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Post by MayaL on May 13, 2013 18:26:01 GMT -8
My gerbils seem to have kind of ruffled fur, they both seem happy and have wide eyes, are active and of healthy weight... As well as eating and drinking well, I have them on Gerri Gerbil, but they aren't eating everything in the mix so I'm thinking of putting them back to Oxbow Healthy Handfuls. I give them a sand bath 2 times a week, I checked for mites and as far as I can tell they don't have any, I did the tissue test and I looked in their fur, found nothing...
Does anyone know why this is?
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Post by sofluffy on May 14, 2013 4:13:53 GMT -8
What colours'coats are they?  Ruffling of fur can be a sign of being ill, but I find with some gerbils, coats can play a part. Some days my gerbies look a bit ruffled, and I think it depends on: if they are feeling unwell, if they could be cold/chilly (could yours be in a way of a draught, at all?) And coats. My two agoutis look more 'scruffy' on some days as oppose to my Burmese and Argente Fawn. |
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Post by gerbilapocalypse on Jun 25, 2013 18:02:26 GMT -8
My gerbils both used to have very ruffled fur. I came to believe it was the water bottle, and I was right after watching one of my gerbils bump into the water bottle while running around after I cleaned the cage. My solution was to slant the bottle holder to the point that it was a far enough distance away from the bedding that it wouldn't get in the gerbils' ways again. So check if that's the case. Another reason might just be because of their skittishness. When my gerbils first arrived, they tended to duck into the hut very quickly and clumsily, and they would bump their bodies against the hut opening, ruffling their fur. They don't do this anymore, but it happened a lot in the first few days. Sometimes it just depends on the gerbil though.
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Post by MoonstoneGerbils on Jun 25, 2013 18:43:27 GMT -8
It's not uncommon that during the summer when the temperature rises that gerbil fur tends to get greasy. This is because they produce more oil, and if its gets rally hot they will pee on themselves.
Making sure your gerbils are cool (below 75f) will go a long way towards keeping their fur soft and plush. Sand bathes help too.
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Post by eaturbyfill on Jul 2, 2013 18:30:10 GMT -8
Like Moonstone mentioned, it can be because they are dirty. If they are not ill, I would recommend giving them a sand bath. I let my gerbils take one right before I clean out their tank (they tend to kick the sand everywhere).
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The best animal is a gerbil
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Post by The best animal is a gerbil on Jul 23, 2021 5:42:16 GMT -8
My one gerbil has black ruffled fur wide eyes...
is something wrong
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Post by LilyandDaisy on Jul 23, 2021 6:25:35 GMT -8
My one gerbil has black ruffled fur wide eyes... is something wrong Sometimes they have ruffled fur if they've just woken up or if they're very hot. But it can also be a sign of illness, especially if they're not behaving as they usually do, if they're lethargic and don't want to eat, if they feel cold, have a hobbling gait or can't move around normally, or if they're sitting in a hunched posture. Is your gerbil behaving normally otherwise? |
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Post by Midnight’s owner on Sept 10, 2023 8:31:34 GMT -8
Midnight is behaving normal and the whether cooled down a bit and I make sure his cage is in proper condition and proper temperature so my gerbil won’t get too cold or hot he came on my hand after eating and drinking a bit and I noticed she had ruffled fur my other gerbil willow passed away a few months ago and she doesn’t seem too depressed she acts normally like willow was there but he acts healthy eats well exercises drinks has bright black fur chews wood that is good for her and toilet rolls and egg boxes with the sticker peeled off. Sleeps two hours awake two hours and yeah but if she is in a perfect condition why is her fur ruffled I checked for mites and everything I used to have a sand bath and a toilet for her but that sand she kept eating it so I took it away so you think is has something to do with the lack of sand baths or something what sand do you recommend?
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Post by Midnight’s owner on Sept 10, 2023 9:12:36 GMT -8
Update: midnight keeps going under the weel that’s next to the pot of his stick and sitting there in gonna make a vid so I can see what’s going on I’m not sharing it just to see what she is doing
And she keeps scratching even though she has rocks
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Post by Midnight’s owner on Sept 10, 2023 9:29:43 GMT -8
Update2: I took her to her digging box I have for her a digging box because she can’t have it in her cage because the next day my floor is covered now her fur looks better:)😊
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Post by LilyandDaisy on Sept 10, 2023 9:52:15 GMT -8
Midnight is behaving normal and the whether cooled down a bit and I make sure his cage is in proper condition and proper temperature so my gerbil won’t get too cold or hot he came on my hand after eating and drinking a bit and I noticed she had ruffled fur my other gerbil willow passed away a few months ago and she doesn’t seem too depressed she acts normally like willow was there but he acts healthy eats well exercises drinks has bright black fur chews wood that is good for her and toilet rolls and egg boxes with the sticker peeled off. Sleeps two hours awake two hours and yeah but if she is in a perfect condition why is her fur ruffled I checked for mites and everything I used to have a sand bath and a toilet for her but that sand she kept eating it so I took it away so you think is has something to do with the lack of sand baths or something what sand do you recommend? It could be the lack of sand. Some gerbils do eat sand and I wouldn't worry about it unless it's excessive. You could try giving her a mineral block as I find that can help with sand-eating. What country are you in? As not all countries have the same types of sand available. Also what is she fed? Eating sand plus poor fur condition can sometimes be due to a nutrient deficiency. |
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