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Post by prestonsmum on Jun 12, 2018 18:28:49 GMT -8
I finally found a place in the forum that I'm allowed to post. Hopefully I'm in the club enough to ask... I've adopted a lovely 4 year old gerbil who, no doubt has a scent gland tumor. I've treated him for 1 week of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory. My vet said he's far too old to operate on. She's dedicated her practice strictly to exotics. My intention was to give the little man a quiet place with no dogs or kids to live out his days. A romanticized analogy until I realized that he had this rough growth on his scent gland. My vet was happy to hear it was using coconut oil on in, until I informed her that he very quickly licked it clean and irritated his plausible toumor. I won't use that again. I give him the antibiotic and anti inflammatory at night so that he's not bored and picking at it. I've also been applying a drop of colloidal silver to the scab to help heal it. It's no longer bleeding, but I'm wondering if anyone has any other thoughts or information. We're his second home, and has only lived with my husband and I for about 3 weeks. I love him to bits and he's stolen my heart. I'm fearful of putting manuka honey on it because of his reaction to the coconut oil. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.
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Post by catnut on Jun 13, 2018 14:54:15 GMT -8
Sorry to hear this elderly gerbil you adopted has a scent gland tumor. I would've suggested Manuka honey as it is like an antibiotic and could help it from getting worse but as they can also have it to eat (a dab on a treat), that may be okay if you don't want to try it externally, although I've used it on past gerbils' with no issues. I had a gerbil, Adam with scent gland tumor and he lived months with it until it got very bad and affected his breathing so had to have him put down last spring, still miss him as he was special and i had him for 2 1/2 years. Enjoy each day and spoil him, i'm sure he is glad you are helping him out.
Take care,
Tammy
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Post by prestonsmum on Jun 13, 2018 15:09:23 GMT -8
Thank you for your time. I'm sorry about your little Adam. The smallest creatures can really fill your heart. You obviously didn't have any trouble with the Manuka honey. I've just gotten his scab healed after a week of sporadic bleeding. It's a very tiny toumor at this stage thankfully. I think if it starts to act up again I may try the Manuka. What have I got to loose if it's already bleeding at that point. Changing the bedding to carefresh has really helped, and putting blankets over my tile floor when he's out for floor time has also helped. Thanks again very much. I sure wish I could do more to help him.
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Post by betty on Jun 14, 2018 1:51:26 GMT -8
Hello and welcome to forum - and lovely to hear you have given an old guy a lovely home.
I have had a bit of success with metacam (twice a day on food) with tumours on some gerbils. Basically as a pain killer it can help reduce the irritation and so reduce the amount of bleeding.
However, so far, I think it is just the speed that each individual tumour is growing at. Some gerbils can stay at the wart stage for nearly a year - with or without painkillers - others get a tumour that just won't stop growing, and no matter how much painkiller you give, it will always be bleeding. These ones often change character too and/or lose weight.
I always now offer the painkiller to any gerbil with a SGT because it must be annoying them for them to make it bleed - and I just see how it goes. They always get the metacam on a treat (like a raisin, berry or nut) so you really bond with them as it doesn't take more than a few days before they are answering to their name to get the treat (they seem to like the medicine too) and will eat out of your hand.
I hope yours is a slow grower, and you can have plenty of fun with him yet...
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Post by prestonsmum on Jun 14, 2018 6:51:13 GMT -8
Thank you very much! I've been giving him the smallest drop of metacam on a half of a pumpkin seeds every evening. I'm not not sure what the exact dose is, as apparently 1 full drop was a bit much for him. He actually seemed a bit woozy. I weigh him every day when he's out for his run around my bathroom with me. He was 89 grams when he came home to us, now he's 85 grams. From everything I've read that's a little on the chubby side, but with a SGT and his age probably a good thing to have a little extra weight in his case. I think he's only dropping weight because all the extra activity. His brother passed away a year ago, and the his previous family never took him out for floor time. He's quite active active and runs around on the floor for about an hour before tuckering out. He also busy when he's in his own home, digging and running in his wheel.
You're absolutely right, he knows his name and listens very well. He's happy to climb on me and will reach his little hands up and touch my face, or play with my hair. He's been an absolute joy to have around. Anything I can possibly do to keep his as happy and healthy as long as I can.
He's definitely in the "wart" stage. I don't feel that it's growing very quickly and the skin is starting to heal over. It just looks a bit raw, but doesn't have dried or fresh blood.
Thank you for your information. It helps me know that there isn't something I'm not doing for him that I maybe should.
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Post by betty on Jun 15, 2018 11:14:42 GMT -8
Ooh - I haven't had any pumpkin seeds for ages - I can't wait for my next crop to ripen!
Great that he is still at the wart stage - that is a really good place to be as long as possible. Fingers crossed for the little guy...
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Post by catnut on Jun 15, 2018 13:50:13 GMT -8
Adam was a special guy. Hope your little guy stays healthy for months and he can leave it alone, keep him busy with chewing and enough to dig. Have fun with him, each day is a plus and i'm sure he'd thank you for all you are doing for him.
take care,
Tammy
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Post by prestonsmum on Jun 15, 2018 16:33:03 GMT -8
Betty- Pumpkin seeds were a huge hit! They're packed with vitamins too.
Tammy- Adam was very lucky to have you too! I immediately upgraded Preston's tank from the 10 gallon he lived in all of his life, to a 20 gallon (long) all to himself. He's got lots of substrate at one end, and a coconut that he loves to sleep and dig in. He uses wheel and has a willow tunnel, orchard grass hay, Timothy braided chews, toilet paper tubes and some sisal wood hanging toys. I think letting him run around for an hour a day in a different environment helps keep him busy, and tires him out too. I have different toys out for his floor time to keep him interested. He absolutely loves paper bags!
I keep him on carefresh and give him some torn up toilet paper for his bedding. Everything is as soft as possible so that nothing can irritate his scab.
You ladies have been wonderful! I really appreciate your advice. It's very reassuring.
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Post by betty on Jun 18, 2018 1:52:48 GMT -8
Great news - well that is what this forum is for - sharing actual experiences that have (or haven't) worked for others.
Look forward to hearing more about him as you spend time together.
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Post by prestonsmum on Jun 18, 2018 16:27:23 GMT -8
That's for sure! I love rodents and have shared my home with them since the age of six. They're all relatively similar, but I've never cared for a gerbil particularly. They're absolutely fascinating and I hope to have him live out the remainder of his life as happily and comfortably.
He's doing well at the moment, his weight is stable and he's eating and drinking well. He's maintaining a good quality of life and his SGT doesn't seem to be growing rapidly. It's a little raw most days, but isn't bleeding. Take each day at a time.
I think that soft substrate and blankets covering the floor while he's running about helps. I also found that he loves to scent mark boxes. I no longer have those out for him during floortime for his wellbeing. Having lots of different things you chew on and to do, has definitely stopped him from picking his SGT and causing bleeding. Of course the metacam is a huge help as well.
It's a bit of work, but well worth it! I hope that this and other SGT experiences can help others.
I'll keep you updated. Thank you for your interest.
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Post by betty on Jun 20, 2018 11:51:39 GMT -8
Great news.
And it WILL help others, tht is why I love this forum.
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Post by prestonsmum on Jul 18, 2018 19:24:51 GMT -8
Just a little update  Preston is doing really well overall. He's absolutely thrilled with his daily floor time. He runs about in my dining room and hallway for about an hour and a half. I can't believe the energy gerbils have! When he goes back to his home he still has the energy to run in his wheel, chew various things until they disappear in the carefresh, jumping and hopping. I'm amazed that a gerbil that old is still that busy. I've had, as I mentioned several different types of rodents and rabbits over the years, but never a gerbil until now. He's done this tooth grinding noise and I'm not sure if that means that he's in pain or not. My guinea pig will chatter his teeth when he has to urinate and my rabbits would grind their teeth when happy and relaxed. I'm not sure what this means with gerbils since my guy does this at various time with no real consistency. I just wanted to double check that this isn't due to pain caused by his SGT? |
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Post by flora7suzy4ever on Jul 19, 2018 6:57:50 GMT -8
Gerbils grind their teeth when they are happy. Your little guy is clearly enjoying life to the fullest without any hindrance from his tumor. Sounds like you're taking great care of him
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Post by prestonsmum on Jul 19, 2018 13:36:46 GMT -8
That's a real relief to hear! Thank you so much for confirming that. I just wasn't sure. I think that he picks at it mostly to try and groom it off of himself, then it gets raw and becomes itchy. He often grinds his teeth while he's running about. I didn't know if maybe that was aggravating it because perhaps it might be pulling with the movement of his skin.
He sure seems happy anyway. I'm pleased to say that almost two months after first appearing, it's continued to stay in the "wart" stage. I do everything possible to make sure that there's nothing in his home that he would go crazy scent marking. I found that low wooden shelves and boxes had to be removed due to wildly marking them, which would cause it to bleed. He does very well with little grass huts and his beloved coconut, none of which he seems to have any desire to rub on.
Once again, thank you for putting my mind at ease. You've all been so much help!
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Post by catnut on Jul 19, 2018 14:09:21 GMT -8
Glad Preston is doing okay and still very active for his age. Fingers' crossed he will stay like this for a long while. |
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Preston is doing really well overall. He's absolutely thrilled with his daily floor time. He runs about in my dining room and hallway for about an hour and a half. I can't believe the energy gerbils have! When he goes back to his home he still has the energy to run in his wheel, chew various things until they disappear in the carefresh, jumping and hopping. I'm amazed that a gerbil that old is still that busy. 