Scent gland lump + very slow/tired

[Jazzable]

Cashew, one of my ~two-year-old males, isn't well. A few weeks ago I noticed he had a scent gland lump, which didn't seem to be particularly bothering him. Pistachio, one of his cagemates, has had a noticeable scent gland lump for many months (maybe a year or more? I can't quite remember), which hasn't been growing or seemed much of a problem, so I hoped the newer one would be the same.

Today I noticed that Cashew was being very slow - he was just sitting in one spot with his eyes half-closed, not moving at all. I picked him up and he just sat in my hands barely moving. He moves around a little bit if I put him down, but is pretty much just staying where he is. When I offer him food or treats he ignores them. I don't know how to tell if he is in pain? He's not squeaking or wheezing or clicking or anything, he just seems really sleepy. I had all of them out of their cage last night and I didn't notice him acting more tired than usual, but I didn't inspect him closely.

So:

• Is the tiredness likely to be a result of the scent gland lump, or just something unrelated?
• Is there any way I can tell whether or not he is in pain/unhappy/suffering?
• Is there anything I can do for him now, today - to keep him as happy and healthy as possible?
• Is it worth taking him to the vet? Is it likely there's anything that can be done, or is it just his time?

...Any other advice/thoughts?

[Jazzable]

Update: I just managed to get him to eat some sunflower seeds. I had my hand right under his nose with a handful of seeds, and he kept on zoning out practically mid-mouthful. But I kept stroking his nose and moving my hand a bit to get his attention back, and he definitely did eat quite a few of them. I offered him the waterbottle directly and he didn't take any, so hopefully that means he's just not thirsty/not dehydrated.

I also emailed my nearest exotics vet and there's no way I'll be able to afford surgery (if needed), and even a consultation is pretty expensive so I probably won't do that. If I can't afford treatment anyway there's not a lot of point. Unless, like in my first post, it becomes clear that he is really suffering or in pain (and I'm still not sure how to tell), and should be put down.

[betty]

Gerbils in pain usually stretch out a lot, and perhaps twitch or squeak when you touch the sore part - but gerbils so try to look healthy for ages after they actually get ill - so you sometimes don't notice anything wrong until they are at the point of exhaustion or on deaths' door.

Obviously if they are scratching or chewing the lump they are in pain as it is annoying them enough to 'not look out for predators'. And we all know how much gerbils can put up with before showing signs.

I would give him a heat pad on half the tank and some wet food right next to him and sprinkle sunflower hearts/pumpkin seed heart all over the place so he doesn't have to expire any effort to eat at all - they can almost drink the food - like baby food or kitten milk etc or just reach out and it's there. He doesn't want to waste effort having to climb ladders, jump ledges or stuff just to eat or drink...

Leave him in peace with the warm and the food/mush, and check on him every hour or so to see if he is getting better or going downhill. If you can have the tank in the least disturbed site possible too so he doesn't have to keep reacting to people walking past or next to doors closing etc.

[Jazzable]

Thanks. I don't have a heat pad, is there any simple alternative I could use? A hot-water bottle maybe?

Edit: And how can I tell whether he needs the extra warmth? I don't want to make him too hot if he doesn't need it. I guess he will just move towards/away from the heat source for his own comfort?

Also, do you have any suggestions for easy wet foods I could give? I offered him some almond nut butter but he didn't seem interested (he preferred the sunflower seeds). I don't have kitten milk or baby food.

[betty]

With the heat pads, you only put them under about a third (or less) of the tank so they can choose to move away if they get too hot. A Water Bottle would work a bit, but it would be rather bulky under the tank or cage and might not last too long.

Nobody really has kitten milk and baby food in their house for a sick gerbil - but if you can't go out and buy some from a local store there aren't really any good alternatives for wet food unless you can juice some veg and give them a small amount of the pithy gunk, like a thick soup. Maybe watered down Weetabix short term, but the things above are really the best for this as they need the nutrients not just the moisture. However, f he has the energy to hold and eat sunflower hearts (by that I mean out of their shells) then keep filling him up with them temporarily until he finds his feet a bit more.

[Jazzable]

Update: He seems to have perked up slightly. I've been taking him out regularly and letting him help himself from a feast of nuts and seeds, plus giving him the waterbottle directly - and he is eating and drinking so that's good. He still seems really tired, like he zones out even with the food in front of his nose. But when he does decide he wants to move or do something, he moves just like he usually does - just not for very long before he stops to take another standing nap. He doesn't seem to be obviously in pain - no squeaking/twitching/writhing or anything.

[Jazzable]

He now seems to be doing a lot better! After some research, I think it may have been a stroke - based on the sudden onset, lack of pain or obvious physical problems, and floppiness and zoning out. So that hopefully means he will be able to recover fully. Today he is a lot more alert and active, more interested in food (he never stopped eating, it just seemed as if he was almost too tired for it), and generally looks more like his usual self. I'm still giving him some extra nuts and seeds just in case he hasn't been eating quite enough these few days, and I'm going to keep an eye out to make sure he goes back to eating their regular food of his own accord.

[catnut]

glad to hear Cashew is feeling better.

[jumpyspeedyrule]

Jul 22, 2015 6:41:31 GMT -8 betty said:

Gerbils in pain usually stretch out a lot, 



Really? One of my gerbils died and her sister has a tumor. I noticed shes been stretching a lot lately. Could she be in pain?

[betty]

All gerbils stretch a bit just like we do, but if you notice they are extending their body a lot, this could be a sign of being uncomfortable in the abdominal region. And we know gerbils try to ignore pain for ages, so if they are doing this there may be something not quite right.

I recently had a gerbil with a distended belly and she was stretching a lot, so was a male of mine with a scent gland issue. Some gerbils stretch out a lot during the dying process too.

So have a closer look next time yours stretches, and if the stretch ends with one of her back legs extended out behind her, or her front feet right out in front and a good yawn, it's probably nothing, just a waking up stretch.

[jumpyspeedyrule]

Thanks shes yawning like a big baby so its probably nothing