# Overweight mouse



## elsamarie (Mar 16, 2009)

One of my mice is starting to look a bit overweight. She is in a communal tank with other females, who are normal size/weight. They are not overfed or given treats so i am at a bit of a loss what to do. I cant really cut the food down as they are in a communal tank and share the food, so if i cut back id be starving the normal weight ones. Any ideas?????


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

some colours are genetically prone to obesity.If thats the case it's incredibly difficult to fight the flab,they do seem to live very happily shaped like tennis balls though.What colour is she?


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## sommy (Mar 1, 2009)

sarahc said:


> some colours are genetically prone to obesity.If thats the case it's incredibly difficult to fight the flab,they do seem to live very happily shaped like tennis balls though.What colour is she?


I dont suppose one of these colours is red? My red buck is starting to lose his shape and just become a pile of podge. Does this affect their health in any way or does it just happen with no affects and they live a normal lifespan?


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

reds are well known for their problems with obesity.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

I have fawns and they are the same.Some are huge.They live ok though.Males still breed but fertility is affected in does.Other than that they are fine.


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## april (Apr 8, 2009)

I thought I heard once fatness in mice can be cancerous, but I'm not sure so correct me if I'm wrong


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## elsamarie (Mar 16, 2009)

sarahc said:


> some colours are genetically prone to obesity.If thats the case it's incredibly difficult to fight the flab,they do seem to live very happily shaped like tennis balls though.What colour is she?


She is all black (except a few grey/white whisps on her belly). I have also black mouse who has a white belly and a few white markings on her back - she sometimes looks bigger for a few days then seems to slim back down!


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## april (Apr 8, 2009)

She is all black (except a few grey/white whisps on her belly). I have also black mouse who has a white belly and a few white markings on her back - she sometimes looks bigger for a few days then seems to slim back down!

Well my Black Tan is a HUGE doe, in size and weight because she weighs on an average of 47 grams. And the babies she had were huge also because the 1 son I kept from her is over 30 grams so he is a big boy too. It really just depends on where the mice come from, but I also think my mice weigh more is because they breeder they came from kept them on a low fat lab block diet.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

blacks are not known for being plump.must be another cause other than genetic .


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## elsamarie (Mar 16, 2009)

It must just be that she spends more time in the food bowl than the others or is averse to the wheel (shes not one of the wheel addicts - my black tan doe and one of my himy boys seem to be constantly on their wheel!).
It good to see that i wasnt the only one up at 4am this morning!!!!


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## Cait (Oct 3, 2008)

It could still be genetic, just not related to her colour. I had a black banded when I kept pet mice who was a normal size until the age of about 4-5 months, when she suddenly turned into a little round blob :lol: A bit like people, sometimes they are predisposed to becoming fat. I wouldn't worry about it, as long as she has a healthy balanced diet like the rest of them she'll carry on to a decent age. If you want to see a photo of a fat mouse I once bred/owned.... :roll:


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## elsamarie (Mar 16, 2009)

It strange how overweight mice still have skinny heads and faces, it does make them look like they have swallowed a ball! The chubby mouse and the one that seems to be a yo-yo dieter are sisters so it would make sense if it was genetic. Their other sister doesnt seem to have the same problem but she was the runt of the litter. As long as she is healthy i am happy.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

wowzers Cait,I'd heard of elephant man but not elephant mouse.


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## sasandcol (Dec 12, 2008)

hi. I have a chocolate doe who has been obese (70-90g) since last august but has been a happy and active mouse. We tried dieting and such like but it didn't work. Like u said, if she is happy, I'm happy


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## Maplewood Stud (Jan 2, 2009)

not being to be horrible about ur mouse there cait, but it scares me lol x


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