|
|
Post by kollur on Nov 23, 2005 0:22:39 GMT -8
Hi, Since yesterday I've been noticing a weird behaviour in my eldest gerbil(have two) whereas she seems spaced out and sleepy. She even stumbles around. I might be overreacting a bit, but it hit me(or maybe it's just my hyperchondriac...), might she have had a stroke? She seems off balance and not in full control of her extremities. Just wondering... I am just a little worried, and any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.  |
|
|
|
Post by paws on Nov 23, 2005 2:50:03 GMT -8
ummmm...I think if she was mine I would wait for maybe another hour, then take her to vet if it's still bad. It's definetly NOT overreacting to worry about one of your pets.
If it doesn't clear up in an hour or so, take her to the vet.
HAYLEY
|
|
|
|
Post by kollur on Nov 23, 2005 6:06:38 GMT -8
Took her to the vet, since she had been like this for longer than you mentioned.
The vet didn't rule out a stroke, but said it wasn't likely either, but could be some kind of a swelling or infection. Gave her some shots and some medicines which I must administer to her daily.
Just hope it's a little swelling that'll go away so she can jump around again...
|
|
|
|
Post by doomgerbiluk on Nov 23, 2005 7:14:52 GMT -8
Is she walking in circles with her head tilted? If so it sounds like an ear infection. These are not uncommon in gerbils who develop polyps in their ears preventing proper drainage. The treatment is antibiotics (presumably what your vet described) and is very effective BUT the head tilt, although reduced, will be permanent.
|
|
|
|
Post by kollur on Nov 25, 2005 4:36:34 GMT -8
Yeah, when I took her to the vet, she ran around in circles on the vets table, her head tilted. The vet gave me some antibiotics which I am giving her once a day for seven days, but darn, I feel so bad when I have to give Kollur her medicine. Since she doesn't want it, I have to use a syringe(without the needle) and force it to her mouth. She seems to be getting stronger, but I still dread the next five days of giving her medicine. I fear she'll hate me completely after it...  edit: Any suggestions of how it might have happened? That Kollur could have gotten his ear infected? I really want to prevent it if I can, Kollur has had a hell of a journey here, thanks to his rash actions(once broke his left forepaw) |
|
|
|
Post by paws on Nov 25, 2005 4:59:43 GMT -8
I don't know how it happened, but I can give you a suggestion on how to give it. If it is liquid antibiotics, you can put a drop on her head and put her in the bathtub. She will have nowhere to rub, so she will immediatly rub it off her head, then lick her paws, this is how I gave my gerbs antibiotics when I cam eback from holiday, finding them injured by a six year old, the son of the caretaker.
|
|
|
|
Post by whitmoregirl on Nov 25, 2005 10:26:18 GMT -8
I dont think gerbils will really hate you after you give them medicine - I gave one of my baby gerbils Oz Baytril for about fifteen days, twice a day, and he hated it, but doesnt to hold a grudge  My method was to, in the morning, as I had to go out early, just hold him, and wait until he settled and stuck his face out over the side of my hand, then squirt it onto his face, then put him back and let him lick it off. When I got home, I rubbed a drop onto a cerio and gave it him to eat (the vet advised bread but he doesnt like it  ) and he loved that part of the treatment!! Only bad thing was his mother, father, brothers AND sisters tried to steal it lol  |
|
|
|
Post by AndreaS15 on Nov 25, 2005 10:46:29 GMT -8
I had an older gerbil with a bladder infection, she was alone, so I would put her medication in a little bit of Cranberry juice. She loved it!
So if you have the time you could try taking her out seperetly and putting the medication into something yummy that she likes. Sometimes apple sauce works well too.
|
|
|
|
Post by meganb52 on Nov 30, 2005 6:02:26 GMT -8
That would work well, Andrea. Good idea Your gerbil won't hate you after the treatment is through. I had two gerbils on antibiotics twice a day for almost a month and they're gentler now than they were before they got sick. I think it's because I was forced to handle them more often and they got used to my hands. Here are a few pics of how to properly restrain a gerbil to take medication. Many thanks to Mogwai for being my lovely assistant: Restraining a gerbil. Keep them firmly in your hand, steadying their head between your thumb and first finger:  Administering medication. With your other hand, pick up the syringe and place it into the gerbil's mouth. slowly press down on the syringe plunger while the gerbil drinks:  Also, sometimes even we veterinary types don't know how an infection got started. With a gerbil, I would guess the most likely scenario was an ascending respiratory infection that made its way up to the middle ear, causing a head tilt. There is a small tube that connects your ears to your nasal passage. (That's what allows you to 'pop' your ears) Just as air can travel back and forth through the tube, so can bacteria from the respiratory tract, which is what causes the infection The head tilt is the result of the infection damaging important nerves that course very close to the middle chamber of the ear. Sometimes they'll heal and the head tilt will go away, sometimes not. If it was a respiratory infection, the best thing you can do for prevention is keep their cage clean and sanitary. Change bedding every two weeks and use more inert types of bedding like aspen, carefresh or corncob. Those would be my suggestions. Hope this helps. -Megan |
|
|
|
Post by AndreaS15 on Nov 30, 2005 10:02:00 GMT -8
Megan those are excellent pictures!
Maybe we could have a sticky somewhere on another post that says 'How to administer medication" or something. I feel that would be very helpful to many people.
|
|
) and he loved that part of the treatment!! Only bad thing was his mother, father, brothers AND sisters tried to steal it lol 
