Thea
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Posts: 1,012
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Post by Thea on Jul 19, 2020 6:28:37 GMT -8
My gerbil Storme is 1 and a half and has always had a small lump on her belly- I had the same problem with one of my past gerbils, Mango. As far as I know, he did not die from it. We don't know why he did.
I noticed this lump a week after we got Strome, my mum took her in to the vet and they said it was probably fine, just to bring her in if there were too many issues. They thought it was just part of her 'belly button' or scent gland.
It's been over a year since then, and I've recently noticed it changing a little. First the lump seemed to disappear, and then over the past few days has popped up a tiny bit. She went in to the vet just three days ago and had to be put under anesthetic because her teeth had grown very long, and they cut them short. All was well, but today I sae the lump was a little bigger.
The lump barely compares to some of the huge lumps I've seen on pictures over the internet on gerbils, not pea sized at all. I'm just concerned that her having long teeth was linked with her having a lump on her belly. I'm pretty sure I've seen something about this somewhere.
I've been 100% honest here, and I get very, very anxious when it comes to my pet's health. Please, any information will do! Has anyone had a similar experience? I've had five gerbils, and none have had these two things at the same time... I'm a little worried.
Thank you everyone, Thea
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Post by sandybadlands on Jul 20, 2020 7:36:23 GMT -8
It's great that you're paying close attention to her health! Tooth problems are so common, I doubt the two issues have anything to do with each other. I've had many gerbs with broken or overgrown teeth, but only a couple with scent gland tumors, and it's hard to think of a reason they'd be linked, especially if everything else is normal.
One of my guys has a nodule on his scent gland right now, and when we brought him to the vet in March, she said it was so small that removing it probably wasn't necessary yet. (Makes sense, since any operation is a slight risk.) It's gotten a bit bigger and more raised since then, so he's scheduled to have the gland removed next month. I would say that if you see the lump get steadily bigger or uglier, it might be a good idea to take her back in to see what your vet thinks.
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Thea
Member
Posts: 1,012
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Post by Thea on Jul 20, 2020 8:04:20 GMT -8
Thank you! yes, I don't see much reason why they would be linked. I had forgotten to mention that the vet noticed a small break at the bottom of her tooth which they thought may have caused one to stop growing while the other she almost 'forgot' to chew with then. I hope that was the case. To be honest, she doesn't seem very bothered by the tumor, but she has had it since a very young age. Good luck with your little gerbil!
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