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Post by becky on Jun 3, 2009 11:52:54 GMT -8
Hey, I think my gerbil has the same problem. He's got two large lumps on his scent gland that look sore and bloody. How much were the antibiotics and how much was the operation? I just want to know because its £20 just to have my gerbil checked out at the vet, and he's pretty old so would it be worth it? £20 is rather steep for a small pet concult. My vet only charges like £11 how old is he. I have an elderly gerbil (3yr 8 months) with 2 sent gland tumors. who I not going have operated on, and my vet aggread with me not to do this because of his age and the fact they don't bother him at all. Though he said if I needed anti biotics I was to phone and they give us some straight away. Went to the vet, and picked up some antibiotics. He's about 3 years old. If the medicine doesn't affect him I don't think I'll put him through the operation, he doesn't seem to be to bothered about the tumor, if thats what it is. |
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4flsy
Member
ORO?
Posts: 59 
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Post by 4flsy on Jul 22, 2009 17:47:18 GMT -8
Thanks to the PepandMax for putting up pictures for what a healthy and unhealthy scent gland should look like. I recently had a scare with Sanosuke since he's darker and has a slightly darker scent gland. Thankfully, he's healthy.
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Post by gotgame1337 on Sept 24, 2009 15:18:56 GMT -8
Thank you for putting this up! I have had 2 gerbils that passed away, and two now. The first one passed away due to unknown causes when she was 1 1/2, and the other one died at the age of 3 from a scent gland tumor. I hadn't noticed it until it was very bad (cracked open and bleeding) etc., so I didn't know what it looked like in earlier stages. I was just playing with my gerbils today (they're 2) and I found it on one of them. I panicked and went on here, but it's normal (THANK you! It was quite a scare!). The other one's scent gland is considerably smaller. Also, the other one is just a smaller gerbil. Is there a reason why:
A) One's scent gland is proportionally bigger?
B) One is so much bigger than the other? (about 2 cm. longer, and just smaller all around)
Thanks everyone!
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Post by Rikka [: on Nov 22, 2009 12:37:14 GMT -8
I've had problems with this scent gland growth. I've had a total of six gerbils over the past four to fiveish years. Two of my six gerbils have died of this scent gland growth. Both start out small and then grow into pea sized(or larger) crust bloody growths. The first gerbil had this one for a month and was fine, but then suddenly just got very sick and died. The second gerbil that had this only had it for about two weeks. Three days before he died, he got very sick. His nose started getting bloody, he dropped an immense ammount of weight, he was cold all the time, sleeping all the time, and eventually went blind and couldn't find his way around. That all happened in three days and then he died. We have not had anymore trouble with this growth, but we're just wondering what it is. Is there a name for this?
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Post by haylo on Dec 29, 2009 15:04:45 GMT -8
I know this post is a little old but I just wanted to say, I had a gerbil with a scent gland tumour that was very old so we opted to have him put to sleep rather that go through with the operation but he died before we could. I had another 2yr old male with a scent gland tumour, I was aware of what to look out for this time. It started off as a very small pimple/spot and grew over the months, when he started to bother it we had him operated on. It was successfully removed and he went on to live to 3 and half years old, he was like a new gerbil  |
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Post by leix on Apr 25, 2011 13:35:41 GMT -8
Hi Just thought id add to this section. I discovered my gerbil, jerry had a growth on his belly. When i found it it had scab, was large, looked infected. Obvious he had been having a go at it. I didnt notice any major changes in him, how much he played, ate, drank. He was 2.5years. As soon as i noticed i got him at nearest vets, in total cost me £29 incl antibiotics. After doing bit rather research, finding out jerry was having 'bother' with this growth as was biting at it, kept making it bleed. Found vet who seen to small animals, am in uk its called Vets4Pets. Took him in, got checked, vet agreed having it removed was the best option. In my opinion id rather try save him give him better life, rather than him go on to be in discomfort and picking at it and it bleeding every few days, if he wasnt to make it through the operation, than i would accept that was just way it was going to go, he'd be in much better place. I gave vets call later on that day, said he is doing amazing! Like nothing ever happened. Its been a week now, he is like a new full of life guy  |
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Post by nelehnoo on Nov 7, 2011 12:57:20 GMT -8
Theo my gerbil had a SGT in Feb this year at 4yrs 2months. I caught it early and all was fine after the op. It came back in September and was again removed without complication! The vets were amazed both times at how good he was for his age and at his age! He died last month due to an accident and him going into shock age 4yrs 11months!
I just wanted to add this so you know that a healthy gerbil can do very well dispite a SGT no matter the age =)
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Post by haylo on Jan 29, 2012 4:07:08 GMT -8
My gerbil new rescue gerbil has a scent gland tumour also, he keeps making it bleed so I will have to get him operated on soon. I have had 3 other gerbils with scent gland tumours, one was very old and so we let him live out his life with it as it was unlikely he'd survive surgery, the other died of a respiratory infection before the scent gland tumour got any bigger and we had the other operated on and he lived another 2 years after that Worth the expense and worry, he really bounced back after. |
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Post by haylo on Jan 29, 2012 4:10:41 GMT -8
Theo my gerbil had a SGT in Feb this year at 4yrs 2months. I caught it early and all was fine after the op. It came back in September and was again removed without complication! The vets were amazed both times at how good he was for his age and at his age! He died last month due to an accident and him going into shock age 4yrs 11months! I just wanted to add this so you know that a healthy gerbil can do very well dispite a SGT no matter the age =) Wow, that's amazing! Well done for getting him to such and old age! My oldest gerbil was 3y 9m.. I was gutted he didn't make it to 4, it was looking like he was going to as he never aged and was never ill until the last week of his life  |
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Post by zoid on Mar 27, 2012 13:17:01 GMT -8
I just picked up 4 gerbils from a rescue shelter in NJ. They all seemed wide eyed and happy / tame and came to greet me when I placed my hand in the tanks (with a brazil nut). When I got home with them, I found one of them has what looks like a scent gland tumor. Anybody with any ideas on prognosis? Here's the pics:    I'm bringing the clan to the vet tomorrow morning to have them checked over. |
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Post by pearcey10901 on Oct 28, 2012 12:35:19 GMT -8
Can I ask if any of you have had a scent gland tumour operation for your gerbil and what was the success? When my Eliana got one, the operation was £180 and the vet said it might kill her. He told me it was up to me, but if it were him he would leave her as the operation was so stressful and dangerous. I did leave her and she lived another 8 months (she was 5 when she passed) but sometimes I wonder whether she might have gone on longer if I'd bitten the bullet?
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Post by zoid on Nov 5, 2012 1:35:52 GMT -8
Can I ask if any of you have had a scent gland tumour operation for your gerbil and what was the success? When my Eliana got one, the operation was £180 and the vet said it might kill her. He told me it was up to me, but if it were him he would leave her as the operation was so stressful and dangerous. I did leave her and she lived another 8 months (she was 5 when she passed) but sometimes I wonder whether she might have gone on longer if I'd bitten the bullet? The one in the pic above "Scratchy" survived and "Itchy" died. Itchy had the less complicated operation and I thought he'd be OK but went south about 8 hours after surgery and never recovered. It seems that if a gerbil has a lot of vitality he/she will do better. The vet warned that Scratchy might not survive, but that Itchy should do well, but just the opposite happened. Scratchy has very powerful muscles and when I was giving him baytril, he was able to force my fingers apart! He was also pretty heavy at 150 grams. |
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bleepdsn
member
R.I.P Shaymun, I will always love you
Posts: 11
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Post by bleepdsn on Nov 30, 2012 9:44:41 GMT -8
If I had only found this earlier, I really am happy I now know what it was on my gerbil, shaymun(R.I.P). He died about an hour ago because he became so weak with the tumour. I did take him to the vet, but he thought it was a growth and gave me some antibiotics that didnt work. Please, Please, please do something about it if your gerbil has it. The ending will otherwhys be terrible. R.I.P shay  |
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Post by CreativePetz on Feb 23, 2013 4:31:30 GMT -8
When I first got my gerbil, I noticed his scent gland a few weeks later. I remember having a total meltdown! Luckily, I did some more research, and found out it was normal.
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riotheoleo
Member
Loving the gerbil life x
Posts: 156
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Post by riotheoleo on Dec 8, 2013 6:13:05 GMT -8
Theo my gerbil had a SGT in Feb this year at 4yrs 2months. I caught it early and all was fine after the op. It came back in September and was again removed without complication! The vets were amazed both times at how good he was for his age and at his age! He died last month due to an accident and him going into shock age 4yrs 11months! I just wanted to add this so you know that a healthy gerbil can do very well dispite a SGT no matter the age =) Coincidence, my gerbil was called Theo and he had a SGT too. Unfortunately the vet thought it was a growth and it turned out to be cancerous so he passed at the young age of 2 years and 9 months. Thank you for this post, however when my Theo had a tumour his did not look like a wart, his was huge and causing him a lot of discomfort. |
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