Mouse weight and update

Question
Hi it's me again. The last time I asked a question it was about my mouse Chiko whom I rescued and wanted to know what breed he was. I ended up keeping him and I have greatly enjoyed it. He has a healthy coat, big eyes, smooth tail and he's perfectly hydrated. (He lets me pinch his skin to check)Now for my question. Chiko, while not lazy, hates his wheel. I have bought 3 plastic and metal alike to make sure. He just refuses to use them. He will climb up the back and sit on the top for one day then ignores the wheels existance. I've stayed up all night with the lights off to make sure. I'm worried he's getting over weight because he has a pudgy roll when he sits up. I've put different objects in his cage, I made a play box for him and I also have a ball that I put him in when I'm changing his cage. Can you think of another way I can help him maintain a healthy body weight? I don't give him many treats (one yogurt drop every 3 days) and I measure his food. Thank you.

Answer
Dear Victoria,
thank you for your question.
Not all mice like wheels and some will refuse to use them.
It's possible that the wheel is too small, though, most wheels are. Mice should have a wheel that's 11" in diameter, like the Wodent Wheel Senior, smaller wheels may cause damage to the mouse's back and tail. Silent Spinners are another alternative.

I would recommend leaving out the yoghurt drop, those are not healthy at all. Any treats or food with sugar in them (including molasses and honey) are not suitable for mice. Sunflower and pumpkin seeds make good treats, as well as mealworms or dried silkworms, the mice need the animal protein anyway.
If the food you give him contains a lot of sunflower seeds, corn, raisins, peanuts or popped grains/rice or those coloured chunks of stuff, I highly recommend switching to another brand. A good mouse food contains mainly small seeds like millet and only about 1/3 grains. You can mix a normal mouse food with bird seeds to get a healthier food. Offer climbing toys and make him work for his food by scattering it in the bedding and by hiding it in boxes or by wrapping it in toilet paper.

Some mice are just chubby, though, and if you ruled out a fatty diet and the mice has plenty of room and toys to run and climb, there's not much you can do about it. It's possible that genetics play a role, some mice carry a gene that makes them prone top obesity (often red mice). Even if he's a bit overweight, he still needs a tablespoon of food per day, it's not possible to put mice on a diet by feeding less.

Here's a website that has more info on nutrition, including some recipes for making your own mouse food:
http://das-maeuseasyl.de/doku.php/en/nutrition/index

I hope I was of some help to you
Jennifer