Post by pepandmax on Jun 19, 2007 12:38:17 GMT -8
It's that time of the year, when Northern Hemisphere dwellers and their gerbils bring out the bathing suits and prepare for the summer. I mean, humans break out the bathing suits and gerbils... nevermind.
Questions are often raised during the summer about how to care for a gerbil in the heat. The purpose of this thread is to answer some of those questions before people need to ask. Feel free to add your comments and suggestions!
Is My Gerbil Too Hot?
While gerbils are desert creatures, in the wild gerbils are able to burrow underground during the day to escape from the sun and the hot air (if you have a subterranian basement, you know how cool it can be underground!).
If you notice that your gerbil is less active and spends most of his time sprawled out with his belly to the air, or stretched out with his belly on the ground, he might be feeling the effects of the heat.
Temperatures up to 75 degrees Farenheit (23.9 degrees Celsius) are ok for gerbils. Temperatures above 80 degrees Farenheit (26.7 degrees Celsius) might be too hot. Temperatures above 85 degrees Farenheit (29.4 degrees Celsius) are probably too hot, especially combined with high humidity.
As previously mentioned, gerbils are desert animals that have adapted to live in the dry climate. Thus, humidity may aggravate your gerbil even more than temperature. If your gerbil starts to get porphyrin around his nose or his fur gets matted and stringy, it may be too humid for his comfort.
How Can I Keep My Gerbil Cool?
*Put clean stones, terracotta plant pots or saucers, or ceramic tiles into the fridge or freezer and get them nice and cold. Then, put them in, on, or under your gerbils' tank to bring down the temperature. If condensation forms on them and makes the litter wet, try putting them under or on the sides of the tank. You could also use ice packs on, around, or under the tank.
*Use a fan to circulate the air in the room. Put a cold, wet cloth over the fan (this will bring down the temperature slightly, but watch out--it will also raise the humidity in the room!).
*Move your gerbils' tank to the coolest room of the house. If you have a basement, that's probably the way to go! If you don't, try the northeast corner of the house or apartment (if you live in the Northern Hemisphere)--it's the room that gets the least sun.
*Speaking of sun, it's ok for your gerbils to have some sun in their tank. Some gerbils love to sunbathe and will move their nest into the sun to catch some rays! Still, there should always be a significant portion of the tank that is NOT in the sun, so the gerbils can move away from the light if they need to. If the room is hot, skip the sun altogether. The glass walls of the tank can capture solar energy just like a greenhouse, making the tank even hotter.
*Invest in an air conditioner, even if it's a small window unit, to cool one room; move all of your gerbils into the room (and move yourself into that room, too!). Look for energy-efficient models with a thermostat and seal the window and doors carefully to minimize the impact on your energy bill and the climate.
*Make sure your gerbils have fresh water at all times. Warmth promotes bacterial growth, so you should scrub the bottle and refresh the water more frequently in the summer than the winter.
*Try giving your gerbils cold treats, such as slices of frozen grape, frozen peas, frozen berries, or frozen corn. Cold treats probably won't do much to lower a gerbil's core temperature, but like all treats, they'll be appreciated.
*Use a thermometer that sticks to the glass of the tank in order to monitor the temperature.
*If it's really hot in your house or apartment and you and your gerbils can't cope, consider asking a friend or a family member with an air-conditioned home to gerbil-sit until the heatwave breaks. Your gerbils will appreciate it, and you'll have peace of mind knowing that they are safe and comfortable.
*Put chinchilla sand in the fridge or freezer to get it nice and cool. Then let your gerbils take a cool sand bath! (Thanks Issy )
I Think My Gerbil Is In Trouble--What Do I Do?!?
It's unlikely that the temperature of the air alone can cause your gerbils harm, but combined with very high humidity or strong sunlight shining into the tank, it is possible for a gerbil to suffer from heatstroke.
If your gerbil has moved all the litter and bedding out of his nest and is laying on the cool glass AND he is panting, he is too hot. Try any of the steps listed above to get him comfortable.
If your gerbil is wet around his mouth, extremely lethargic and weak, disoriented, or even unconscious, he is suffering from heat stroke, and he is in serious trouble. Do whatever you can to lower his body temperature without shocking him.
Carefully wipe his body with a cool, damp cloth to bring down his body temperature, or just bathe him in cool water, starting with the extremities (DO NOT use cold water, and GO SLOWLY). Alternatively, wrap a towel around a bag filled with ice and lay him on top of it (again, be sure to wrap the bag in a towel--you don't want to shock him). ONLY take these steps if you feel that your gerbil will not survive without intervention.
In addition, try to get some fluids into the gerbil by giving him frozen grapes or liquid through a syringe or eyedropper. Most importantly, bring your gerbil to a vet for a consultation. If the gerbil is dehydrated, the vet can give an injection of fluids that will do the best job for rehydration.
Remember: prevention is better than intervention! Keep it cool and you won't have to worry about your gerbils suffering health effects from the heat.
More Resources:
gerbilforum.proboards21.com/index.cgi?board=generalcare&action=display&thread=1152011647
gerbilforum.proboards21.com/index.cgi?board=generalcare&action=display&thread=1151359412
www.agsgerbils.org/gerbil_tales/issue_3.html#stroke
www.erodent.co.uk/KeepingCool.htm
Questions are often raised during the summer about how to care for a gerbil in the heat. The purpose of this thread is to answer some of those questions before people need to ask. Feel free to add your comments and suggestions!
Is My Gerbil Too Hot?
While gerbils are desert creatures, in the wild gerbils are able to burrow underground during the day to escape from the sun and the hot air (if you have a subterranian basement, you know how cool it can be underground!).
If you notice that your gerbil is less active and spends most of his time sprawled out with his belly to the air, or stretched out with his belly on the ground, he might be feeling the effects of the heat.
Temperatures up to 75 degrees Farenheit (23.9 degrees Celsius) are ok for gerbils. Temperatures above 80 degrees Farenheit (26.7 degrees Celsius) might be too hot. Temperatures above 85 degrees Farenheit (29.4 degrees Celsius) are probably too hot, especially combined with high humidity.
As previously mentioned, gerbils are desert animals that have adapted to live in the dry climate. Thus, humidity may aggravate your gerbil even more than temperature. If your gerbil starts to get porphyrin around his nose or his fur gets matted and stringy, it may be too humid for his comfort.
How Can I Keep My Gerbil Cool?
*Put clean stones, terracotta plant pots or saucers, or ceramic tiles into the fridge or freezer and get them nice and cold. Then, put them in, on, or under your gerbils' tank to bring down the temperature. If condensation forms on them and makes the litter wet, try putting them under or on the sides of the tank. You could also use ice packs on, around, or under the tank.
*Use a fan to circulate the air in the room. Put a cold, wet cloth over the fan (this will bring down the temperature slightly, but watch out--it will also raise the humidity in the room!).
*Move your gerbils' tank to the coolest room of the house. If you have a basement, that's probably the way to go! If you don't, try the northeast corner of the house or apartment (if you live in the Northern Hemisphere)--it's the room that gets the least sun.
*Speaking of sun, it's ok for your gerbils to have some sun in their tank. Some gerbils love to sunbathe and will move their nest into the sun to catch some rays! Still, there should always be a significant portion of the tank that is NOT in the sun, so the gerbils can move away from the light if they need to. If the room is hot, skip the sun altogether. The glass walls of the tank can capture solar energy just like a greenhouse, making the tank even hotter.
*Invest in an air conditioner, even if it's a small window unit, to cool one room; move all of your gerbils into the room (and move yourself into that room, too!). Look for energy-efficient models with a thermostat and seal the window and doors carefully to minimize the impact on your energy bill and the climate.
*Make sure your gerbils have fresh water at all times. Warmth promotes bacterial growth, so you should scrub the bottle and refresh the water more frequently in the summer than the winter.
*Try giving your gerbils cold treats, such as slices of frozen grape, frozen peas, frozen berries, or frozen corn. Cold treats probably won't do much to lower a gerbil's core temperature, but like all treats, they'll be appreciated.
*Use a thermometer that sticks to the glass of the tank in order to monitor the temperature.
*If it's really hot in your house or apartment and you and your gerbils can't cope, consider asking a friend or a family member with an air-conditioned home to gerbil-sit until the heatwave breaks. Your gerbils will appreciate it, and you'll have peace of mind knowing that they are safe and comfortable.
*Put chinchilla sand in the fridge or freezer to get it nice and cool. Then let your gerbils take a cool sand bath! (Thanks Issy )
I Think My Gerbil Is In Trouble--What Do I Do?!?
It's unlikely that the temperature of the air alone can cause your gerbils harm, but combined with very high humidity or strong sunlight shining into the tank, it is possible for a gerbil to suffer from heatstroke.
If your gerbil has moved all the litter and bedding out of his nest and is laying on the cool glass AND he is panting, he is too hot. Try any of the steps listed above to get him comfortable.
If your gerbil is wet around his mouth, extremely lethargic and weak, disoriented, or even unconscious, he is suffering from heat stroke, and he is in serious trouble. Do whatever you can to lower his body temperature without shocking him.
Carefully wipe his body with a cool, damp cloth to bring down his body temperature, or just bathe him in cool water, starting with the extremities (DO NOT use cold water, and GO SLOWLY). Alternatively, wrap a towel around a bag filled with ice and lay him on top of it (again, be sure to wrap the bag in a towel--you don't want to shock him). ONLY take these steps if you feel that your gerbil will not survive without intervention.
In addition, try to get some fluids into the gerbil by giving him frozen grapes or liquid through a syringe or eyedropper. Most importantly, bring your gerbil to a vet for a consultation. If the gerbil is dehydrated, the vet can give an injection of fluids that will do the best job for rehydration.
Remember: prevention is better than intervention! Keep it cool and you won't have to worry about your gerbils suffering health effects from the heat.
More Resources:
gerbilforum.proboards21.com/index.cgi?board=generalcare&action=display&thread=1152011647
gerbilforum.proboards21.com/index.cgi?board=generalcare&action=display&thread=1151359412
www.agsgerbils.org/gerbil_tales/issue_3.html#stroke
www.erodent.co.uk/KeepingCool.htm