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Dec 18, 2005 22:23:34 GMT -8
Post by AndreaS15 on Dec 18, 2005 22:23:34 GMT -8
Why is this happening..... De-Clan #3... My 3 young boys (will be 1 in Jan.) just de-clanned tonight. It seems the other two decided the dominent brother (Jimmy) was not going to be their boss anymore. He's beaten up pretty good, I found him alone in the second tank, the wounds were pretty fresh, and they hadn't even cleaned themselves up yet. The other two were in the house on the other tank. The two smaller boys were ok, Peej just had other peoples blood around his mouth, and Dakota had a few punctures but nothing to bad. Everyones all cleaned up now. I sure am getting to be a pro on cleaning up beat-up gerbils I'm up to 16 gerbils, i really didn't want to be up this high, and now with this de-clan i'm not sure what I'm going to do. I do NOT want any more gerbils. Jimmy's social, i can't leave him alone, he'd be heart broken. Sandy, do you still have the honey cream male available? What a month, I'm going to bed now.
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Dec 19, 2005 12:00:57 GMT -8
Post by AndreaS15 on Dec 19, 2005 12:00:57 GMT -8
Well this morning isn't all that better. I have now seperated all 3 boys. Peej was chasing Dakota and so i put the split cage divider between them both (no new wounds.... yet). All 3 boys are upstairs away from any "gerbil" smells. I did however put both tanks on the same table, so they can see one another through the glass.
However, I have run out of water bottles (petsmart here we come) and Peej's face is swollen. I see he has one little puncture on his face, but that whole side is swollen (he looks like a chipmunk stashing goodies). I put the water bottle with ornacycling in it, in his tank. I think I'm going to get some of the antibiotics the Vet gave me into him today too. I was thinking, maybe I can make my "big" tank into a permenant split for the three, but now that everyones grumpy I'm so lost i don't know what to do next. I have a 47G tank on it's way also, problem is i don't have shelves or tables to put these on and the gerbils room has a concrete floor , WAY to cold for gerbils in glass tanks.
I talked to Ryan about getting Jimmy neutered last night, he thinks that's a waste of money....
Suggestiosn PLEASE!
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Dec 19, 2005 13:32:33 GMT -8
Post by malabui on Dec 19, 2005 13:32:33 GMT -8
Are you sure that it was both the other two ganging up on the dominent one? I know that when mine 'declanned' it was the 2nd in command who wanted to be boss and Vertigo was still friendly with both the others.
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Dec 19, 2005 13:40:51 GMT -8
Post by AndreaS15 on Dec 19, 2005 13:40:51 GMT -8
Being the way they are, one of the lesser doninent males probably wanted to be the new boss, but between Dakota & Peej, Dakota was always the chicken one getting picked on, Peej was the guy always in the middle happy with whatever. But now Peej is chasing Dakota too.... it's a big mess! So maybe Peej decided it's his turn? Right now, Dakota is sleeping against the mesh, and that is on the same side as the tank his brother is in. Peej is by that same corner, but not sleeping. And Jimmy is running in the wheel.
I need a way to fix this, so they are happier, and i'm not swamped with gerbils, or gerbil fights.
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Dec 19, 2005 13:56:17 GMT -8
Post by sandy on Dec 19, 2005 13:56:17 GMT -8
Well, you ARE having bad luck with your gerbils declanning! One way to avoid it is to leave some bedding in the tank every time you clean. I've noticed sparring increases when I clean tanks, even between old established couples, so I always leave about 1/3 of the old bedding in the tank and mix it with the new when it is time to clean. Yes, I know it doesn't look or smell ideal, but it does keep the fighting down and my clans stable. It is worth it to have happy, peaceful gerbils!
So. You can borrow my big 1/3-2/3 split cage, since you don't have a cat to interfere, and split cage the duo and the single. If they don't integrate after two or three weeks in it, you can certainly have the available honey cream male and use the small split for the intro. He's much too nice to go to a pet store, anyway.
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Dec 19, 2005 14:16:34 GMT -8
Post by AndreaS15 on Dec 19, 2005 14:16:34 GMT -8
I always leave the entire nest when i clean the tanks out, and I havn't cleaned my tanks in 2 or 3 weeks. Sometimes I wonder if it's b/c of the two tanks conected, these are the boys i've had to move toys from b/c they claim them as their own sometimes.
I just had Dakota & Jimmy run about on teh couch together, they sniffed one another and such but that's about it. I placed Jimmy in the split tank to see if he and Peej would try to attack one another through the spit, nothing they just sniffed noses. Both split boys have a nest in the corner by the mesh closest to one another.
See there isn't a duo anymore. After Peej started Chasing Dakota, i split caged them. I'm thinking I 'may'be able to get someone back with Dakota (being he's the little whimp of the bunch), but I'm affraid to make the wrong decision, and not have things work out.
I don't know what to do next.
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Dec 20, 2005 4:50:45 GMT -8
Post by malabui on Dec 20, 2005 4:50:45 GMT -8
Spend alot of time with the gerbils and use your gut instinct. Once you have a strong feeling that it'll work, it will. Its worked for me. I knew that the gerbil from the petshop would get along with my other 3 and he has
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Dec 20, 2005 9:49:47 GMT -8
Post by AndreaS15 on Dec 20, 2005 9:49:47 GMT -8
I've played with the boys in the playpen last night, no problems. I put them into a tank together, No problems, I seperated them for the night, and now put them back again this morning. They are all playing and grooming and cuddling together in the glass jar. (Though I will seperate b4 I go to work this morning) They get along, they enjoy one anothers company. I know if I was to put my loner female next to another gerbil, even after split caging she would attack them. These boys are not showing any agressive behabiours... but they also didn't before this happened. All three boys are looking fine now. If you looked at them you wouldn't have guessed there had been a fight between them. Q - If these boys have trully De-Clanned would they even want to be friends like they are now?Q - What is the definition exactally of a de-clan?Am I useing this term to lightly, or? Thanks everyone for there info and comments
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Dec 20, 2005 20:50:21 GMT -8
Post by AndreaS15 on Dec 20, 2005 20:50:21 GMT -8
Ok, so my thinking now is, see who get's along the best, adn then keep the two together, and adopt the HC male from Sandy to split cage with the other. Then maybe build the big tank into a split and have them house like that. Eveyones happy together today, i will however be splitting them up for the night (can't watch them when i'm sleeping). Everyone seems to be doing good except Jimmy, his leg is quite swollen, and he's not putting weight on it. I gave him some Chlor Palm tonight, and iced his leg. Seems the Ornicycline wasn't enough
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Dec 22, 2005 11:03:05 GMT -8
Post by meganb52 on Dec 22, 2005 11:03:05 GMT -8
If he has an abscess from a bite wound, the medication likely won't get to the wound. Antibiotics don't penetrate abscesses very well, and it may need to be drained. I might think about a trip to the vet if it continues to get woerse or doesn't get better in a day or two... Glad to hear everyone is getting along at the moment though. Good luck with them!
-Megan
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Dec 23, 2005 12:07:56 GMT -8
Post by AndreaS15 on Dec 23, 2005 12:07:56 GMT -8
I didn't think it was an abcess, i've delt with alot of abcesses and I duno, i just kinda new... if that makes any sence Anyways, we've been on Ornacycline in the water, .5cc Chlor Palm 2 times a day, polysporn on the leg in the morning (sometimes at night), and ice on it at night. Today Jimmy is useing his leg, and I can see the difference in size, the swelling has gone down (yeay!). he is sleeping alot, but I find all 3 boys are, I think there upset about being seperated, they happy when together, though that's only when I am around to watch there every move LOL... I'm really happy to see Jimmy's leg is getting better! I haven't lost a gerbil to illness or a fight, and if i can help it I never will.
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