erin
Member
mom to two gerbils <3
Posts: 80 
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Post by erin on Mar 5, 2015 9:54:54 GMT -8
Hi, I had my two gerbils in the tub for play time. I noticed that one of their tails has a huge patch of fur missing on his tail and I have no idea what could have caused it. I checked for mites and fleas on both of them and found nothing. Upon further inspection to the tail, I noticed there were a few really small flakes of dry skin. There's no blood, scabs or redness whatsoever. Could this just be a case of over-grooming from his friend? Should I take him to the vet or get/do anything for him? He's acting completely normal otherwise and pays no attention to the missing fur.   |
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Post by arielandaurora on Mar 5, 2015 11:39:31 GMT -8
I would just keep an eye on it for now. It doesn't look sore or anything, and as you have checked you know it's not mites or fleas.
My girl Aurora (who is the exact same colour as your boy) had a problem with her tail at the very end of it, and she ended up with a really weird piece of bare bone which then fell off! The vet said she had maybe got it trapped under something in her cage and then "died", but it has now completely sealed over and is like a normal tail, albeit half the size!
Maybe just be aware of that, although I think yours is more likely to be from over-grooming by either him or his pal!
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erin
Member
mom to two gerbils <3
Posts: 80
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Post by erin on Mar 5, 2015 11:43:21 GMT -8
Thank you very much for the information! I'll keep an eye on it. Sorry to hear about your girl's tail  |
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Post by arielandaurora on Mar 5, 2015 14:09:41 GMT -8
Oh honestly her tail is totally fine now, I really freaked out at first but since it has dropped off and healed she has been totally fine with it, thank you though  ? I hope your boy is alright  |
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Post by leafwhisp on Mar 5, 2015 14:23:29 GMT -8
Glad it worked out for you. I had a problem like yours with a previous gerbil. Her tail also dropped off and she was fine after.
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Post by sinthiav on Mar 5, 2015 16:09:00 GMT -8
Tail detachment is a wild evolutionary survival trait. The tail is designed to detach in the center and eventually heal over in the event the tail is caught by a predator. Degloving is another similar trait where the skin and fur come off and are left with the predator while the bone stays with the gerbil. eventually the bone dries up and falls off unless it becomes infected.
Consider a topical antibiotic ointment in order to prevent infection developing in the first place. If there appears to be redness and swelling before it heals, that is likely an infection. The gerbil will definitely need a veterinary antibiotic for the infection in that case. Keep an eye on it.
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Post by arielandaurora on Mar 6, 2015 10:36:12 GMT -8
Thanks guys. This happened probably about 8 months ago, and her tail did the de gloving thing that sinthiav mentioned, I did take her to the vet and the vet said just keep an eye, and it then sealed over and was fine!
Let us know how your boy gets on Erin. By the way that was meant to have been a smiley face not a sad face after I said thank you in the previous post!
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Post by Shooting Star on Mar 6, 2015 17:35:17 GMT -8
Erin, that's classic barbering. His friend is over-grooming him.  |
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erin
Member
mom to two gerbils <3
Posts: 80
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Post by erin on Mar 6, 2015 20:23:33 GMT -8
Erin, that's classic barbering. His friend is over-grooming him. Thank you so much! Is there a way to make him stop? Or a cause for him doing it? |
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