sneezing and porphyrin: bedding, dust, humidity, ventilation, appetite, weight and breathing at rest. This helps tell irritation apart from a situation that needs in-person diagnostics.
Why not treat just the symptom?
If a hamster, rat, chinchilla, degu, guinea pig or rabbit stops eating, the cause matters: teeth, pain, stress, diet, the gut, breathing or housing. A review online helps you see the next safe step.
Format and price
Written consultation for rodents and rabbits
Written consultation
No appointment and no account. Suits a case you can describe in writing when you need a structured plan.
- a detailed questionnaire after payment;
- symptoms, history, photos, video, test results and radiographs;
- a written reply in PDF with a step-by-step plan;
- reply within 24 hours of submitting the questionnaire.
Reviews
What rodent owners say
Real reviews from public profiles, translated faithfully from the original. All reviews and sources
★★★★★
Google review
I want to say an enormous thank you for our little furry one. Even though we live in a fairly large city, we could not find a specialist for a Syrian hamster — nobody works with them. Our little one started going bald and scratching badly, losing fur by the hour. I wrote to Aleksandr online, honestly not believing anyone would reply — and to my astonishment, when I woke up there were already three pages of recommendations in my inbox: care, housing, nutrition and treatment. We did everything, and by the second day he was more comfortable and the itching had stopped. By day ten the fur had grown back, with only very small patches left. He is active again. Thank you so much.
★★★★★
Verified purchase
Aleksandr is a true professional. Everything was clear, prompt and competent. The recommendations were given and we are already carrying them out. I recommend him one hundred per cent.
Your result
What you have after the consultation
The result is a structured plan that is easy to save, use at home and show at a clinic if in-person procedures are needed.
What a consultation is. A veterinarian reviews the description, history, photos, videos and test results you send and replies in writing within 24 hours of submitting the questionnaire. You receive a PDF with an assessment of the situation, what to check and how urgently, a step-by-step plan, and which medicines and doses to discuss with your local veterinarian. A consultation is advice from a distance: it is not an examination or a prescription, and it does not replace your veterinarian. How remote advice works.
Example written consultation
PDF
Patient
Pet rat, 1 year 8 months
Concern: sneezing, porphyrin around the nose, eating less
Assessment
A respiratory problem is possible. Breathing, weight and housing need to be assessed.
What to check
- an in-person exam if breathing gets worse;
- a chest radiograph if indicated;
- weight, appetite and activity, monitored at home.
Plan
- remove dusty bedding and other irritants;
- record a video of breathing at rest;
- arrange in-person diagnostics if red flags appear;
- follow-up on progress and what to do if it gets worse.
Dr. Alex Strelkov
veterinarian
Who consults
Aleksandr Strelkov (Alex Strelkov)
A fourth-generation physician, Dr. Strelkov graduated with honors from the K.I. Skryabin Veterinary Academy. Over 18 years he has treated hundreds of avian and exotic cases, co-authored peer-reviewed publications, taken part in international veterinary programs, and built a 500,000-subscriber audience sharing evidence-based bird health advice.
In a rodent consultation he looks at the symptoms, the housing, the history and any medicines already recommended. The strength of the online format is not guessing from one sign but putting the whole picture together: how the pet eats, breathes and moves, what the droppings look like, what it is fed, what has changed in the last few days and which tests have already been done.
18+ years of clinical practice
Rodents and exotic animals among his main areas
Honors graduate
Peer-reviewed publications
Radiology and endoscopy training
Exotic-animal oncology training
My goal is that you understand exactly what is happening with your animal and know precisely what to do next. I cannot promise miracles — but I will do everything modern veterinary science allows.
Dr. Aleksandr Strelkov
Documents and publications
Qualifications backed by documents
Warning signs
When a rodent needs a veterinarian
If there is no veterinarian near you who works with rodents, an online consultation is often more useful than a general visit: rodents are sometimes treated with schemes for cats and dogs, and for rats and hamsters such recommendations can be dangerous. The veterinarian helps you decide how urgent it is and whether a clinic is needed for oxygen, pain relief, a radiograph or fluids. With the signs below, go to the nearest clinic first.
Labored breathing
Breathing with the flanks, an open mouth, wheezing, a bluish tint, marked weakness.
Not eating or bloated
Suddenly refusing food, bloating, no droppings or pain become dangerous quickly in small animals.
Injury or bleeding
A fall, a bite, bleeding, seizures, paralysis of the legs.
Birth complications
Weakness, bloody discharge, a retained baby or decline after giving birth.
If there is no rodent vet near you
An online consultation wherever you live
The VetGO veterinarian can be reached from anywhere: he helps you understand how urgent it is, reviews your materials, gives a second opinion and prepares questions for your local veterinarian. This matters most when there is no exotic-animal vet nearby or the wait for an appointment is long.
A second opinion
Before an in-person visit, or after you have already received recommendations from another clinic.
Big cities
Even in a large city it can be hard to find a veterinarian who sees hamsters, rats or degus.
Small towns
If there is no exotic-animal vet nearby, you get a plan: what to do at home, which tests to do locally and how urgent it is.
Any country
The consultation is in English and takes into account which tests and medicines are available where you are.
Common questions
Questions about the online consultation for rodents and rabbits
Can the veterinarian review test results, radiographs or another vet's plan?
Yes. Attach test results, radiographs and the current recommendations in the questionnaire after payment, at no extra cost. The veterinarian explains which findings matter and what to do next.
Can a rodent be diagnosed online?
A consultation is veterinary advice based on what you send. It does not replace an in-person examination and does not create a veterinarian-client-patient relationship where the law requires an exam. The veterinarian assesses the symptoms, history, photos, video and tests, outlines the likely causes and explains which tests, radiographs or examination would confirm them.
What should I do if my rodent is not eating?
Refusing food quickly becomes dangerous for rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, chinchillas and rabbits. If there is bloating, labored breathing, seizures, an injury or sudden weakness, go to the nearest clinic now. Otherwise, describe the weight, droppings, teeth, breathing, diet and housing so the veterinarian can assess how urgent it is.
Why does the veterinarian ask about the cage, hay and food?
In VetGO case reviews, up to 80% of health problems in rodents are linked to housing, feeding, hay, bedding, humidity or care mistakes. That is why the veterinarian always checks the basic conditions and recommends what to change.
Why do a guinea pig's teeth overgrow?
Overgrown teeth in a guinea pig are often a consequence rather than the first cause. The veterinarian assesses the diet, the quality and availability of hay, chewing, weight, drooling and droppings, and tells you whether urgent in-person dental care is needed.
Can an online veterinarian help if my rat is sneezing or has porphyrin?
Yes. The consultation helps assess urgency, housing, bedding, breathing, appetite and how things are changing. If the rat breathes with its flanks or an open mouth, is very weak or has a bluish tint, go to the nearest clinic now.
When do a chinchilla's or degu's teeth need a veterinarian?
If a chinchilla or degu eats less, drops food, loses weight, drools, picks soft food or the droppings have changed, a dental problem cannot be solved by changing the food alone. A review online helps you understand how urgent it is, but trimming teeth and radiographs are done in person.
A lump on a hamster or rat: can it wait?
It is better to show a lump on a hamster, rat or guinea pig to a veterinarian promptly: in rodents growths can grow fast. The consultation helps assess photos, growth, age and behavior and plan the next step, such as pain relief, a needle sample or removal. Surgery needs a surgeon who works with rodents, and the veterinarian tells you which questions to ask.
Can I get a consultation from another city or country?
Yes, an online consultation does not depend on where you live. The veterinarian takes into account which tests, procedures and medicines are available where you are.
Is there a free consultation?
A full individual consultation is paid, because the veterinarian studies the history and materials and prepares a plan. For free, you can read the VetGO Wiki articles about rodents.
How fast does the written consultation arrive?
Written consultations are answered in order of the queue, within 24 hours of submitting the questionnaire. The veterinarian looks at every case individually, so please describe everything that worries you. Right after payment you get access to the questionnaire, where you can tell the whole story in detail. Complex cases are sometimes discussed with colleagues before the reply.
Is there a video call?
No, the consultation is written. If the veterinarian needs to see something, he will ask you for photos or video.
Tell us what is happening with your pet
Briefly describe the symptoms and pay for the written consultation. You attach photos and video of your pet in the questionnaire right after payment.
Start the consultationAbout rodents
Articles for rodent owners
Red discharge around a rat's eyes and nose
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Wet tail in hamsters
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Guinea pig teeth problems
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Is a sugar glider a good pet?
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A rat sneezing but acting normal
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A guinea pig not eating: teeth and malocclusion
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A lump on a hamster: tumor or abscess
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A degu not eating and breathing heavily
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VetGO Wiki: rodents
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