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itching
Jan 14, 2005 15:02:15 GMT -8
Post by bettybob on Jan 14, 2005 15:02:15 GMT -8
couldnt decide if i should put this in behaviours or ailments/diseases... gus seems to scratch alot. and it seems to be getting more frequent. a minute ago he scratched so much..he seemed to be really itchy. he wont hold still enough for me to really look through his fur...but i wouldnt know what to look for anyway. my cats dont have fleas that they could get..and i use aspen bedding and plain white toilet paper for bedding. also..he is molting. do they scratch more when they molt?
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itching
Jan 14, 2005 15:13:46 GMT -8
Post by doomgerbiluk on Jan 14, 2005 15:13:46 GMT -8
possibly but I would be concerned for mites or an allergic reaction Is the bedding of a differet kind/source? Is there any perfume or softener in the tissue? If you brush/stroke over white paper do you see moving dots on the paper (ie mites)? Other possible allergy causes..the hairs from coconuts, perfumes and other sprays in the air, use of talc or groomin g powder on the gerbil. I'm sure their must be others. If you are still concerned after these checks (or you find mites) a vet trip is a good idea. A trip to the vet and a tube of eye ointment for my little blind 5 week old cost me £12.45, a small price to pay for a happy, healthy animsl.
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itching
Jan 16, 2005 14:03:10 GMT -8
Post by bettybob on Jan 16, 2005 14:03:10 GMT -8
i dont see any mites, and their bedding is just plain white toilet paper...no purfumes or anything. i let them run around in my bathtub all the time though...and it occurs to me that there could be some soap scum on the tub (even though i wipe it down a little before i put it in there to make sure everything is all dry) i dont use soap that has any perfumes or dyes..but could that be making them itch anyway? also...i recently switched from chinchilla dust to play sand...could that have something in it?
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itching
Jan 16, 2005 14:25:49 GMT -8
Post by callimico on Jan 16, 2005 14:25:49 GMT -8
are you using kaytee aspen? A lot of ppl have been complaining lately that it's making their gerbils itchy.
I use chinchilla sand, I heard chinchilla dust can be riskier if they inhale it because it's dustier and not good for the lungs, and particles are to fine for gerbils to bathe in, but I know a lot of ppl use it w/out bad effects so I doubt it's that. You could try not giving them baths for awhile and see if that changes anything.
If you did think you could have mites try freezing sand/bedding/food before you give it to them and see if they keep scratching.
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