My gerbil is a little fat and needs a wider wheel-- Help?

[rhyara]

They ate away the cardboard on the 8" mesh wheel and both have taken to it really well ever since.
So glad I got it, we're all much happier



So far, my little guys have been running on a 6.5" silent spinner.  Shawn loves it and runs on it all the time.
But Gus.... is a little chubby. His hips are more wide-set and I've noticed his foot falling off the edge when he tries to run, so he tends to not run at all which only makes his weight problem worse. I don't want to have to give Gus no or fewer treats than Shawn just because he's fatter, but I don't want him getting sick either

So I got them a mesh wheel that is wide enough for Gus, but even Shawn doesn't like it... I'm thinking the mesh is too big and they're worried about hurting their feet (and so am I)

I put some cardboard on the inside temporarily (Shawn seems to like that ok) while I try to find a new wheel that is wide enough but not huge like the 12" chinchilla wheel and not damaging to their feet.


Any input towards a new wheel, or ways to modify the mesh one so it's safer, would be greatly appreciated.

(may try a saucer but worried about the thinner plastic and my gerbils' coordination)

[Thelodar]

You can put duct tape on the mesh wheel if you want, a layer on the inside and a layer on the outside. That's what I do and mine love running on their wheel. You will likely have to change the inner duct tape about as often as you clean the tank since it can get rather nasty.

[MoonstoneGerbils]

Gerbils need 8" wheels. Your wheel is too small for the gerbils. Ideally gerbils should have 10 or 12 inch wheels but they arn't always easy to come by.

[rhianna]

I'd be worried about putting duct tape on the wheel. They'll probably chew it and duct tape is no good for them. Maybe you could just leave the mesh wheel in for a few days and Shawn might get used to it? I use mesh wheels for my gerbils and they're just fine. Their feet aren't like hamster feet; using a mesh wheel won't bother them.

[rhyara]

Apr 4, 2014 15:24:27 GMT -8 MoonstoneGerbils said:

Gerbils need 8" wheels. Your wheel is too small for the gerbils. Ideally gerbils should have 10 or 12 inch wheels but they arn't always easy to come by.

Yeah...This new Mesh wheel is 8" and was the biggest one I could find
(and that was the biggest silent spinner they had before too)  Why don't they make these things more available? D:

[rhyara]

Apr 4, 2014 15:42:20 GMT -8 rhianna said:

I'd be worried about putting duct tape on the wheel. They'll probably chew it and duct tape is no good for them. Maybe you could just leave the mesh wheel in for a few days and Shawn might get used to it? I use mesh wheels for my gerbils and they're just fine. Their feet aren't like hamster feet; using a mesh wheel won't bother them.

Yeah, duct tape worried me too. Didn't want to do anything clothy either I hear that is really bad for them (plus it would smell really bad).
Someone in my research suggested Masking tape because it's made of paper, but I'm still worried about the adhesive...

Left the wheel in for a while already, he only walks on it a little and very slowly. Kinda' like how Gus did on the old wheel.
I think he got spoiled

Though he seems to be taking to the cardboard addition pretty well. I guess I could keep replacing the cardboard.

Problem with the mesh one is it's so much more noisier than the silent spinner even after greasing it

[crittercrazy]

I have a mesh and a silent spinner in my cage. I've never used duct tape or even cardboard on the mesh, I haven't had any problems with it.
I would still try leaving it in a little longer. My gerbils go through "phases" sort of where they love to run on their wheels then the next day they totally ignore it for a week or something. And they do use the mesh, though not as often as the silent spinner. My spinner, though, is- according to most people's opinion- too small so I might be either replacing it or just taking it out.

[homeworkcrazy]

put some butcher paper around the outside with some tape. mine do fine with it like that