Split Cage Injury

[crazycritter]

Hi
I am introducing some (Golden Argente, Agouti Pied) gerbils to eachother, and I am using the split cage method. One method of Split cage I was told of (and Have been using for six years) is putting the top of a BarCage inside an aqaurium...one gerbil would be inside this cage, and the other would be outside of it in the aquarium. It is said that this would allow nose touching, but no actual biting and fighting.

I checked on my splitted gerbils a few mins ago, and they both had cuts on their noses. THe PEW male had a bite on his foot and near his tail. The cuts were no longer bleeding, and they don't look that bad. I washed them with hibatane solution, which I used to clean my guinea pigs wounds after a surgery...so I assumed it would be fine for gerbils, and the vet said it would be..

Does anyone know how this happened? they don't seem to be fighting now, and they aren't seriously injured. Should I continue split caging them?

[j]

Yeah, keep trying.

I've had gerbils bleed and get into ball fights and they ended up together a week or 2 later.

[Ritzie/Admin]

Indeed keep trying! It seems to me that they have attacked each other through the bars! So it is not the time yet to introduce them together. Do the splitcage a bit longer.

[queenofthenile]

Did you wash the tank and bar cage really well before splitting them? I find neutralizing the scent of the previous gerbs really helps.

[Ritzie/Admin]

That is true! I used most of the times a tank that is unfamiliar for both gerbils! After the introduction they get their own tank for both of them.