a little fur loss with dad

[callimico]

My male, Cirus, has been doing a great job raising their eight pups with Rhea (Siamese mother). But I noticed today a little fur on his tail appears to be "rubbed off". No scabs or bite wounds, just the fur on his upper tail and a patch a little lower then that is gone- kind of resembles a rat's tail in those few patches.

Any ideas? If doesn't look like biting, more like a few patches of hair just got worn down or fell off. Could it be overgrooming? I haven't seen fighting or chasing, everythings been normal- she still has a nice poofy tail. I let her out for a run every other day or so, and dad usually stays in the tank. He's tried to mate with her a couple times after birth, and she always turns around and bops him on the nose- so I don't know if she's already pregnant again and dad doesn't get it (seen that before), or if she's taking a breather from such a large litter.

But when I picked him up a little fur on his rump was kind of rumpled, could just be because he was burrowing or ran under the water bottle (wasn't wet) and I didn't notice any fur missing their. He doesn't act differently, I must not have noticed his tail before, (usually curled up with the pups so his tail's hidden). It's just a small patches of his tail are now hairless??? I hope it clears up in a few days

[lizzy]

That happened with 3 of the gerbils that were in the petshop for a long time. Considering the cages aren't that big we figured, it was overgrooming.

I'd be surprised if your female isn't pregnant again because they mate again as soon as the first litter is born.

[callimico]

Thanks- I think she may have overgoomed him- they were introduced just over a month ago. He was 7 weeks, she 3 1/2 months, and now that I think about it she was grooming him quite a bit- in the beginning. I guess his fur'll come back within a week or so then- since she stopped grooming him so much once they were used to oneanother, and he's now a little bit bigger then her.

Since they are breeding I have them in a smaller tank- 20 gallon. I have several breeding pairs and most do mate immediately after birth or the next day, since she had a large litter of 8, and dad has continued trying to mate with her it's a possibility she isn't pregnant again. Sometimes gerbil mothers monitor themselves after a big litter so they don't get exhausted and overworked.

[sweetie]

I think it might jsut be over grooming. That happened to Bubba on his head/ nose area.

It is funny you talking about the bopping on the nose thing. Bandit did that to Honeymunch all the time. It took a while for her to get pregnant then she just popped out another litter about 30 days after that. You are right about the monitoring. Other members said thier gerbs did the same thing. I was not as fortunate.

[callimico]

lol, for a second their I thought I had a crazy gerbil, since no one else has ever mentioned the nose bopping with their pairs ;D I guess it takes the boys longer to realize no means no and they need a bop.

Good news with dad- his fur is coming back and no bald patches, just thinner in those areas, so it must have been overgrooming in the beginning. It's a little strange that she overgroomed his tail though, isn't it? I think she's pregnant now, dad's stopped trying to mate, but hopefully the litter will be delayed longer then usual and give her a small beak.

[sweetie]

Indeed good news for Dad's hair regrowing! I really laugh at the bopping. It is one of thier cuter behaviors. ;D