A newborn rabbit, guinea pig or hamster that has lost its mother cannot simply be given cow's milk — it is the wrong balance of fat, protein and lactose entirely, and a mismatched feed is often what actually harms an orphaned litter rather than the loss of the mother itself.

This is a milk replacer powder, mixed with water rather than fed directly, formulated for orphaned and newborn small animals. Beaphar's recipe is built on coconut oil, whey protein isolate, glucose monohydrate, glucose syrup, dicalcium phosphate, sodium caseinate, sodium tripolyphosphate and whey powder, and it is kept low in lactose — just 1.1% — because lactose is what a lot of small mammals struggle to digest.

• 200G tub of milk replacer powder
• For newborn and orphaned rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, rats, mice, chinchillas and degus
• Also suitable for hedgehogs weighing more than 50g
• Low lactose formula at 1.1%
• Composition: coconut oil, whey protein isolate, glucose monohydrate, glucose syrup, dicalcium phosphate, sodium caseinate, sodium tripolyphosphate, whey powder

One thing worth knowing. Beaphar say to seek veterinary guidance when hand-rearing an orphaned animal, and specifically not to use this on a hedgehog under 50g without a vet's advice — hand-rearing is genuinely difficult and this powder is one part of it, not a substitute for that guidance. No mixing ratio has been supplied to us, so follow the instructions on the pack rather than guessing quantities.

Who it's for: anyone hand-rearing a newborn or orphaned small mammal — a breeder with an abandoned litter, or a rescue taking in an underweight hedgehog over 50g — who needs a proper milk replacer rather than an improvised substitute.