|
Post by pepsihoneyangelzelda on Jul 16, 2022 11:40:33 GMT -8
One of my gerbils, Honey (roughly 2yrs old) appears to have red stuff around her eye (on her eyelashes and under and in corner of her eye) A previous gerbil I've had had the same thing happening but he was 3 nearly 4 years old and had it for about a year before he passed. Im worrying if it could be the same thing? Ive seen her eat a bit and in the morning didn't come out at all, and was very still but in the evening she was moving about alot with a few stops and she started to close her bad eye. Im not sure if its treatable or not?
|
|
|
Post by tanzanyte on Jul 16, 2022 14:25:49 GMT -8
Most rodents have porphyrin which can look like blood but is actually not. The Harderian gland produces this and can sometimes overproduce. Excessive amounts of it can be cause for concern as it can be related to stress, illness or poor diet. However it can just be down to the fact that they haven't cleaned themselves so thoroughly, which happens as they get older. They also get it around their nose as well as eyes, if they happen to have caught a cold or have an allergy to something like bedding.
Our gerbils have been doing less today because it's been so hot, so the change in activity could be down to that if you've had excessive heat. Is Honey's weight stable? Has she been ok over the last couple of hours or have you noticed a different pattern in her activity again? Does her poo seem normal? Sometimes you can wipe the eye gently yourself with a cotton bud or Q-tip dipped in luke warm water and then squeezed out (you don't want any excess water) but it's best to see if the gerbil can clean it on their own initially. Obviously you don't want to cause any additional stress as this can worsen things hence it being better left unless it is really crusty and they have been unable to open it properly for days. If you are worried about her behaviour though it is always worth seeing/speaking to a vet.
|
|