kim
Member
Posts: 399
|
Post by kim on May 2, 2015 5:47:27 GMT -8
Hi I have recently (about a month ago) changed my gerbils food and a a couple of weeks ago I also got them a new bigger tank. Anyway I had Skully out today for a run I noticed he was looking skinnier than he use to, so I weighed him and he now weighs 106g where as last time I weighed him on the 12th April he weighted 117g.
I'm not sure if he could have actually been slightly over weight before and now he's a good weight on the new food or if he's not doing good on the new food and has lost weight due to that or could it even be something to do with the new tank?
Hes brother who was recently ill and lost weight due to that and has since put a good amount of weight back on is still looking good (although I haven't weighed him yet) so I think its just skully.
I will also weigh my other pair later as well though to see if they have lost weight, but they look good to me to.
Any ideas?
Thanks
Edit: just weight one gerbil from my other pair and he's the same weight as last time I weight him last month so no loss or gain.
|
|
|
Post by betty on May 2, 2015 6:19:52 GMT -8
117g is s decent top-end weight for a male gerbil (although I weighed on of mine lately and he was 130g). I also have some males who are only 80g though.
I wouldn't be too worried that he was 106g perse - but what I would be watching out for was whether he continued to lose weight and how fast.
It may be that the larger tank allowed for more digging and other exercise and so the weight loss isn't a huge worry on its own, but if he lost another 10g in another month - I might be more concerned.
First things first would be to check the teeth of course - just to be sure he is losing the weight naturally rather than through not eating. If his teeth are fine and his movement is fine, then all you can do for now is just weigh them regularly and keep an eye on it over the next few weeks or months.
|
|
|
Post by qtoffer on May 3, 2015 18:08:03 GMT -8
If the teeth are fine, check the water bottle and make sure it's dispensing. Also observe the gerbils together and make sure that nobody is preventing anybody else from accessing the food --------------------------------------------------------------------- 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
|
|