Wet Tail and Some Other Stuff

[cinnycinnamon]

Peaches, my oldest gerbie has gotton chunky within the past week or so. She stopped climbing down the tube to get to her bottom tank as well. She also became very listless. And then two days ago, I noticed that she got wet tail. I've isolated her from the rest of the group, but she seems to be getting fatter and fatter as the days progress. I'm treating her with antibiotics and wet tail meds. She's still eating, but I know there is something else wrong with her by the look in her eyes and cuz she is soo fat. Any ideas as to what is causing this?

[AndreaS15]

I don't belive gerbils can actually get wet tail, just Hamsters.
When i thought my gerbil had wet tail it ended up she has a bladder infection and was put on med's which cleared it up.
I know Kim's gerbil looked fat and she wasn;'t it was a tumor growing inside of her, she got quite large fast. Sound to me you'll probably want to see a Vet.

[cinnycinnamon]

Well I dunno cuz her belly is wet and stained and her poop is no longer formed. It's watery. So that's why I was thinkin it was wet tail and on the directions for the wet tail medicine, it does say, "5-plus-1 total treatment for hamsters, rats. mice, gerbils or guinea pigs".

Maybe Peaches has a tumor as well growing in her.

Thanx for the advice, Andrea!

[lizzy]

I believe that the name "wet tail" should only be applied to the illness in hamsters because it is caused by something different [more serious?] than diarrhoea etc in other rodents. I believe that wet tail is frequently fatal in hamsters within hours but other rodents tend to survive diarrhoea. I could be wrong.

Possibly, the label on the medicine refers to wet tail because it is a commonly known ailment?

Plus, hamsters with wet tail tend to become very dehydrated and lose alot of weight quickly, whilst your gerbil is gaining weight, alarm bells would ring in my head. Even gerbils with common diarrhoea tend to lose weight. I would reccommend a vet too, sounds like there might be something else going on.

[cinnycinnamon]

I took Peaches to the vet this afternoon. The vet did a sonogram on her belly and said that Peaches had a tumor. Plus, she was retaining alot fluid. Poor Peaches! I made the decision to have her euthanized as hard of a decision as that was, I know I made the right choice because she wasn't eating today.

Thanx to all who replied to my thread! I love this place.

[RW]

Aw, cinny, I'm so sorry.

You did the right thing, but sometimes doing the right thing is so hard...

RW

[cinnycinnamon]

Thank you, RW. Your words are soooo true, too!

[AndreaS15]

ooh Cinny, I'm so sorry for your loss.
You did the right thing, Peaches was a very lucky gerbil to have such a loving Mommy who took sure good care of her.
Big <HUGS>, My thoughts are sent your way.

[cinnycinnamon]

((((Andrea)))) Thank you!