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Post by sofluffy on Nov 5, 2012 14:39:02 GMT -8
Have you considered a bin split-tank? They are lighter, bigger, and cheaper, but equally as good as a fish tank
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ksgerbil
Member
kiro and shiro <3
Posts: 363
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Post by ksgerbil on Nov 6, 2012 8:11:54 GMT -8
i have not red all the pages but you can use a pipett and put it in his mouth and press very slowly just giving him veeery little food at the time
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Post by steffholmes on Nov 8, 2012 12:46:33 GMT -8
Update So the area where his skin died became crusty and has pealed off (revealing tender skin underneath) his arm no longer appears swollen but a new problem has popped up He's shedding his skin...like a lizard would, only his fur is coming off with it. It's not raw underneath, the skin has dried and just pealed off in areas, with the rest looking to come off at some point tomorrow im looking to buy some new bedding to reduce irritation, is that care-fresh from P@H any good? I feel really sorry for him, cause he seems so cold now, so I've been putting a hot water bottle next to the cage to keep him warm, and im bathing his raw patches with hibiscrub to stop infection. Any one heard of this happening before??
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Post by sofluffy on Nov 8, 2012 13:22:48 GMT -8
I'm not sure about care-fresh as I have never used it myself, so hopefully someone else can give you advice and guidance on that But I do know that good old loo roll sheets are good for sensitive gerbils
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Post by meandmygerbils on Nov 8, 2012 14:36:23 GMT -8
I'm not sure about care-fresh as I have never used it myself, so hopefully someone else can give you advice and guidance on that But I do know that good old loo roll sheets are good for sensitive gerbils And folk don't look at you too strangely, if you ask them to save the odd toilet roll end for you... folk you know, that is. ;D
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Post by sofluffy on Nov 8, 2012 15:15:50 GMT -8
haha, they love the cardboard loo rolls! Lol, but mine are on actual loo roll as their bedding, as they are so sensitive to anything I try, so I just stick to what I know is ok and safe and works for my gerbies
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Post by meandmygerbils on Nov 8, 2012 15:30:35 GMT -8
haha, they love the cardboard loo rolls! Lol, but mine are on actual loo roll as their bedding, as they are so sensitive to anything I try, so I just stick to what I know is ok and safe and works for my gerbies I bow to your expert knowledge on the toiletroll/gerbil combination, Sofluffy. ;D Do you use the posh stuff, extra soft and/or quilted, or just the regular stuff?
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Post by sofluffy on Nov 8, 2012 15:48:22 GMT -8
We give them a mixture of the cheap, sort of, ASDA Smart Price stuff and some nice softer loo roll too I don't use scented in case it irritates them as well. They use it as their main substrate too, mixed through with hay, lots of gnawed up cardboard, paper and this stuff from wilkos: www.wilkinsonplus.com/straw+wood-shavings/wilko-warm-bed-pet-bedding/invt/0094430/?htxt=CqRsbJu%2FutV8PO2VUe7M5tbw0eF0%2BgiZGsyhRiL%2FA7J%2FD5ckTwx4gGk9NGxRQ2HoBcTxJmxJa8Ar%0AIS49VztZhg%3D%3Dwww.wilkinsonplus.com/straw+wood-shavings/wilko-pet-bedding-safe-bed/invt/0080097/?gf=aIt actually holds up really well All 2 out of the 4 of mine show some form of allergy to any thing else I've tried, like wood shavings, sand, soil etc. :/ But they seem a lot happier in good old loo roll mixed through with other things And they can make good tunnels and burrows, nests etc. out of it too, so
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Post by sofluffy on Nov 8, 2012 15:51:02 GMT -8
For some reason the links aren't working when I click on them, but I just tried copying and pasting them again and they still don't work -.- But it's the 'edible vegetable parchment safe pet bedding' and 'paper flake' pet bedding they do any way
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Post by meandmygerbils on Nov 8, 2012 15:52:30 GMT -8
We give them a mixture of the cheap, sort of, ASDA Smart Price stuff and some nice softer loo roll too I don't use scented in case it irritates them as well. They use it as their main substrate too, mixed through with hay, lots of gnawed up cardboard, paper and this stuff from wilkos: www.wilkinsonplus.com/straw+wood-shavings/wilko-pet-bedding-safe-bed/invt/0080097/?gf=awww.wilkinsonplus.com/straw+wood-shavings/wilko-warm-bed-pet-bedding/invt/0094430/?htxt=CqRsbJu%2FutV8PO2VUe7M5tbw0eF0%2BgiZGsyhRiL%2FA7J%2FD5ckTwx4gGk9NGxRQ2HoBcTxJmxJa8Ar%0AIS49VztZhg%3D%3DIt actually holds up really well All 2 out of the 4 of mine show some form of allergy to any thing else I've tried, like wood shavings, sand, soil etc. :/ But they seem a lot happier in good old loo roll mixed through with other things And they can make good tunnels and burrows, nests etc. out of it too, so Thanks for reminding me about fragrance, Sofluffy. It's something that never occurred to me, probably with the more expensive stuff. I'll give it a shot - get them some quilted loo roll for Christmas, if they're good! ;D
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Post by sofluffy on Nov 8, 2012 15:57:44 GMT -8
haha, Glad I could be of some help Are you thinking of using it for substrate or bedding? Or both?
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Post by meandmygerbils on Nov 8, 2012 15:59:09 GMT -8
Meant to say earlier, Steffholmes, I haven't heard of what you describe, but it sounds a bit worrying. He seems to have a really strong character to have survived all this time, but, I imagine, if his fur is lifting off, he will feel cold, and feel a bit miserable as well.
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Post by meandmygerbils on Nov 8, 2012 16:02:01 GMT -8
haha, Glad I could be of some help Are you thinking of using it for substrate or bedding? Or both? Just now, any soft stuff, they seem to drag into a specific area, so I think bedding probably. In fact, when Mr James was on his own for a while, he created a plug from it, that he used to block his burrow up with. When he went into it, he'd drag a bit in behind him. He does like to be cosy! ;D
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Post by sofluffy on Nov 8, 2012 16:03:51 GMT -8
haha, aww! Sounds cute :3
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Post by dubliners099 on Jul 14, 2022 10:25:13 GMT -8
Hi. I know this thread was from a long time ago. I thought I'd post a bit about my experience just in case anyone is Googling "force feed gerbil" and finds this thread. I have a senior gerbil with an upper respiratory. He's been on Baytril, then Baytril and Doxycycline, and now Baytril, Azithromycin, and Prednisone. My biggest worry was that he in addition to the red porphyrins (looks like red tears) in his eyes and red nose, he also wasn't eating or drinking and lost 16 grams of weight over 4 or 5 days. I had some Sherwood Appetite Restore (which is glucose and banana in a dry powder) in my closet. store.sherwoodpethealth.com/sarx-rescue-appetite-restore/I mixed some of that up and gave him about .4ml once or twice a day. This helped him get to his next vet appointment where we got the prednisone added in. That seems to help activity and although he wasn't drinking water, he would take a very small bit of fresh raspberry off my finger (or a wooden tongue depressor) or a few kernels of fresh corn taken off a cob. I did the Appetite Restore for about 4 days as I hoped the newest antibiotic and the prednisone would start to help him. I had another vet who recommended Oxbow Critical Care. I have never had a gerbil would eat this stuff--and it comes in 2 kinds, regular and "fine grind." I ended up making up a very wet batch of that (just increased amount of water) and syringe feeding him just .3ml of that once a day while he started to get a bit of interest back with eating. I don't like the Critical Care because it's mostly ground up timothy hay which does not do a lot for gerbils. Some of the foods he's now eating include: - small bit of fresh raspberry
- few kernels of corn off a fresh (not frozen) cob
- few shreds of fresh cabbage (I got a coleslaw salad mix in a bag)
- tiny bit of fresh
- a small blueberry
- tiny bit of fresh cauliflower
- part of a leaf from fresh brussel spouts
- tiny bit of fresh broccoli
- tiny bit of red apple without the rind
I think the things that work best are the fresh blueberry, cabbage, and raspberry. He's still recovering from the respiratory, but had gained a few grams of weight. I used to weigh him on a small digital food scale I got on Amazon every week when I cleaned his cage. Now, I'm weighing him every other day. He's also starting to eat solid foods. A few of the solid foods he will consider these days include: - thick cut rolled oats (not cooked)
- pumpkin seeds with and without shell, pine nuts, shelled raw unsalted nuts including: sunflower seeds, walnuts, and almonds
- baby food: best flavors for him: apple/blackberry, spinach/zucchini/peas, and apple/spinach/kale flavors
- sunflower butter (it's in the peanut butter aisle)
- baby cereal: Gerber probiotic Oatmeal Banana cereal (mixes with warm water)
- Simply cheetos puffs (this is the more expensive organic white cheddar flavor which is sometimes in the organic food aisle)
- apple fruit leather (in organic food aisle--not kids fruit roll ups)
Usually I don't give him this kind of stuff because it could make him sick, give him diarrhea, or give him diabetes, but he's not eating much of any one thing and he's recovering from an upper respiratory and I'm literally trying everything. Good luck, all. It's nice to meet other gerbil lovers.
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