I keep weight records of my older gerbils because weight loss is often the
first sign of illness before any other noticeable signs occur.
I have a female gerbil who is 3yrs 3months old, and she went from weighing
98 grams to 116 in just under 3 weeks! She is not sick with anything and
has been checked by my exotics vet, who attributes the weight gain to the
natural aging process and slowed metabolism.
I never though about offering a lower fat diet- she has always eaten KayTee
Fiesta, and I pick out the sunflowers and pumpkin seeds and give them as
treats.
Hmmmm, maybe I'll run that idea by my vet and see what she has to say.
Jill
----------
> From: Jodie Votava <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Re: older gerbil
> Date: Wednesday, March 14, 2001 11:48 PM
>
> Has anyone noticed a change in metabolism as gerbils get older? For
example, there are special "senior" formulas of food for dogs and cats,
though i'm not sure what the precise differences are...would an older
gerbil need a similar change of diet, maybe toward a lower percentage of
fats?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "Deb Rebel"<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Date: Wed Mar 14 20:10:18 PST 2001
> Subject: Re: older gerbil's diet
>
> >>Over the past month or so, I have noticed that my almost
> >>3-year-old gerbil Kobe has been getting a lot fatter. Is it
> >>normal for gerbils to gain weight when they age?
> >
> >Since you don't mention anything (message deleted material)
> >about a change in diet or activity, I'd suspect something like
> >heart failure or some other reason for fluid retention. A trip
> >to the vet might help, or they might not know what's going on/
> >be able to help.
> >
> >Luck. Three is a good age for a gerbil.
> >
> >Deb
> >Rebel's Rodent Ranch
>
>
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