Hair loss with pictures

[neil]

Hi all,

Below is a picture of Ser Jorah Mormont, who as you can see, is a gerbil.



I've recently noticed a small patch of bare fur on his left foot, which you can just see in the photo. Does anybody know what causes this? I am assuming it is some kind of over-grooming, either by himself or by his brother who he lives with.

There is no blood, scabbing or other marks on his foot or his body. His behaviour seems fine. He is friendly and confident, and the dominant of the two gerbils. He is easily picked up and likes company, and is eating and drinking normally. He is generally taken out of the cage and handled once a day, and gets outside playtime 2 or 3 times a week. He always has access to an exercise wheel, which he frequently uses.

Any advice or thoughts on what's causing the hair loss?

[rhianna]

There are a few possibilities. First, how old he? Older gerbils sometimes begin going bald with age.

Another possibility is mites. These little bugs can be brought into your gerbil habitat through their bedding, hay, or food. Scroll to "diagnosis" here to learn how to check for mites: www.petmd.com/exotic/conditions/skin/c_ex_gb_mites

It could even be overgrooming, like you suggested. However, this shouldn't be ignored. Overgrooming is a sign of stress and should be evaluated. Have there been any major changed lately such as moving to a new cage, a new room, or bringing a new pet into the house? Have there been loud noises or strange smells around? Is the cage too small for his clan?

If you still don't know the problem and it continues to persist, then you might want to have a vet check him out. Like I said, there are many possibilities, and the only way to know for sure what's causing it would be to have a professional look at it.

[neil]

Thanks for the response!

He is about 6 months old, so probably not baldness. Thanks for the link on mites, I'll check it out.

The only major change has been a recent upgrade to a new, larger cage - www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/small-pet/gerbil/gerbil-homes/extra-large-gerbilarium. Maybe this was a trigger. It is just him and his brother in there. No new pets or strange smells (as far as I can tell!). We keep them in the far corner of a large living room, away from noise sources. They seem to be able to sleep very well here.

We'll keep an eye on him, and since we have a picture of the fur loss, we should be able to compare how it changes. Thanks for the advice - if it gets worse or doesn't go away after a while we will definitely have a vet take a look.

[rhianna]

Eliminating mites will be the first step, but if it's not mites then it's very likely just stress-related from moving to the new cage. As they get used to the new cage, it should clear up in a couple of weeks or so. Of course if it gets worse, like you said, then a vet's advice will be needed.

[neil]

Looks like all was well in the end - everything regrown and looking fine for some time now. No more barbering Ser Jorah!

[chakotay]

Glad to hear he's better. He's handsome!