Trixie 61011 Running wheel, plastic, ø 28 cm (Assorted)

Product Information

The neurotransmitter systems involved in wheel-running behavior have received considerable study. [29] Recent evidence suggests that changes in both dopaminergic and serotonergic tone alter running-wheel activity. For example, one study in mice has shown that several antidepressant medications (all of which directly or indirectly enhance serotonergic tone) suppress running-wheel activity without suppressing general locomotion. [30] The endocannabinoid system also contributes to wheel running in a sex-specific manner in rodents. [31] Mice from lines that have been selectively bred for high levels of voluntary wheel running have altered responsiveness to drugs that alter dopamine and endocannabinoid signalling, and enlarged midbrains. [32] Animal welfare considerations [ edit ] Beaulieu, A.; Reebs, S.G. (2009). "Effects of bedding material and running wheel surface on paw wounds in male and female Syrian hamsters". Laboratory Animals. 43 (1): 85–90. doi: 10.1258/la.2008.007088. PMID 19001065. S2CID 22308514. A cage that is too small to fit a 28cm (11″) wheel should not be advertised as being a suitable cage for a Syrian Hamster.

Mrosovsky, N.; Salmon, P.A.; Vrang, N. (1998). "Revolutionary science: an improved running wheel for hamsters". Chronobiology International. 15 (2): 147–158. doi: 10.3109/07420529808998679. PMID 9562919. https://www.hamsterwelfare.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Tiffany-Key-video-for-28cm-wheel-wont-fit-in-small-cage.mp4Dunlap, J.C., Loros, J.J., and DeCoursey, P.J. 2004. Chronobiology: Biological Timekeeping. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland MA.

a b c Sherwin, C.M., 1998, Voluntary wheel running: A review and novel interpretation, Animal Behaviour, 56: 11–27De Bono, J. P., D. Adlam, D. J. Paterson, and K. M. Channon. 2005. Novel quantitative phenotypes of exercise training in mouse models. American Journal of Physiology. Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 290:R926–R934. Raichlen, D. A., A. D. Foster, G. L. Gerdeman, A. Sellier, and A. Giuffrida. 2012. Wired to run: exercise-induced endocannabinoid signaling in humans and cursorial mammals with implications for the 'runner's high'. Journal of Experimental Biology 215:1331-1336. A related exercise device, the hamster ball, is a hollow plastic ball into which a pet can be temporarily placed. The ball allows the pet to freely roll around on the floor to explore and exercise while preventing escape.

Choice tests with mice have also shown a preference for larger wheels (17.5cm over 13cm in diameter) and a preference for plastic mesh over rungs and over solid plastic as a running surface. [4] More acrobatic species, such as the canyon mouse ( Peromyscus crinitus) and the deer mouse ( Peromyscus maniculatus) can develop preferences for wheels that force the animals to jump, such as square wheels or wheels with hurdles along the running surface. [5] [6] [7] Use by animals [ edit ] An ocicat on a running wheel The Hamster loving community get frustrated to see tiny wheels being advertised as suitable for both Dwarf and Syrian Hamsters (This is probably because it would only fit a tiny cheap cage).

You can choose whether to hang it from your furry buddy’s cage or leave it freestanding with its handy wire stand and its non-rung plastic surface prevents animals from getting caught. Belke, T.W., and Wagner, J.P. 2005. The reinforcing property and the rewarding aftereffect of wheel running in rats: a combination of two paradigms. Behavioral Processes 68: 165-172. Banjanin, S., and Mrosovsky, N., 2000, Preferences of mice, Mus musculus, for different types of running wheel, Laboratory Animals, 34: 313–318.

Tierärztliche Vereinigung für Tierschutz (TVT) recommends wheels should be at least 20cm (8") for dwarf hamsters and at least 30cm (12") for Syrian hamsters, since smaller diameters lead to permanent spinal curvatures, especially in young animals. They also recommend a solid running surface because rungs or mesh can cause injury. [33]Meijer, Johanna H.; Robbers, Yuri (2014), "Wheel running in the wild", Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 281 (1786): 20140210, doi: 10.1098/rspb.2014.0210, PMC 4046404, PMID 24850923