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Overweight pet mouse2007-11-24 22:13:26

Hello, I recently purchased two female pet mice. Everything is going fine so far, but I'm a little concerned because one of my mice seems to be overweight... especially when comparing her to my other mouse. I'm not sure if I should be worried or not. I don't know her exact weight since I don't have a scale that will measure that low. I've been feeding them a seed mix and I plan to switch (slowly, of course, bit by bit) to a food pellet that is more nutritionally balanced. But aside from that I haven't been able to find any good information online about what to do with an overweight mouse that is a pet. I'm a bit worried about her health. She also doesn't run on the wheel as much as the other mouse does, and not as fast either. I'd really appreciate any advice about exercises, food, etc., that might help my mouse lose some weight. Thanks!

Answers:

Yes, mice can become overweight. What type (color/pattern)is she? American brindles (Avy) are prone to obesity...that includes PEW mice that are genetically brindle (the white covers the true color/pattern). Although, it seems some blacks gain easily too. You can try feeding lab blocks, but mice prefer variety. If you keep her on the seed mix, remove some of the sunflower seeds (high in fat). Also, make sure she has a wheel to run in for exercise. Unfortunately, if she is Avy there's not much you can do about it. It's in the genes...

Edit: If she's pregnant (gestation being 19-24 days, average 20 or 21), it will almost look like golf balls on either side of her. If she's overweight/obese, it will be everywhere...one big mouse w/a small head. I hope you get what I'm trying to explain, lol. Do you have any pictures? The bottom picture in this link shows an obese and pregnant mouse. http://www.mikiodo.com/mice1.html... Here's a great site for all mice info: http://www.thefunmouse.com/