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Post by paws on Sept 16, 2005 21:55:38 GMT -8
The boys, Paws and Sterling, are overweight and need to go on a diet. Right now their food is stuffed with sunflower seeds, so I spend half an hour picking them out before I feed them, and I can't find any food that doesn't have sunflower seeds. They won't run on a wheel, and sit there when they're in the ball. When I remove the suflower seeds, they don't seem to get any thinner, how should I go about dieting them? They have lots of interesting things in their cage, including a hut, loads of straw to make nests in, hemp and corncob bedding, and a piece of cork to climb on. Their cage doesn't fit anything else LOL. They DO have a playpen, so I guess I could put some exersizing things in that, but they just don't seem to get any thinner.
UUUURRRRRRRRRRRH!!!
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Post by paws on Sept 16, 2005 23:38:49 GMT -8
OK, I was scrolling through the website, and saw some people mixed their own food. I decided to give it a try, so this is what I have made...
Whole Oats: 50 percent
Walnuts
Pumpkin Seeds
Dog food bits (from their old food)
A very small quantity of sunflower seeds
some dried peas
A tablespoon of barley
two tablespoons of crisp rice
Some dried fruits and vegetables
Will add some canary mix when the pet store opens.
What would you suggest I do with this? What to add, to take away?
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Post by ashgerbil on Sept 17, 2005 4:01:06 GMT -8
i think that sounds like a fantastic mix  i should probably do that as Ash is really fat now, i swear he actually waddles around...lol ;D and he does the same thing in the ball as yours do, he just sits there, i actually found him asleep in there once! i did try giving him less food and treats, but it seems the less treats i give him, the less he excercises! btw have you tried letting your boys run on the stairs? |
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Post by paws on Sept 17, 2005 7:07:44 GMT -8
Thanks Ashgerbil! I've never let them run on the stairs, because my mum's dog might eat them... (he's huge...one swallow and they'd be gone) I FINALLY got to the pet store and got some canary mix. I'm hoping they'll like it, and that they'll become more athletic. Your gerbils are SOOOOOOOOOO cute though! I want to gobble them up!
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Post by ashgerbil on Sept 17, 2005 7:29:36 GMT -8
hehe they're far too wriggly for eating! lol  i have to shut my dog in the kitchen when i have the gerbils on the stairs, i'm sure he would see the gerbils as a nice packet of crisps! lol ;D |
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Post by paws on Sept 17, 2005 8:30:43 GMT -8
Tell them they're in luck then, I won't be eating them. lol! ;D That's what my mum's dog would see them as too! My dog, on the other hand... I was walking the dog with my friend and someone else's dog ran up behind us and frantically started sniffing around...then dug a hole a picked up this little field mouse,I was squeaking more than the mouse, and threw a twig at the dog, but it wouldn't let the mouse go. Finally my friend yelled at it and it (yelled "pfoi!" at it, in Switzerland it is what we say to our dogs when they misbehave) and dropped the mouse (strangely enough). I stared at it, and my dog, Abbie, who was offleash, lay in front of it with her head tilted and whimpered... so I'm sure she would see the gerbils as a very fat, mini version of herself. |
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Post by ashgerbil on Sept 17, 2005 9:41:15 GMT -8
awww, your dog sounds really cute! my dog likes my rabbit (well he sees him as a playmate which i don't think Thumper likes lol) but he tries to bite at the gerbils' tanks which i think means that he wants to eat them, poor gerbils! ;D |
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Post by sandy on Sept 17, 2005 10:15:44 GMT -8
When I put overweight gerbils on a diet I usually give them straight lab block. It has all the things they need but is, in my opinion, a minimal diet. I would never give straight lab block to normal weight, pregnant, growing or nursing gerbils, for example, and I only give it to my big guys for a short time.
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Post by paws on Sept 17, 2005 11:10:41 GMT -8
Awww Ashgerbil, that's cute that your dog likes your rabbit...I have this pic of my dog (looking like she's run into a wall with her face) and one of the gerbies, PHoenix, who died last week (  ) in his ball, playing together. |
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pixytwinkle
Member
Molly and Misty, my lovely gerbils.
Posts: 737
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Post by pixytwinkle on Sept 18, 2005 2:34:12 GMT -8
Have you got gerri gerbil food where you live paws? I feed mine that and it doesnt have any sunflower seeds.
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Post by ashgerbil on Sept 18, 2005 9:34:01 GMT -8
Awww Ashgerbil, that's cute that your dog likes your rabbit...I have this pic of my dog (looking like she's run into a wall with her face) and one of the gerbies, PHoenix, who died last week ( ) in his ball, playing together. sorry to hear about Phoenix we went to a dog show today and my dog won 1st prize for 'most appealing eyes'! lol ;D (sorry, that was a bit off-topic!) i would recommend gerri gerbil to you ( mind you, it hasn't done any favours for my boys' weight. lol ;D) but i think your mix sounds fantastic anyway, so you don't need gerri gerbil |
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Post by paws on Sept 18, 2005 21:55:11 GMT -8
Awww Ashgerbil, that's cute that your dog likes your rabbit...I have this pic of my dog (looking like she's run into a wall with her face) and one of the gerbies, PHoenix, who died last week ( ) in his ball, playing together. sorry to hear about Phoenix we went to a dog show today and my dog won 1st prize for 'most appealing eyes'! lol ;D (sorry, that was a bit off-topic!) i would recommend gerri gerbil to you ( mind you, it hasn't done any favours for my boys' weight. lol ;D) but i think your mix sounds fantastic anyway, so you don't need gerri gerbil Have you got gerri gerbil food where you live paws? I feed mine that and it doesnt have any sunflower seeds. I don't think so, but I'll look for it. Thanks for the food reccomendations. That's really cool that your dog one 1st prize Ashgerbil! He's such a cutie (I saw his pic) |
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Post by ashgerbil on Sept 19, 2005 10:43:00 GMT -8
haha thanx. he keeps strutting around with his little rosette on his collar, bless him! ;D
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Post by meganb52 on Sept 19, 2005 12:16:33 GMT -8
When I put overweight gerbils on a diet I usually give them straight lab block. It has all the things they need but is, in my opinion, a minimal diet. I would never give straight lab block to normal weight, pregnant, growing or nursing gerbils, for example, and I only give it to my big guys for a short time. I agree with Sandy. Lab block is a great staple diet that is good for taking weight off of, um, big-boned gerbils. Giving them only that takes all seeds and other misc. foods and is still balanced. You can use mouse or rat rodent block and that sould be fine. I would wait to use the mix until you've taken some weight off of them. You can buy a cheap 200g scale at the drugstore or local mega-mart (like wal-mart) and keep tabs on their weights. Normal gerbils should be 60-80g or so. -Megan |
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Post by paws on Sept 23, 2005 22:29:05 GMT -8
OK, I will look for a lab block. Is that a whitish block with seeds inside? They used to eat something like that. I will also look for a cheap scale. We have a kitchen scale, but they're so squiggly that it changes! thanks for the info.
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i have to shut my dog in the kitchen when i have the gerbils on the stairs, i'm sure he would see the gerbils as a nice packet of crisps! lol ;D
) in his ball, playing together. 