Post by sarahobw on Apr 2, 2014 14:52:21 GMT -8
I was wondering if you could give me some advice about Bo, my 3.5 year old little boy gerbil. He’s going downhill suddenly and I’m wondering how long he might have left??
I’m pretty convinced he’s in his last weeks, and I think it’s down to old age. Within the last few days he has started sleeping allll the time, rarely getting up for more than a minute or two for a little bit of food and water and to toilet. His eyes are sticky because he’s sleeping so much. Even when I cleaned their cage, he curled up to sleep in their carrier and went straight to bed once I released them in their tank – normally when they’re at their most boisterous, exploring! He’s lost a lot of weight and his coat has started to look scruffy and oily. They have a dust bath and I've been giving him all sorts of his favourite treats and seeds to try and build him up. He feels delicate like a bird in my hands, and he’s perky when I get him out for playtime but moving slowly and sometimes wobbly in the tank. I’ve attached pictures of him a year ago (at 2.5yo) and today.
Another clue is that last week his brothers, Pip and Olly, recently started fighting – to the point where I’ve had to separate them. Now gentle Pip lives with Bo and Olly lives alone. Bo was always the boss, and I think maybe because his health is failing it sparked a fight for dominance between the others. I feel like they knew something I didn’t at the time.
He has a scent gland tumour which may be contributing, but this has been slow growing for over a year and not bothered him to date. I’ve listened for the clicks of an RI and I’ve checked his teeth, but they seem ok. I’m not inclined to take him to the vet because I don’t think he’s in pain, I don’t think antibiotics would help and I made the decision not to operate on his scent gland tumour over a year ago, which I stand by.
Anyway, as awful as it sounds, I wondered how long you think he might have? Days, weeks, longer? What can I do to help him? What are your experiences? These are the first gerbils of my own (apart from in my childhood) so I’m not sure what to expect. I’m so sad for him, he was always the biggest, the fattest and the boss man, full of energy and mischief. Some people say they go really quickly, but others that they seem to linger. I have exams coming up, but its breaking my heart and distracting me watching him go downhill like this, especially after all the drama having to break the brothers up.
Thank you guys xx
I’m pretty convinced he’s in his last weeks, and I think it’s down to old age. Within the last few days he has started sleeping allll the time, rarely getting up for more than a minute or two for a little bit of food and water and to toilet. His eyes are sticky because he’s sleeping so much. Even when I cleaned their cage, he curled up to sleep in their carrier and went straight to bed once I released them in their tank – normally when they’re at their most boisterous, exploring! He’s lost a lot of weight and his coat has started to look scruffy and oily. They have a dust bath and I've been giving him all sorts of his favourite treats and seeds to try and build him up. He feels delicate like a bird in my hands, and he’s perky when I get him out for playtime but moving slowly and sometimes wobbly in the tank. I’ve attached pictures of him a year ago (at 2.5yo) and today.
Another clue is that last week his brothers, Pip and Olly, recently started fighting – to the point where I’ve had to separate them. Now gentle Pip lives with Bo and Olly lives alone. Bo was always the boss, and I think maybe because his health is failing it sparked a fight for dominance between the others. I feel like they knew something I didn’t at the time.
He has a scent gland tumour which may be contributing, but this has been slow growing for over a year and not bothered him to date. I’ve listened for the clicks of an RI and I’ve checked his teeth, but they seem ok. I’m not inclined to take him to the vet because I don’t think he’s in pain, I don’t think antibiotics would help and I made the decision not to operate on his scent gland tumour over a year ago, which I stand by.
Anyway, as awful as it sounds, I wondered how long you think he might have? Days, weeks, longer? What can I do to help him? What are your experiences? These are the first gerbils of my own (apart from in my childhood) so I’m not sure what to expect. I’m so sad for him, he was always the biggest, the fattest and the boss man, full of energy and mischief. Some people say they go really quickly, but others that they seem to linger. I have exams coming up, but its breaking my heart and distracting me watching him go downhill like this, especially after all the drama having to break the brothers up.
Thank you guys xx
