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Post by blackie on Jan 30, 2006 4:20:42 GMT -8
Sorry to say that Phillip died saturday night. It happened at home. I noticed he had blood in his mouth, and he got a seizure and a few minutes later he was dead. It happened very quickly. I felt relieved when it was over. At least he is not feeling any pain anymore. I suppose I could have decided to have him put to sleep, but I just wanted to give him a chance to get better. Maybe it was an ear infection or maybe a brain tumor or a brain lesion. At least he lived a happy life. I'm never going to find out if he might have been alright if I had taken him to the vet earlier and given him the antibiotics from the beginning. It's so weird that I can't get things right when it's happening to me, I always get so scared and nervous. I guess it has something to do with experience too. We managed to get him to eat and drink a little bit for a few days, but he wasn't eating enough, and we gave him antibiotics that seemed to improve his balance, so for a while he seemed to get better. I think it probably had gone too far, so it was too late to save him. I just felt like the circumstances were against me. I'm going to try and find a vet that I feel I can talk to incase some of my other gerbils ever get sick. Now I have to take care of the other gerbil Simon, so he won't get depressed and lonely. He actually seemed to be anxious after I removed Phillip from the cage. It was really awful.
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Post by doomgerbiluk on Jan 30, 2006 4:30:56 GMT -8
Gerbils do miss their cagemates at first, and they miss the company for longer. You did well for him, we cant always save our little friends but it's doing our best that matters. Sorry to hear he's gone. hugs
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Post by ashleyrenee on Jan 30, 2006 8:41:35 GMT -8
awww blackie im so sorry to hear that. well i would have done the same thing. i hate to put an animal to sleep too. Id give any of my gerbils another chance to get better. you did the right thing now dont be blaming yourself you did all you could have done. Phillip im sure had a great life and is happy still. i hope simon will be ok too. We have had alot of animals do that go from bad to good to worst hten it all goes down hill from there unless a miracle happens. Im soo sorry to hear about him and im sure he is in a happy place with no pain. You gave him the best. just to be honest i started to cry when i saw what you wrote about him dying on saturday. well best of luck blackie *hugs* everything is gonna be ok
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Post by lizzy on Feb 3, 2006 10:11:54 GMT -8
Try not to worry and panic, this may upset your gerbil more. The taste of the medicine may put off his appetite, but it is probably both that and the fact that his teeth are overgrown that is preventing him eating too much. Losing weight isn't a good thing; however, as he is still eating that is a good sign.
He does need to have the medicine though. I recommend scruffing him (holding by the fur on the scruff of his neck) to give him it. A very small syringe is best.
As for how long it takes for a recovery, it took my gerbil Connor about a week to recover from his respiratory infection. He was given medicine every 12 hours and he got a lot better within a few days of beginning it. He was extremely picky with his food though until about 2 weeks after he came off the antibiotics.
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Post by doomgerbiluk on Feb 3, 2006 12:13:39 GMT -8
Gerbils do not have a neck scruff! A scruff is loose skin above the neck by which some animals (ie cats) carry their young. As gerbils do not carry their young this way I suspect having the neck skin pinched and being lifted by it must be VERY uncomfortable....get somone to pinch the skin on the back of your neck and pull and see how you like it!!!!
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Post by lizzy on Feb 3, 2006 13:49:20 GMT -8
I wasn't suggesting that it was the most comfortable way of holding a gerbil, nor was I suggesting that I pick up my gerbils in this way on a regular basis. But when a sick gerbil needs medicine and will not take it any other way, I have found that it is necessary. I'm sure that it would prefer a little discomfort rather than death if you cannot give the medicine any other way. In my experience some very aggressive gerbils will not be able to be picked up unless it is by the scruff. I even saw my vet give the medicine to my gerbil in this way. There are many websites where there are pictures of gerbils being sexed and they are being held by the "scruff".
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Post by doomgerbiluk on Feb 3, 2006 14:03:13 GMT -8
I've always held mine firmly with my hands around them from the back and my finger and thumb holding down the front paws. It works fine and doesn't hurt them. I've given a lot of baytril, marbocyl and replacement milk to gerbils and dipodils, believe me this method works.
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Post by lizzy on Feb 3, 2006 14:09:28 GMT -8
Believe me, I tried everything to get him to take medicine. He would not have any of it and would constantly struggle, which means he wouldn't get all the medicine. Besides, I was following my vet's advice.
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Post by blackie on Feb 15, 2006 5:20:29 GMT -8
We did eventually manage to give Phillip the medicine, but the ear infection had gone too far and he was so extremely sick that he died anyway. I just did like you recomended, I dripped a small drop of medicine on the side of his mouth and sometimes he swallowed it. It was my own nerves that made everything worse. And not having a vet that I could trust. So stupid that an animal has to suffer for studpid circumstances. I miss Phillip a lot. Doesn't matter that I have 7 other gerbils to care for. Each animal is unique. Phillip was more extrovert, he was never shy and he was my tamest gerbil. Simon missed him a lot and made squeeking noises for two days after Phillip was gone. He seemed confused that Phillip was gone....it was really sad. I don't understand how people can say that animals don't have feelings...even rats and mice and gerbils have emotions. I think Simon missed the physical contact he had with Simon, and he didn't have anyone to groom him or to cuddle up to when asleep. He seems to have forgotten Phillip now. I'm not going to buy another gerbil. He'll just have to get along on his own. And he still has me I just have to get ower this sadness, but I'm so angry with the world, for being a poor student and not having anyone who could drive me to the vet when I was desperate and Phillip was just lying there not able to eat or drink, not knowing what to do... they all die eventually, I know...
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Post by blackie on Feb 15, 2006 5:23:11 GMT -8
I'm happy that my othre gerbils are OKay and even MAtilda who is almost four years old is happy and in good health. I took her out of the cage yesterday and she ran around on the floor for half an hour like a young gerbil.
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Post by blackie on Feb 15, 2006 5:30:19 GMT -8
she looks really old but she is amazingly healthy and can still run pretty fast.
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