Companion Mammals

2nd Street Animal Hospital

Rabbits, Ferrets, Hamsters — and Everything Pocket-Sized.

If you’ve been searching “hamster vet near me” or a rabbit vet in Philadelphia, you’ve found one of the few hospital that actually sees these species regularly — not as an afterthought. Rabbits get full dental care (critical for them), ferrets get adrenalectomies when needed, and every small mammal gets the same quiet handling as a Golden Retriever.

Patients welcome

Species We See

If your companion is pocket-sized, chances are we see it. Call us if you’re not sure.

Rabbits

Ferrets

Guinea Pigs

Chinchillas

Rats

Mice

Hamsters

Gerbils

Sugar Gliders

What we offer

Small Mammal Services

General and specialty services tailored to species-specific needs — not adapted from dog-and-cat protocols.

Specific vaccinations (not carried at most practices)

Advanced comfort handling

Orthopedic procedures

Advanced abscess surgery

Ferret partial pancreatectomy

Liquid medication formulations

Soft tissue surgery

Spay & neuter

Ferret adrenalectomy

Critical for rabbits

Advanced Dental Care

Dental disease is the leading cause of weight loss and hidden suffering in rabbits. Unlike dogs or cats, rabbit teeth grow continuously — and when they don’t wear properly, the consequences cascade fast: pain, drooling, reduced appetite, gut stasis, and eventual systemic infection. Most general practices aren’t equipped to evaluate this. We are.

Our approach starts with radiographic grading — you cannot assess rabbit dental disease by looking in the mouth alone. From there, treatment is matched to severity: from straightforward leveling to full extractions with antibiotic bead placement for abscesses.

Radiographic grading

Pre-molar/molar leveling

Extractions

Congenital abnormal incisor

Antibiotic bead dental

Getting ahead of problems

Post-Purchase and Preventive Care

New small mammal owners are often surprised to learn that many of the health problems seen in rabbits, ferrets, and guinea pigs are entirely preventable — or at least manageable when caught early. A post-purchase wellness exam within the first weeks is one of the highest-value things you can do. We check for congenital issues, assess diet and housing, discuss appropriate enrichment, and set a baseline so future visits have something to compare against.

Ferrets have specific preventive needs that differ sharply from cats: distemper vaccination, heartworm prevention, and annual adrenal and pancreatic screening become increasingly important as they age past three years. We build a preventive calendar specific to your ferret’s life stage.

Rabbits living indoors still benefit from annual exams and proactive dental monitoring. A single early intervention — like addressing mild molar spur formation before it causes gut stasis — costs far less than an emergency hospitalization. We’d rather meet your rabbit when it’s healthy.

Frequently Asked

Frequently Asked Questions

My rabbit seems fine — why does it need a vet?

Rabbits are prey animals and conceal pain and illness until they cannot anymore. By the time a rabbit looks sick, the problem is often advanced. Annual exams catch dental disease, weight changes, and GI issues before they become emergencies. “Seems fine” is not the same as “is fine” in a species wired to hide weakness.

How do I know if my ferret’s adrenal disease needs surgery?

Adrenal disease in ferrets is extremely common after age three and typically presents as hair loss starting at the tail, behavioral changes, or a swollen vulva in spayed females. Not every case requires immediate surgery — hormonal implants (Deslorelin) are a viable non-surgical option for some patients. We evaluate each ferret individually and walk through the trade-offs of surgical versus medical management with you.

Can you compound medication for my small mammal?

Yes. Most medications appropriate for small mammals are not available in dosages or formulations suitable for a 900-gram rabbit or a 150-gram hamster. We work with a compounding pharmacy to prepare species-appropriate liquid formulations — both in the correct concentration and, where possible, in flavors pets will actually accept.

I found a “small mammal vet near me” — are you actually experienced with these species?

Yes. Small mammals are a routine part of our caseload — not a once-in-a-while exception. We see rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, chinchillas, rats, and more on a weekly basis. We carry appropriate equipment (small mammal-specific anesthesia circuits, species-appropriate instruments), stock compounded medications in-house, and our team handles these patients with comfort-focused technique that matters more for small, stress-sensitive species than almost any other patient type.

Preventive

Medical & Urgent

Diagnostics & Advanced