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Post by daisy on Jul 5, 2015 19:16:41 GMT -8
One of my gerbils seems overweight and he has gained some weight. He used to be around 3.1 ounces and now he is 3.5 ounces. The other one is staying around 2,8 ounces. And seems a lot smaller.
I thought I might only give the smaller one the more fattening treats, like walnuts. I can do this by transferring the big one to the playpen first and giving the smaller one a treat before transferring him. Does that sound like a good idea?
Why would this happen? They are both over a year and a half or so old. They are brothers.
Daisy
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Post by betty on Jul 6, 2015 6:26:15 GMT -8
If the weight gain has been all over the body in a general 'getting bigger' then you don't have anything to worry about (unless the weight gain was in less that a few days).
I have male gerbils up to 4.1 ounces so until he tops that I wouldn't be too worried!
If the weight gain is sudden, in one place (like just a swollen belly) then it might be something more serious and a trip to the vets might be in order. If you are worried about anything though always go to the vets for your own peace of mind, but if he is just fatter than he was a few months ago, I wouldn't be to bothered.
If you want to put some pictures of him up we can reassure you if he looks 'normal'.
You certainly don't need to fatten the other one up as his weight is totally acceptable for a young energetic gerbil - I have had many males around that weight for the first year or so. And unless all the food is eaten within a few hours of you putting it in their tank - he can't be in need of any extra food. He is probably eating as much as he needs - he just needs less than the other one - or his body copes better with less food than the other one. I often have one larger and one smaller in each tank.
And I am certainly not the same weight as my sister...
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Post by daisy on Jul 7, 2015 17:26:28 GMT -8
How can I upload pictures ?
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Post by betty on Jul 7, 2015 23:26:25 GMT -8
There's a thread on here about how to do it using Photobucket or similar, but a lot of people also just add the url of an image on FB or other online site.
Search for 'uploading' or 'photo' on here, or go to the FAQ section and take a look around...
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Post by vexorg on Jul 8, 2015 20:45:10 GMT -8
A pic would help, if they are all in proportion then they will probably be fine. Gerbils do put on a bit of weight and change shape as they get older.
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