Wheel Tail/Getting more hefty
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Wheel Tail/Getting more hefty
by Robin~ Thu 29 Aug 2019, 10:04 pm
Hello!
I'm talking about two separate mice here but I figured it wouldn't really make sense to make two separate posts one after the other...
Oak (Wheel Tail): My girls currently have four wheels; a 12" silent runner, a 9" silent runner, an 8" wodent wheel, and a 7.25" flying saucer. Her favorite is the 9". However, I noticed when she walks around her tail tends to sort of kink over her back. I've heard wheel tail is a thing in too small wheels but I have heard an 8" is fine. Should I remove the 8/9" wheels? Are there any consequences if this continues?
Leaf (heftiness): Granted, I haven't been weighing weekly (I'll be weighing daily now) but I have noticed she's putting on a lot of weight. She is the largest of my girls but holy cow it's almost kind of concerning. I last weighed her was late July, and she weighed 32g. I weighed her today and be she's 42g. I feel it's mostly in her sides; it mostly feels like fat. There's no way she could possibly be pregnant as she's been with me and the other girls for about three months now. The diet i feed has about 5% fat i believe; should i find a mix with less? She is mostly white with some brindle patches, if I'm remembering correctly don't brindle mice tend to be a bit more fat? Or is it with solid brindle? Thoughts?
Thanks for any advice
I'm talking about two separate mice here but I figured it wouldn't really make sense to make two separate posts one after the other...
Oak (Wheel Tail): My girls currently have four wheels; a 12" silent runner, a 9" silent runner, an 8" wodent wheel, and a 7.25" flying saucer. Her favorite is the 9". However, I noticed when she walks around her tail tends to sort of kink over her back. I've heard wheel tail is a thing in too small wheels but I have heard an 8" is fine. Should I remove the 8/9" wheels? Are there any consequences if this continues?
Leaf (heftiness): Granted, I haven't been weighing weekly (I'll be weighing daily now) but I have noticed she's putting on a lot of weight. She is the largest of my girls but holy cow it's almost kind of concerning. I last weighed her was late July, and she weighed 32g. I weighed her today and be she's 42g. I feel it's mostly in her sides; it mostly feels like fat. There's no way she could possibly be pregnant as she's been with me and the other girls for about three months now. The diet i feed has about 5% fat i believe; should i find a mix with less? She is mostly white with some brindle patches, if I'm remembering correctly don't brindle mice tend to be a bit more fat? Or is it with solid brindle? Thoughts?
Thanks for any advice
Robin~- Sr Member
- Join date : 2019-06-05
Posts : 444
Re: Wheel Tail/Getting more hefty
by chiroptera Thu 29 Aug 2019, 11:48 pm
Their tails are going to bend some in most wheels, it's totally fine - as long as they can run safely without their backs bending, the wheel should be fine! "Wheel tail" usually isn't an issue from what I understand. I definitely don't think you should remove the wheels, 8-9" is totally safe for mice. I believe my wheels are the 6.5" spinners and I've never had a problem.
I'm not sure if white-and-brindle mice are prone to obesity or not, but from the sounds of it, that might be what's going on! If it is, there's nothing you can really do. Make sure she's able to exercise, but don't limit her food, as mice have fast metabolisms and should have access to food at all times! If you're feeding them some kind of mix, you might want to look to make sure they aren't picking around certain items.
I'm not sure if white-and-brindle mice are prone to obesity or not, but from the sounds of it, that might be what's going on! If it is, there's nothing you can really do. Make sure she's able to exercise, but don't limit her food, as mice have fast metabolisms and should have access to food at all times! If you're feeding them some kind of mix, you might want to look to make sure they aren't picking around certain items.
chiroptera- Hero Member
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Re: Wheel Tail/Getting more hefty
by CallaLily Fri 30 Aug 2019, 11:36 am
8 inch wheels are usually a really good size for most mice, but if you notice her back is bending and/or she has wheel tail (meaning she almost always holds her tail up over her body) go for a larger wheel. Not all mice are the same length/size so this is a judgement you’ll have to make based on how she’s running on her wheel. From what I understand, just occasionally flipping their tail up out of the way shouldn’t be an issue. But if she’s constantly holding it over her back it can lead to pain/back problems down the road. I got one girl who had slight wheel tail when I got her but after having a more suitable sized wheel it went away eventually. As long as your mice can easily spin their wheel there’s no worry over being too big. Flying saucers are really great too.
Someone else with more experience with wheel tail may come along with better info.
EDIT: I found this thread with some info from two very experienced mouse parents, @scaredymouse and @Peachy.
Yes, from what I’ve read and experienced, brindle mice (and sometimes yellow) seem to be genetically prone to obesity. The numbers don’t sound bad but we humans tend to get too caught up in them. How does she look? There are plenty of mice that can weigh 40-something grams but aren’t actually overweight, just bigger overall. A pic would give us a better idea on if her weight is a concern. But like said above, you can’t restrict their staple diet because they have very high metabolisms and need to eat many frequent small meals throughout the day/night. You can cut back on sugary or super fatty treats, provide opportunities for more exercise, and slowly up the amount of fresh veg given (though this should never overtake their staple grain/seed mix). More play time out of the cage, change toys up frequently to keep them interested and moving, move their food dish higher and/or scatter feed to make them have to work for it more, food puzzles are good too. The fat % in their food sounds fine. Some fat is a necessary part of a healthy diet.
Someone else with more experience with wheel tail may come along with better info.
EDIT: I found this thread with some info from two very experienced mouse parents, @scaredymouse and @Peachy.
Yes, from what I’ve read and experienced, brindle mice (and sometimes yellow) seem to be genetically prone to obesity. The numbers don’t sound bad but we humans tend to get too caught up in them. How does she look? There are plenty of mice that can weigh 40-something grams but aren’t actually overweight, just bigger overall. A pic would give us a better idea on if her weight is a concern. But like said above, you can’t restrict their staple diet because they have very high metabolisms and need to eat many frequent small meals throughout the day/night. You can cut back on sugary or super fatty treats, provide opportunities for more exercise, and slowly up the amount of fresh veg given (though this should never overtake their staple grain/seed mix). More play time out of the cage, change toys up frequently to keep them interested and moving, move their food dish higher and/or scatter feed to make them have to work for it more, food puzzles are good too. The fat % in their food sounds fine. Some fat is a necessary part of a healthy diet.
CallaLily- Hero Member
- Join date : 2016-04-03
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Re: Wheel Tail/Getting more hefty
by Robin~ Fri 30 Aug 2019, 12:03 pm
Thank you both for your input!
Oak doesn't always hold her tail like that, it's mostly when she's running around. When she sits up on her hammock her tail hangs quite freely haha. Just kind of concerned me when I saw it; I'll keep a closer eye out during play time to see if it progresses.
For Leaf, to be honest, she's a really big mouse. She's nearly twice the size of Moo (about 25g), and while she doesn't look as sleek as Raven or Oak, she doesn't look overly obese. Then again, she's also not as obsessed with wheels as they are so who knows :/ Thankfully she's up pretty often throughout the day so I'll get a pic in ASAP
Oak doesn't always hold her tail like that, it's mostly when she's running around. When she sits up on her hammock her tail hangs quite freely haha. Just kind of concerned me when I saw it; I'll keep a closer eye out during play time to see if it progresses.
For Leaf, to be honest, she's a really big mouse. She's nearly twice the size of Moo (about 25g), and while she doesn't look as sleek as Raven or Oak, she doesn't look overly obese. Then again, she's also not as obsessed with wheels as they are so who knows :/ Thankfully she's up pretty often throughout the day so I'll get a pic in ASAP
Robin~- Sr Member
- Join date : 2019-06-05
Posts : 444
Re: Wheel Tail/Getting more hefty
by Robin~ Sat 31 Aug 2019, 9:59 am
Here's a pic of Leaf:
Looking at Oak now her tail seems to be ok. I think the faster she runs the more she holds her tail up is all
Looking at Oak now her tail seems to be ok. I think the faster she runs the more she holds her tail up is all
Robin~- Sr Member
- Join date : 2019-06-05
Posts : 444
Re: Wheel Tail/Getting more hefty
by CallaLily Sat 31 Aug 2019, 3:17 pm
She is a little bit “fluffy” but not at all to a point where I would be worried. The advice I gave above may help keep things from getting out of hand. Though if it’s a genetic thing she’ll likely put on more no matter what you do, but keeping her active is good. I’ve seen much chunkier mice live pretty normal lives.
Out of curiosity, about how old is she?
Out of curiosity, about how old is she?
CallaLily- Hero Member
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Posts : 3937
Re: Wheel Tail/Getting more hefty
by Robin~ Sat 31 Aug 2019, 6:05 pm
No exact age known, but I'd say she's about 5-6 months old, maybe more. I've found my girls to be growing a lot lately (although they've tapered off a bit now) and they're well out of their hopper stage now if that helps.
I'll definitely lighten up on the veg and mealworms a bit. I don't tend to feed fatty stuff too often (i think the fattiest, most often treat is a few mealworms every 2-3 days) but I'll be sure to limit that off a good bit. I'll also try to change up the set up a bit more often; I change it once or twice a week with little tweaks in between but I may start upping that to 2-3 times a week to get her moving a bit more. And plenty more handling and playtime, too!
I'll definitely lighten up on the veg and mealworms a bit. I don't tend to feed fatty stuff too often (i think the fattiest, most often treat is a few mealworms every 2-3 days) but I'll be sure to limit that off a good bit. I'll also try to change up the set up a bit more often; I change it once or twice a week with little tweaks in between but I may start upping that to 2-3 times a week to get her moving a bit more. And plenty more handling and playtime, too!
Robin~- Sr Member
- Join date : 2019-06-05
Posts : 444
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