Post by tangerine on Dec 12, 2014 13:05:24 GMT -8
The point of this is mostly to ask if I'm doing the right thing, if I could doing anything more, etc. etc.
A couple of hours ago I was checking on the gerbils and noticed one of them sitting in the corner of the cage looking very fluffed up and sitting very, very still. Sid's sides seemed to be almost heaving, he was breathing very rapidly and his eyes were half closed. This is my first time owning gerbils and nothing like this has ever happened before, so we rang up the vet who said we can come down and have him checked. So into the car, very gently of course, and to the vets, and at this stage Sid really didn't seem to be getting any better. He was still breathing very rapidly, head bowed and leaning on the bedding, eyes nearly closed. The vet was able to pick him up right away, he didn't struggle at all - they're very hand tame but not quite that hand tame, so this is unusual - and checked his breathing. She said that he had respiratory problems, that was quite possibly linked to pneumonia or something underlying. She gave us some antibiotics, though she said that there may be only a small chance of him living through this as he seems quite bad. I think it may be to do with old age, as my gerbils are now about three or four years old. She gave him a small injection for the night and tomorrow morning, and we brought him home again. We've separated him and his cage mate for the moment, in case there's a problem with it being a virus or something (if it's better for him to be with his cage mate, who is currently bright-eyed, curious and fixing his nest, then I can put them back together. They tend to sleep pretty much on top of each other, and it's easier to put the water bottle nice and low and accessible, as well as food, if the other one isn't bouncing around and chewing on anything that comes within a foot radius of him. If they seem particularly stressed though I'll be putting them back together of course.) else that the other could pick up, and he has a water bottle and some food accessible. At the moment Sid is hunched up facing the wall of the box he's in, he hasn't moved much since I put him in and is very quiet, breathing still quite rapid. His eyes are also still almost closed. The vet advised us to start on the week-long antibiotics tomorrow evening, though that's only if he does make it through the night. At this point I'm not so sure. I'm trying not to handle him too much, he's in a quiet, dark room and I don't want to stress him out by handling him unnecessarily. Is there anything else I can do for him, or can only time tell? Would you say that it's old age, being that both of them are about 3 years old (I got them in a pet shop about 3/2 and a half years ago and you all know how vague pet shop staff can be with aging, so I'm not sure.)? I at first assumed it might be bedding, though I changed it 2 weeks ago (and added hay for the first time in a while, perhaps that was it? Though they've had hay before and been fine) and this is the first time I've noticed anything wrong. Also the other gerbil is perfectly healthy, so perhaps their bedding is fine? I change the brand frequently as it's really difficult to find the same brand again and again due to petshops being so indecisive about what they buy in, it says the generic 'softwood bedding' on it so not necessarily pine, though I live in Ireland so bedding is kiln dried, the UK way, so even if there was pine in it it shouldn't cause respiratory problems as the harmful stuff in it doesn't remain once its kiln dried. (It might be worth noting that I've used the generic 'softwood bedding' stuff before and there have never been any problems with it.)
It's been a pretty emotional day, as I really really hate to see either of my boys uncomfortable, so what I really want to know is if I've done everything right so far, if I can do anything else or is it the case where only time will tell? Thanks, and I apologise for the wall of text.
A couple of hours ago I was checking on the gerbils and noticed one of them sitting in the corner of the cage looking very fluffed up and sitting very, very still. Sid's sides seemed to be almost heaving, he was breathing very rapidly and his eyes were half closed. This is my first time owning gerbils and nothing like this has ever happened before, so we rang up the vet who said we can come down and have him checked. So into the car, very gently of course, and to the vets, and at this stage Sid really didn't seem to be getting any better. He was still breathing very rapidly, head bowed and leaning on the bedding, eyes nearly closed. The vet was able to pick him up right away, he didn't struggle at all - they're very hand tame but not quite that hand tame, so this is unusual - and checked his breathing. She said that he had respiratory problems, that was quite possibly linked to pneumonia or something underlying. She gave us some antibiotics, though she said that there may be only a small chance of him living through this as he seems quite bad. I think it may be to do with old age, as my gerbils are now about three or four years old. She gave him a small injection for the night and tomorrow morning, and we brought him home again. We've separated him and his cage mate for the moment, in case there's a problem with it being a virus or something (if it's better for him to be with his cage mate, who is currently bright-eyed, curious and fixing his nest, then I can put them back together. They tend to sleep pretty much on top of each other, and it's easier to put the water bottle nice and low and accessible, as well as food, if the other one isn't bouncing around and chewing on anything that comes within a foot radius of him. If they seem particularly stressed though I'll be putting them back together of course.) else that the other could pick up, and he has a water bottle and some food accessible. At the moment Sid is hunched up facing the wall of the box he's in, he hasn't moved much since I put him in and is very quiet, breathing still quite rapid. His eyes are also still almost closed. The vet advised us to start on the week-long antibiotics tomorrow evening, though that's only if he does make it through the night. At this point I'm not so sure. I'm trying not to handle him too much, he's in a quiet, dark room and I don't want to stress him out by handling him unnecessarily. Is there anything else I can do for him, or can only time tell? Would you say that it's old age, being that both of them are about 3 years old (I got them in a pet shop about 3/2 and a half years ago and you all know how vague pet shop staff can be with aging, so I'm not sure.)? I at first assumed it might be bedding, though I changed it 2 weeks ago (and added hay for the first time in a while, perhaps that was it? Though they've had hay before and been fine) and this is the first time I've noticed anything wrong. Also the other gerbil is perfectly healthy, so perhaps their bedding is fine? I change the brand frequently as it's really difficult to find the same brand again and again due to petshops being so indecisive about what they buy in, it says the generic 'softwood bedding' on it so not necessarily pine, though I live in Ireland so bedding is kiln dried, the UK way, so even if there was pine in it it shouldn't cause respiratory problems as the harmful stuff in it doesn't remain once its kiln dried. (It might be worth noting that I've used the generic 'softwood bedding' stuff before and there have never been any problems with it.)
It's been a pretty emotional day, as I really really hate to see either of my boys uncomfortable, so what I really want to know is if I've done everything right so far, if I can do anything else or is it the case where only time will tell? Thanks, and I apologise for the wall of text.
