One Overweight and One Underweight

by Plazmotech Fri 31 Mar 2017, 10:40 pm

Hey, last time I went to the vet, Snoopy weighed 38g while Nibbles weighed 32g. But Snoopy has gotten fatter and fatter, while Nibbles, who is more active, has gotten way skinnier! Last time I weighed them on my kitchen scale (I don't have a better one) Snoopsters weighed almost 50g! And Nibbles has lost weight, down to almost 20g! They both seem to be doing awesome, behaving the same as they always have, eating and drinking regularly, pooping regularly. Nibbles runs more often, and has only really started running AFTER I took her to the vet, which might explain her weight loss. But Snoopy is so fat now. Question is, how do I feed one without feeding the other as much?

by scaredymouse Sat 01 Apr 2017, 2:43 am

I'm actually more concerned about the one that has lost weight. Some mice get a little chunky and generally speaking, it has more to do with genetics than it does diet. Normal weight for mice is 25g to about 60g. Anything over that is chunky but even then, we never put them on diets. So at 50g, just enjoy your squishy mouse! But 20g is underweight, especially when you consider that she used to weigh more. If would be less concerning if she was always tiny but that isn't the case. It's unusual for mice to drop that much weight for no reason.

What are you feeding them? How old are they? Can you post a picture of nibbles?

by River Sun 02 Apr 2017, 12:13 am

I would agree. Mice can put on a bit of weight with age, and while the same can be true for losing it, I would still err on the side of caution and keep an eye on her health. Weight gain generally doesn't mean health problem (unless its pregnancy), but weight loss can be critical.

Pics, diet, and age are all great things to know in such a situation.

by Plazmotech Tue 04 Apr 2017, 10:32 pm

Thanks guys! Here's a picture of nibbles. It's really hard to take a photo cause she's so hyper. https://imgur.com/a/UZ9QM

by scaredymouse Tue 04 Apr 2017, 10:58 pm

Huh, well she looks healthy enough based on the photo. But 20g is still a bit underweight for a mouse and that's a lot of weight to lose. I would recommend weighing her every week to make sure she isn't losing more weight. You can also try giving her some high calorie treats. Take out the other mouse to play and then put in a little bowl of special treats for nibbles. Some high calorie things they love are walnuts, pecans, black oil sunflower seeds, a little bit of olive oil on some wheat bread/toast, cheese. Mice also love dried mealworms... It's a good source of protein that both of them can have.

How old is she? What do you feed her? Does she have a good appetite?

by Plazmotech Wed 05 Apr 2017, 12:35 am

scaredymouse wrote:Huh, well she looks healthy enough based on the photo. But 20g is still a bit underweight for a mouse and that's a lot of weight to lose. I would recommend weighing her every week to make sure she isn't losing more weight. You can also try giving her some high calorie treats. Take out the other mouse to play and then put in a little bowl of special treats for nibbles. Some high calorie things they love are walnuts, pecans, black oil sunflower seeds, a little bit of olive oil on some wheat bread/toast, cheese. Mice also love dried mealworms... It's a good source of protein that both of them can have.

How old is she? What do you feed her? Does she have a good appetite?

Thanks, but she will NOT eat outside her cage. She is wayyy too hyper. No matter what she's always running around exploring wherever I put her. Inside her cage, no problem. She'll take treats from my fingers between the bars. I see her eating a decent amount. She has less of a regular diet than my other mouse from what I can tell. Snoopy will sit there and eat for a looong time after I feed her. Nibbles seems like she takes smaller meals throughout the day. For that reason its hard to make sure nibbles eats and NOT snoopy.

I do have two cages though. I thought that 160 square inches wasnt enough so i got another cage the same size. I could maybe separate them for a little bit of time throughout the day and give nibbles some higher calorie treats. But I am worried that she eats too small of meals spread throughout the day and she would be away from her friend for too long.

by scaredymouse Wed 05 Apr 2017, 3:50 am

Most mice won't eat outside their tank, that's why I said to take out Snoopy for playtime... Leaving Nibbles *IN* the tank... And putting special treats in for her while Snoopy is away. Then when she's done, take out what's left and plop Snoopy back in.

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