We all know that gerbil are active animel that require a lot of excercise. The best gerbil wheel is a tool to keeps your pet happy, and has a healthier body. Gerbils can reach distances of up to 6 miles a day with a good wheel.
However, running too much on a wheel is not always a good thing for the health of gerbil. It can be a sign for the spychological broplem of your pets. Ideally, gerbil should be allowed activity outside its cage as well.
#1 Why dose gerbil run too much on their wheel?
There are some reasons that can make a gerbil become addicted to excessive running. Running is a part of theri natural instinct. Gerbil tent to run a lots in the wild. For this reason, they need somthing to help release their energy so they run on the wheel.
If you keep your gerbil in the small cage, your pets can be confined and restless. Being bored in the small space will take gerbil to running on the wheel. There are another reason that if you allow your gerbils to eat a vaiety of foods that are contain high energy, then it is likely that gerbil will want to run on the wheel as the way to burn off the excess energy in their body.
Besides, if gerbils have nothing but wheel as a toy in the case, they feel bored and get nothing to do. Then, the wheel is the only toy in the case that can help them be happy and active.
#2 Why over running on the why is not good for gerbils?
Firstly, runing on the wheel for the long time can make gerbil’s feet become sores and blisters. Especially, there are some types of wheels out there are designed with metal rungs or wire mesh base. It is better for better gerbils feet if you give them a solid base wheel or you can stick two pieces of cardboard on both sides od the wheel to create a more comfortable base for gerbil to run on.
Secondly, gerbil run to burn off energy but excessive running can make your gerbils become exhaustion. And if they do not drink enough water, it can lead to dehydration or hyperthermia.
And the most serious problem is in some case, a pregnant gerbil may addicted to the weel and this can make her babies becomse dehydrated or hypothermic. If you are keeping a pregnant gerbils, it is better to remove the wheel out of the the cage and you should allow her to run on the wheel for aboout 5-10 minute a day.
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