Kate
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Posts: 65 
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Post by Kate on Sept 29, 2019 14:13:27 GMT -8
so I've been feeding my gerbils the same amount of food since they were born. However in the past month they have been gaining a lot of weight. They sleep more and are just pretty big. About two months ago I changed their food and about one month ago I changed their bedding. What should I do??
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Post by catnut on Sept 29, 2019 14:53:14 GMT -8
what brand of food do they have now? if it has a lot of sunflower seeds in it, i'd cut back each day how many are in there and have them use the wheel more often.
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Kate
Member
Posts: 65
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Post by Kate on Sept 29, 2019 15:19:46 GMT -8
what brand of food do they have now? if it has a lot of sunflower seeds in it, i'd cut back each day how many are in there and have them use the wheel more often. I would say it has a medium amount of sunflower seeds. How should I get them to use the wheel more? |
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Kate
Member
Posts: 65
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Post by Kate on Sept 30, 2019 3:58:13 GMT -8
Thanks so much for the advice everyone!! I definitely will try this out.
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Post by eowynandpoppy on Sept 30, 2019 5:57:45 GMT -8
Honestly, I wouldn't use an exercise ball even if it was large enough for a couple reasons:
1) the ball is enclosed and, though there are air slots, has poor ventilation
2) the gerbil can't see very well out of the ball because of its curved sides
3) feces and urine will bounce around inside the ball, creating a very unsanitary environment
4) the gerbil can get its toes caught in the air slots and cause an injury
If I were you, I'd cut back on their sunny seeds (the mix I feed has a LOT of seeds- I just pick them all out when I feed them, maybe leaving 1 or 2) and get a big box or storage tote to let them run around in. You can make it really fun by giving them toys and wheels and such.
Or, you could gerbil-proof a room and let them scamper around for awhile (supervised, of course). I do this with Poppy sometimes and she LOVES it!
To give them more exercise within their enclosure, you could provide deep bedding, a large variety of toys (climbing toys are great for this!), and try scatterfeeding them if you aren't already doing so.
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Post by catnut on Sept 30, 2019 14:30:56 GMT -8
no exercise balls due to safety issues but a playpen for them to have extra toys and things to do will be exciting for them, needs to be high enough and enough room for them to explore.
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Kate
Member
Posts: 65
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Post by Kate on Oct 2, 2019 11:44:41 GMT -8
Thanks so much!! I didn't know that about balls and I will try scatter feeding. Also I have Gerbil proofed a room before and they lived it. I will do this more often. Thanks again!!
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