Post by nowwearefour on Oct 8, 2014 8:54:18 GMT -8
Hi everyone,
We have a little black gerbil who lives alone and has for awhile now, so I know for sure that he's the one doing the chewing. A few months ago he chewed off one toenail on his right foot, which we thought was some kind of accident until he also removed two toenails on his left foot :-(
Since then he's chewed those same three toes on and off. I've noticed that they seem swollen, but I don't know if he chews them because they're swollen or if they're swollen because he's chewing at them. We did take him to the vet, who gave him a shot of an anti-inflammatory and a 10-day course of a pink antibiotic. He seemed to do great through that and I was very hopeful, until the last day of the antibiotic, when I discovered more blood than ever in his cage! In general, the toes don't seem to bother him much, but occasionally I do see him limping or avoiding the floor with his toes.
He's mostly a very perky, peppy gerbil--eats a healthy diet, self-regulates on treats, enjoys fresh fruit and vegetables, etc. He does have some days where I think he seems a little off, but that could also be my imagination. He has no wheels or toys in his cage (he never used them, so we took them out) and his cage floor is solid. His bedding is aspen. He gets lots of cardboard to chew and a good amount of handling, and he gets daily "adventure time" in a gerbil-proofed space. He doesn't bite or nip and is generally very good-natured, even when he seems to be feeling off. I dont know what else, if anything, I can do about this at this point, since we've already spent around $100 on his vet care, and I can't really afford to spend more.
Has anyone seen anything like this? Since he doesn't seem ill overall, should I just ignore it unless I see some significant change in his situation? Is there something else we should try?
My little buddy and I thank you.
We have a little black gerbil who lives alone and has for awhile now, so I know for sure that he's the one doing the chewing. A few months ago he chewed off one toenail on his right foot, which we thought was some kind of accident until he also removed two toenails on his left foot :-(
Since then he's chewed those same three toes on and off. I've noticed that they seem swollen, but I don't know if he chews them because they're swollen or if they're swollen because he's chewing at them. We did take him to the vet, who gave him a shot of an anti-inflammatory and a 10-day course of a pink antibiotic. He seemed to do great through that and I was very hopeful, until the last day of the antibiotic, when I discovered more blood than ever in his cage! In general, the toes don't seem to bother him much, but occasionally I do see him limping or avoiding the floor with his toes.
He's mostly a very perky, peppy gerbil--eats a healthy diet, self-regulates on treats, enjoys fresh fruit and vegetables, etc. He does have some days where I think he seems a little off, but that could also be my imagination. He has no wheels or toys in his cage (he never used them, so we took them out) and his cage floor is solid. His bedding is aspen. He gets lots of cardboard to chew and a good amount of handling, and he gets daily "adventure time" in a gerbil-proofed space. He doesn't bite or nip and is generally very good-natured, even when he seems to be feeling off. I dont know what else, if anything, I can do about this at this point, since we've already spent around $100 on his vet care, and I can't really afford to spend more.
Has anyone seen anything like this? Since he doesn't seem ill overall, should I just ignore it unless I see some significant change in his situation? Is there something else we should try?
My little buddy and I thank you.
Hmm thats strange, i never knew treats could cause toe chewing. xxx