Worried about a steppe lemming ...

[Theoraux]

Hi everyone,

I bought 2 females steppe lemmings 10 days ago, in a petshop, and I'm worried about one of them. The petshop ordered 2 youngs lemmings but they received 2 females that were obviously not very young. I've decided to take them even so and I've seen quickly that one of the female was particularly thin. The fur on her back is not very thick and there is almost no fur on the pelvic area. What's more, she has the habbit to gnash her teeth and I don't know why because there her teeth seems to have no problem. Despite this, she is quite active, and she seems "in good health" (no respiratory problem, no sign of infection ...).

They are my first steppe lemmings and I would like to understand what could be the cause of these problems. I've thought of 2 thinks : she is very old or she has had a litter recently and she is weakened. I know that many of you have steppe lemmings so I've thought that somebody may be abble to tell me if he thinks that she looks like an old steppe lemming.

I will try to had photos tomorrow or the day after tomorrow (because I've to reload my camera's batterie).

Thank you in advance for your help,

Theoraux

[NaomiR]

the lemmings I kept years ago were in pretty bad shape (to be honest) but these days they are big and healthy with exceptionally "furry" coats and by this I mean they're so clean and tidy the look almost fluffy, like they're still babies, even the old ones

poor condition can be a result of many things, bad diet, poor housing or bad husbandry - she will quite probably pick up in a few weeks in your care.

provide her with plenty of fresh foods daily, broccoli is wonderful but carrots and celery are also good for them, in small amounts mind.

are her nipples obvious ie can you see them? are they "longer" than the other one's? if so she has possibly just weaned a litter and she could very well be expecting again but as she's "thin" I would doubt this......

I would honestly say she's just suffering slight neglect and in your loving care she'll flourish - let us know how she gets on in the next few days?

Naomi

[Theoraux]

I'me really sorry, I haven't seen your answer sooner ...

I think you're right, she must have lived in bad conditions before. She's still alive and I find that she looks like better and better. Her fur is more beautiful, at least, on the parts where there isn't a lack of hair. But she's still extremly thin ... She is also shier that the other one.

Here are some pics of her :

[NaomiR]

oh bless her little heart she really is in dreafdul condition, but thank goodness she's with you

She could possibly be diabetic, many of the lemmings I used to keep suffered sugar intolerance (it's not something I have a problem with now but I used to) but you might want to totally eliminate all sugar from her diet so avoid pet shop hamster mixes and feed only mixed degu and guinea pig food.

Grated carrot and broccoli is brilliant for re-hydrating lemmings.........best of luck and let me know how you get on

[Theoraux]

From the beginning, I've considered that my lemmings were diabetic, to avoid any food problem. What's more, I have degus so I give to my lemmings what I give to my degus (same mix, same vegetables, same treats ...). For example, I give many almond to this lemming, because they contain a lot of lipids but not many glucids ...

I have an other question, with no really link with this topic : do males lemmings can live together (without any female in the cage) ?
I would like to buy a male and mate him with my healthy lemming, in order to "build" a little group. Lemmings are very expensive in the petshop where I've found mine, and looking at their physical shape the price isn't really justified, so I prefer to make a group with lemmings born at home. I plan to keep all or almost all the female of the litter but I would like to find new homes for the little boys. I've read that it's hard to make males live together, but lemmings are also considered as social pets, so I don't know what to tell to people who will contact me to take some of my little lemmings : should I advice to take groups of two males or only single males ?

[NaomiR]

I have several "groups" of male lemmings, from 2 to 6, all living happily together. They all argue but that's something lemmings JUST DO, what ever sex or combination they argue, I'm beginning to think it's simply in their nature to bicker

I re-home babies in same sex pairs all the time.

Can you not get to the show in Houten April 11th?? I could bring you some big and fit healthy lemmings

[Theoraux]

I would LOVE to go to Houten but I can't for money reasons and also because I will be revising my lessons considering I enter the entrance exam to veterinary school at the end of April ... I hope that next year I will be abble to go to Houten, at least one time, I would be a great travel :p !

Thank you for this information about lemmings !