My hamster wont run on his wheel anymore...why?

Question
I have a russian dwarf hamster who is very active when out of his cage and running freely on my bed, but he never runs in his wheel.  Why do you think this is?  is he just lazy or is this normal?
He's about a year old and he use to run on his wheel but in the last few months, he quit.

is this normal? if not, how can I correct the problem?

Answer
Hi Christina,

Some hamsters, when they become older, stop running on their wheels.  Honestly, I'm not sure why that happens.  Perhaps you could give him a new wheel.  (Make sure that it is solid and has no rungs.)  He will be interested in a new "toy" and he'll want to investigate.  But as long as your hamster does not become overweight, you shouldn't have to worry.  Hamsters can be fickle.  If you're worried that he's not getting enough exercise, get an exercise ball specifically for dwarf hamsters and mice, and let your hamster run in it for 10-15 minutes at a time.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.

Kelly