alleyj
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Ever tried WARE Willow Branch balls? Gerbil crack!
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Post by alleyj on Aug 16, 2015 19:07:38 GMT -8
Maisy and Daisy are about two years old, and they're not svelte little things anymore... I know as gerbils get older they tend to puff a bit, but Maisy especially has gotten quite chunky recently. They eat oxbow healthy handfuls and get a treat or a fruit/veggie every few days. They live in a marchioro kevin 82 with two wheels they use fairly often, and the first level is about four inches off the ground and they can easily jump up to it. Maisy is especially fond of climbing up the bars to the top of the cage and resting there like a spider, chewing the bars.
They're probably fine but Maisy is such a little piglet, she'll do anything for food... Just want to make sure they're healthy. So how big is too big?
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Post by betty on Aug 17, 2015 0:45:32 GMT -8
If she is chunky all over it is less of a worry than if she was just getting a big fat tummy. Anything up to 120g is within a common range, but right at the top end.
So if you want to slim her down, you will have to cut out all the big treats loose in the tank and only hand feed any treats you want to give to the other one so no sharesies, if at all.
Have you got any pictures of her out them?
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Post by rennmaus on Aug 17, 2015 6:57:08 GMT -8
The vet who is currently treating Graham has described him as obese... he is 115g now, and yes he is chubby. (I had not thought of him as obese before though!)
Have you considered weighing your gerbs? I find kitchen scales useful for this.
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alleyj
Member
Ever tried WARE Willow Branch balls? Gerbil crack!
Posts: 73
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Post by alleyj on Aug 19, 2015 19:35:24 GMT -8
If she is chunky all over it is less of a worry than if she was just getting a big fat tummy. Anything up to 120g is within a common range, but right at the top end. So if you want to slim her down, you will have to cut out all the big treats loose in the tank and only hand feed any treats you want to give to the other one so no sharesies, if at all. Have you got any pictures of her out them?  She seems to be just chunky all over. My sweet girl! Every time I give treats it's one to each and they run off to their corners. |
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Post by asher on Aug 19, 2015 20:21:31 GMT -8
That doesnt look like a gerbil to me, lol
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Post by rennmaus on Aug 19, 2015 22:53:59 GMT -8
Maisy has a very similar body shape to Graham... Like you, I don't give my gerbils that many treats. I have no experience with Oxbow Healthy Handfuls so can't really comment on that aspect of her diet... personally, I've started considering making my own food for Graham now, to get the recommended nutrition levels just right and to avoid accidentally overfeeding. Some people on the forum have experimented with that, I think. Am going to start researching...
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Post by betty on Aug 20, 2015 1:01:06 GMT -8
Yeah, she is just podgy all over I think from that shot - so maybe just only give her a treat every OTHER time over the next few weeks - then weigh her again and see if it has helped.
Perhaps change that wheel of yours to a better one (search the Housing section for plenty of recommendations) so that she can fit in it more easily and perhaps run some of that tummy off!
Do you have a gerbil run that you could wear her out in too?
As for treats actually - I wonder if you could try to 'treat' her with empty foods - foods with low nutritional value (or at least low fat) as such, so cucumber, and cabbage etc. No nuts seeds or sweet fruits or veg.
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alleyj
Member
Ever tried WARE Willow Branch balls? Gerbil crack!
Posts: 73
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Post by alleyj on Aug 20, 2015 7:36:55 GMT -8
Yeah, she is just podgy all over I think from that shot - so maybe just only give her a treat every OTHER time over the next few weeks - then weigh her again and see if it has helped. Perhaps change that wheel of yours to a better one (search the Housing section for plenty of recommendations) so that she can fit in it more easily and perhaps run some of that tummy off! Do you have a gerbil run that you could wear her out in too? As for treats actually - I wonder if you could try to 'treat' her with empty foods - foods with low nutritional value (or at least low fat) as such, so cucumber, and cabbage etc. No nuts seeds or sweet fruits or veg. Her sister is a little skinnier but about the same. I'm gonna see if I can borrow a gram scale from my work and chart her. They have a katyee silent spinner in their cage as well that they like, I may throw in a few more I have in their toy chest. That one is the favorite of course, because it was eaten. What's a gerbil run? Like a ball for her to run in? I have one, she doesn't seem to like it a lot but I can try to get her interested in it. She had a playpen that she could easily jump out of, so I got rid of it. Their cage is pretty big too. I can cut out the treats for a while and see if it helps. They really like sweet things, I can try cucumber but they love banana chips the best and other dried fruits. |
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alleyj
Member
Ever tried WARE Willow Branch balls? Gerbil crack!
Posts: 73
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Post by alleyj on Aug 20, 2015 7:37:11 GMT -8
That doesnt look like a gerbil to me, lol ...as opposed to? I'm pretty sure she's a gerbil.  |
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Post by betty on Aug 20, 2015 8:11:08 GMT -8
Not a ball no - most gerbils really don't feel happy in those with such a small floor space and every time you lean one way the floor moves away and you tip upside-down? I meant a run on the floor or like me - I have a wooden vivarium that mine run around in. As it is different to their tank it just keeps them active for that bit longer - like us going to the park I suppose?
And of course they love the sugary treats - no human would class cabbage as a treat! But gerbils like novelty. You just need to offer small amounts of different healthier things to them instead of the sugar. We all love something different right? So try all sorts of veggies like brocolli, green beans, cabbage, courgette etc. just little tiny raisin-sized pieces every other day.
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Post by MoonstoneGerbils on Aug 20, 2015 9:05:03 GMT -8
Most females over say 85g are probably obese.
As females age their hormones also change, typically these heavier set females have entered a stage in life that is post gestation. I'm not quite sure if its a true menopause, but they are certainly beyond the point of being able to concieve and raise a litter when they get that large.
I would suggest a trying a different diet, though i haven't quite worked out what that would be myself. Ideally one higher in fiber, and probably lower in protein/fat. Generally speaking you aren't going to be able to exercise this weight off. You can't just put a gerbil on an exercise plan, sometimes a wheel will make a difference, but only if they didn't already have one and they're inclined to run on it. You can stick a gerbil in a ball, but that doesn't mean she's going to run it.
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Post by t1gg3er on Aug 20, 2015 9:57:10 GMT -8
I'd be interested to hear if anyone can recommend a feed that's low in protein/fat as we also have a rather chunky boy who piled on weight stuffing himself with all the high protein treats (mealworms, sunflower hearts etc...) we were putting in whilst his partner was nursing her pups. 3 months on & we're still struggling to get him to shift that weight.
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alleyj
Member
Ever tried WARE Willow Branch balls? Gerbil crack!
Posts: 73
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Post by alleyj on Aug 20, 2015 13:11:10 GMT -8
Most females over say 85g are probably obese. As females age their hormones also change, typically these heavier set females have entered a stage in life that is post gestation. I'm not quite sure if its a true menopause, but they are certainly beyond the point of being able to concieve and raise a litter when they get that large. I would suggest a trying a different diet, though i haven't quite worked out what that would be myself. Ideally one higher in fiber, and probably lower in protein/fat. Generally speaking you aren't going to be able to exercise this weight off. You can't just put a gerbil on an exercise plan, sometimes a wheel will make a difference, but only if they didn't already have one and they're inclined to run on it. You can stick a gerbil in a ball, but that doesn't mean she's going to run it. Alright, I found a gram scale. Daisy is 75 g on the nose and Maisy is somewhere between 85-95. She's a wiggler. I'd assume they are probably approaching gerbil menopause because they are 1.5 years. If you know of a new meal plan that would help I will try it, I'm a bit nervous because they've been eating oxbow all their life and I don't want to upset their systems. But I don't want pudgy girls either! |
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alleyj
Member
Ever tried WARE Willow Branch balls? Gerbil crack!
Posts: 73
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Post by alleyj on Aug 20, 2015 13:12:07 GMT -8
Not a ball no - most gerbils really don't feel happy in those with such a small floor space and every time you lean one way the floor moves away and you tip upside-down? I meant a run on the floor or like me - I have a wooden vivarium that mine run around in. As it is different to their tank it just keeps them active for that bit longer - like us going to the park I suppose? And of course they love the sugary treats - no human would class cabbage as a treat! But gerbils like novelty. You just need to offer small amounts of different healthier things to them instead of the sugar. We all love something different right? So try all sorts of veggies like brocolli, green beans, cabbage, courgette etc. just little tiny raisin-sized pieces every other day. Maisy weighed in at 85-95 g and Daisy is 75 on the nose. I'll give them more wheels to choose from and try to get her out in a pen of some sort. And we will try broccoli and other veggies, they are a picky duo but it's worth a shot! |
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Post by betty on Aug 21, 2015 1:39:04 GMT -8
Worth a shot if you are worried about her weight, and I am sure cutting out all of those sugary treats for just here will not only reduce her weight over the next few months - but also make her a little bit healthier! 85g is fine really, but 95g is getting close to top end.
Gerbils weight goes up and down on their own as well I think depending on who they are with. I know one female of mine was 'normal' on her own for a while; then when she went in with a male (she wasn't able to have pups) and she ballooned up like a trooper. Then when he passed and she was on her own again, she dropped back down again. I suppose we all react to other people's feeding habits - even as humans.
And nearly all my 'father' gerbils bulge at the sides due to all the nutritious food I put in for the mother and pups. Then when they retire with their sons, they get a semblance of a waist back!
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