jgl
Member
Posts: 116 
|
Post by jgl on Jan 30, 2016 17:08:03 GMT -8
One of my gerbils, Nosy, is very under weight. I just weighed him and he's 50g, with a tumor. We have already tried him on KMR and he didn't really seem to like it. His teeth are normal, he isn't being bullied, and he eats more than any gerbil I have ever seen. Is it the tumor? And can anyone suggest food that would get his weight up?
|
|
|
|
Post by GerbilUK on Jan 31, 2016 6:05:36 GMT -8
How old is he and is it a scent gland tumour?
|
|
jgl
Member
Posts: 116
|
Post by jgl on Jan 31, 2016 9:56:18 GMT -8
He will be 4 this spring. It is a huge scent gland tumor, our old vet told us SGTs couldn't be removed and I for some reason didn't check that information. His cage mate died and he now has a tumor that's 2 1/2 cm big  . |
|
|
|
Post by GerbilUK on Jan 31, 2016 12:39:11 GMT -8
In that case I suspect a combination of old age and the tumour are causing the weight loss, and I wouldn't think there is much you can do to reverse it to be honest.
If I were you I would just be giving him his favourite things to eat at the moment...for mine that would be sunflower seeds and mealworms. Hopefully he will enjoy his remaining time with you.
By the way I had a male gerbil with an sgt, he lost weight and then i noticed the tumour a little while later. He was only half the age of your boy. I had the sgt removed and it all healed up fine, however he continued to lose weight and died about 6 weeks later. I suspect that the sgt was not in fact what was causing the weight loss (as I had hoped was the case) and in fact he had another underlying condition which was going to prove fatal anyway (not that I knew that when I decided to have the operation for him of course)
Best of luck.
|
|
|
|
Post by GerbilUK on Jan 31, 2016 12:41:59 GMT -8
In other words don't beat yourself up about the sgt removal, in my case it made no difference to his life expectancy either way and he went through it for nothing. 4 years old is a wonderful age for your gerbil.
|
|
PurpleSheep
Member
Bossed around by rodents & a toddler
Posts: 331
|
Post by PurpleSheep on Jan 31, 2016 13:20:03 GMT -8
It is most likely the tumour growing that is using up so much energy that he is using weight.
Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, peanuts etc. are all good to help with keeping the weight up.
|
|
jgl
Member
Posts: 116
|
Post by jgl on Feb 1, 2016 17:33:29 GMT -8
Okay, sounds like it's time to spoil him.
|
|
. 
