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Post by moonlight7wolf on Apr 27, 2015 13:51:55 GMT -8
Hi, one of my gerbils is significantly heavier than the other and looks more 'chunky' (less streamlined). They're both females (I've checked multiple times because I've heard that males are bigger than females- so I was worried the bigger one was a male). The thing is they're only 4 months old, so I'm wondering if they're just filling out. However, if that's the case, why is one growing more than the other? They're sisters so they should have similar genes.
And if this makes a difference then they are being fed tropical carnival food and they have a wheel which they both love to run on. The 'fatter' one actually runs on it significantly faster, top speed (it really is quite amusing to watch). So maybe all of her bulk is just muscle.
So basically, how do I tell if my gerbil is getting fat? And why are they different sizes even though they're sisters?
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Post by leafwhisp on Apr 27, 2015 15:36:36 GMT -8
I am not sure how to tell if it is fat, however, I can tell you that I got 3 males, and one is the smallest gerbil I have ever seen, and one is pretty large. The other, obviously, is inbetween. The small one was always the runt and I guess he will always be that way. Still trying to figure out if one is a bit too big though.
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Post by qtoffer on Apr 27, 2015 17:25:25 GMT -8
The most reliable way to tell if a gerbil is fat is to weigh them and keep records over time. I use a cheap digital kitchen scale. Adult females typically weigh 70 - 100 g, while males weigh 90 - 120 g. (28 g = 1 oz) It's hard to guess by looks alone because sometimes they puff out their coats if they're chilly. I've had a trio of sisters in which one was always 20 g lighter than the other two.
--------------------------------------------------------------------- Eowyn (F) 11/12/2011 - 20 gallon with 20 gallon topper Goldberry (F) 11/12/2011 - 20 gallon with 20 gallon topper -------------------------------------------------------------- RIP Maire 11/6/2008 - 4/6/2011; Eithne 11/6/2008 - 10/10/2011 Lori 5/2/2011 - 7/24/2013; Mo 5/2/2011 - 1/14/2014; Carly 5/2/2011 - 5/21/2014 Arwen 11/12/2011 - 2/8/2015
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Post by vexorg on Apr 27, 2015 20:07:51 GMT -8
You can normally tell by holding them. It's hard to tell fat gerbil from big gerbil.
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Post by betty on Apr 27, 2015 23:47:19 GMT -8
I'm not the same size as my sister! Gerbils vary greatly and that is why weighing them every so often is the only way to tell these things.
For example your heavier gerbil could lose 10% or more of it's bodyweight but still 'look the same' as your smaller one - it doesn't mean they are still 'healthy'. If one has leveled out at larger, then its natural weight is 'larger'. If it drops to 'smaller' then it could be a sign of something.
Not always of course, but having a history of their weights can help when something does go wrong. This way you have something to compare it to at least. I have had females from 65g to 85g. Males up to 130g (usually breeding males who eat all the yummy food you give the nursing mum).
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Post by moonlight7wolf on Apr 28, 2015 12:46:02 GMT -8
Okay, I'm going to guess Raven isn't fat then. Because shes fairly active and their diet is good and they're both young. But once they reach 6 months I'll start weighing them to make sure they're in the right range. Thanks everyone!
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