Wheel Controversy

[Emma]

I was on YouTube and looking at cage tours, and I came across something I've never heard before...

Wheels can kill rats.

Obviously, any kind of physical energy can result in injuries, but killing?

Apparently the exercise produces endorphins which (in high quantities I'm guessing) can kill rats. It sends them into an energy rush and makes them run on a wheel even if they should stop.
Apparently this "can" happen to people as well. Obviously it's rare, so it should be rare and not a huge worry in rats. (Right?)

There's also the argument about back and tail injuries which I thought was just "wheelie tail." None of my active girls have had such a huge spinal curve that it puts them in pain and affects their life quality though. (Thoughts?)

Here's the video (the good stuff is in the comments)

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q77RAnNQVxU[/ame]

I'm kind of skeptical at this point since it's all on YouTube and I haven't found any real articles at this point.... BUT, I want to know what you guys think about it.

 

[Velo]

"They get a "happy rush" (like a morphin-rush), and can make them to keep on running even if they should`nt."
Uhhhh okaaaaaay.
That's like saying people shouldn't exercise because they might release too many endorphins. This whole sentence really is very unsubstantiated, the amount of endorphins that are needed to overload a brain are not going to come from running in a wheel. |:
Not to mention, does the good of exercise outweigh the (potentially?) bad?

I am a firm believer, as some of the commenters, that as long as the wheel is at least 12" in diameter that it is safe for the average rat spine. Rats aren't stupid either, they don't enjoy being in pain. If something is putting pressure on their spine and making them uncomfortable, they will stop doing it (IE, leave the wheel).

I have a girl with wheelie tail and it is 100% NOT from spine/tail damage. She does it on purpose, it's muscle memory. She thinks she is running faster/better when she curls her tail up because she can go faster in her wheel that way.

I don't know what made the video poster change their mind on wheels. 5 months ago they are saying wheels are fine, and now they think they are unsafe. So. Ya, bit curious on that.


Okay, I think I found where this all stems from.
A study, done in 2009:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19634951

Abstract
Exercise improves cardiovascular health, strengthens muscles and bones, stimulates neuroplasticity, and promotes feelings of well-being. However, when taken to extremes, exercise can develop into an addictive-like behavior. To assess the addictive potential of exercise, withdrawal symptoms following injections of 1.0 mg/kg naloxone were compared in active and inactive male and female rats. Active and inactive rats were given food for 1 hr or 24 hr/day. Additionally, a group of inactive rats was pair-fed the amount of food consumed on the previous day by food-restricted active rats. Rats fed for 1 hr/day decreased food intake and lost weight. Additionally, food-restricted active rats increased wheel running. There was a direct relationship between the intensity of running and the severity of withdrawal symptoms. Active food-restricted rats displayed the most withdrawal symptoms, followed by active rats given 24-hr access to food. Only minimal withdrawal symptoms were observed in inactive rats. These findings support the hypothesis that exercise-induced increases in endogenous opioid peptides act in a manner similar to chronic administration of opiate drugs.

And a fear-mongering article in the NY Times (which must have an incorrect date), that seems to completely incorrectly portray the experiment:
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/21/health/runner-s-high-endorphins-fiction-some-scientists-say.html


Seems like the "endorphin induced death" is a whole lot of misinformation and hear-say to me.

 

[hopefloats]

I have a few fear runners here. They seem to run really fast in the wheel when I am in their cage cleaning. These are usually rats that are not my biggest fans so you can tell they go from sleeping to oh crap the human to jet speeds in the wheel. I think they think they can escape me by running fast in the wheel. We have a ton of wheel runners and none have died from it. Some are insane in their wheel running but personally I never heard of a rat dying from it.

 

[Godmother]

I have never heard of a rat running to the point of death. My rats who've had wheelie tails didn't have curved spines. My young unspayed girls would run like little maniacs all night long, without any harm. Where do people think up this stuff? It must have been a non-scientist grossly misinterpreting that experiment.

 

[Emma]

Yeah, I wasn't ready to believe all that especially the "endorphin induced death."

Where people think of this, I have no idea.

And the poster kind of makes me laugh. Guessing it's peer pressure. :/

 

[Caeser]

Before getting my rats i came across this, from what i understand the saucers are much safer. It could have just have started as a way to get people to buy saucers instead of wheels.

 

[SQ]

People I know who tried saucers discovered that rats do not like them.

A solid 12 inch diameter wheel is safe, good exercise, and most rats enjoy running in them
(especially when younger and more active, although I have seniors that still love their wheels)

 

[Velo]

I have two 12" wheels that get used on a daily basis (the girls all run, Rocky likes to just stand in them haha)
I bought a 12" saucer and none of my rats will touch it with a ten-foot pole. XD

 

[RatPack]

All my rats have 12 inch silent spinners and only one out of the 14 actually uses it on a daily basis..one of my males just used his for the first time last night...

 

[2Rats]

I say let them run their little a**es off if they want too ! LoL! :bee:

I have only had one rat ( rest her soul ) that used a wheel. But she used it a lot. She was always a happy little girl. Guess she had those endorphins
a-goin:laugh2:

 

[Emma]

Most of my girls were runners, only a few of them didn't care about it. My senior girls are just starting to sleep on it though lol.

 

[2Rats]

Most of my girls were runners, only a few of them didn't care about it. My senior girls are just starting to sleep on it though lol.

:lol:

how old are your seniors? I told my husband a year ago that I would have all geriatric ratties come 2015 - which I do!

 

[Emma]

:lol:

how old are your seniors? I told my husband a year ago that I would have all geriatric ratties come 2015 - which I do!

They're 2 1/2, which for petshop ratties is old enough for me to call them seniors lol!

 

[SQ]

Elvira, who is about 2.5 years old was running in the silent spinner least night ....
A good solid 12 inch diameter wheel (or 2 or 3) is an important investment as rats love them to run in, walk in, sleep in, pee in, etc
Who knew wheels are so multi use

 

[rats en folie]

In another forum it was a no no to put a wheel in a cage. But I've done some research and my boys love their silent spinner. Some are more active then others. But I've never had a problem and I've had rats for over 5 years.