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Post by Manix on Jun 21, 2005 14:13:50 GMT -8
My eldest Gerbil, Rin, has decided to pull a nasty trick on me. I had hoped that he, out of all the gerbs I've had so far, would be an exception to this curse.
Rin turns 3 years old this summer. I'm not sure EXACTLY when, but it's between July and September. Almost as a rule, every Gerbil I've ever owed (with the exception of Cleo) has died at 3, give or take a month. Now it appears that Rin too, has fallen for this trend.
I came home this evening to find a very weak and tired gerbil. He wants to eat, drink and play, but hardly has the energy to lift his head. He's been sleeping more and more over the past few weeks but has been otherwise chipper. Stimpy, his cage mate has been trying his best to encourage him to play, to no avail. Rin is simply too tired.
I checked his teeth and they were fine. His mobility is good, so no broken bones or other injuries. He breath is heavyier than usual but not labored or rattling, so I don't think an illness is an issue. And right now his temperture is good. He's even eating and drinking, although he makes a chore out of it.
I removed the upper levels of the tank and moved everything to one level to make it easier on him. Stimpy doesn't care for it, but he'll get over it. I want to be able to get to Rin quickly if need be, but didn't want to seperate him from Stimpy. He seems to love that sneaky little furball. I'm not sure of what else I can do for him but make his remaining time as peaceful and comfortable as possible.
If you have any suggestions, I'd be very happy to hear them.
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Post by meganb52 on Jun 21, 2005 17:57:04 GMT -8
He breath is heavyier than usual but not labored or rattling, so I don't think an illness is an issue. I'm not so sure you can rule out illness. There are lots of things that can happen to older animals that may cause very nonspecific signs like lethargy and an increase in respiratory rate. Older animals are predisposed to getting things like cancer and having organ failures like kidney failure or liver failure. The best thing to do in my opinion would be to take him to the vet; they might be able to take some x-rays to look at his internal organs or maybe (although it is hard in a gerbil!) take some blood to see if that can tell you anything about what's going on. If you can't do any of that, I would just make sure he's comfortable and has access to food and water at all times if he's having trouble moving around. Sorry I can't give you better news, but I really hope Rin gets to feeling better soon! -Megan |
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Post by Manix on Jun 22, 2005 4:03:44 GMT -8
Thanks for the advise, Rin died in his sleep last night. A Vet would not have been able to help him. Whatever occured was too serious. He did not appear to have been in any pain.
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Post by meganb52 on Jun 22, 2005 5:35:09 GMT -8
So sorry to hear about that  I'm sure he was a great Gerbil. -Megan |
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Post by Manix on Jun 22, 2005 8:08:26 GMT -8
Thanks, He was fantastic and very lovable.
What should I do for his cage mate now? This is the first time Stimpy has been without friend or family so I'm not sure how he will react. He seemed very confused this morning. I would like to try introducing him to Punkin, seeing as he too, could use a friend. He never has forgiven me from seperating him and his "girlfriend", Peanut. I'm afaid Stimpy is too old for Punkin to accept though. Do you think attempting a split cage introduction is worth the risk? I think Punkin over 2 years and Stimpy is less than 1 year.
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Post by meganb52 on Jun 22, 2005 9:34:58 GMT -8
I personally don't think it would hurt to try... You said that Rin was almost 3 and he got along fine with Stimpy. Males are usually more easy-going about accepting each other than females are. Any breeders out there have any experience with introducing older gerbils?
-Megan
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Post by Manix on Jun 22, 2005 16:00:45 GMT -8
Well, I've set up the devider. And each is in his own side. Given both of these guys are adults, how long should I keep keep the split cage going before attempting an intro? I was thinking going three days, while swapping sides in the mornings and evenings then trying an intro.
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Post by RW not signed in on Jun 23, 2005 8:47:46 GMT -8
Hi, Manix. I'm very sorry to hear of your loss. It's really better not to set an arbitrary amount of time for split caging--i.e. three days, a week, or whatever. You need to watch your gerbils' behavior for encouraging signs like grooming through the divider, sleeping close to one another (or in each other's nest if the gerbils are sleeping away from the divider), "kissing", etc. I wouldn't try an intro until the gerbils have shown they're ready. Good Luck!  RW |
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Post by meganb52 on Jun 23, 2005 9:36:07 GMT -8
I agree with RW. You should be looking for signs of acceptance through the devider, and not trying to use a "deadline" tactic. Some gerbils, like my own two, took to each other pretty much right away, but with others, it just takes time and patience. Good luck!
-Megan
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Post by sandy on Jun 23, 2005 10:32:46 GMT -8
Yes. I have had older males that took from a month to six weeks of split-caging before they accepted each other. Females can take even longer. Just keep persisting, and be patient. And it is usually a good sign if they are sleeping against the divider together. That is the point at which I attempt a get-together with my older boys, but very watchfully and carefully.
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Post by Manix on Jun 23, 2005 13:59:30 GMT -8
I've been doing some thinking. Mom seems to think that Punkin isn't much younger than Rin. I'm not sure if it's such a good idea to introduce them, then have Stimpy go through another loss in the same year. The way my luck has went, I'll be burying another before December. I hope not, maybe Punkin will be the one to defy the three year curse. I might be better off introducing a male pup to Stimpy. He's used to a cage mate and is very friendly. Punkin, on the other hand, is constantly scent marking and has been edgy ever since I had to seperate him and Peanut.
Perhaps I will go through a breeder this time, if I can find someone nearby.
Thank you everyone for all of your help. I will take your advise when I finally introduce a pup to Stimpy.
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Post by squeaksister on Jun 23, 2005 17:14:19 GMT -8
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I'm sure he was a great Gerbil.
