Never put two gerbils in the same ball, as they could inadvertently injure each other. If the gerbils scratch the sores, they will bleed. A proper and consistent diet, clean cage and bedding, and appropriate housing all contribute to maintaining good health. They will do so manually by touching and visually inspecting the area. The daughters may no longer want to be the underlings and therefore they try to kick their mother out only she has nowhere to go. Owning gerbils in pairs is the best approach. Cholesteatomas in the ear canal displace the tympanum into the middle ear. Should you speak in a loud voice when handling your gerbil, it might feel uncomfortable, and bite your hand to let go. This originally appeared in the September 1999 issue of The Nibbler, Journal of the National Gerbil Society. Why does my gerbil have blood around his nose? In captivity groups of gerbils do not have this ability to leave, and this is when there can be outbreaks of violence. The cage of the infected gerbil should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized, and whatever may have transmitted the infection (cockroaches, for example) should be eliminated. On the same diets, ~10% of the animals will become obese, and some will show decreased glucose tolerance, increased serum immunoreactive insulin, and diabetic changes in the pancreas and other organs. Look for any kind of bloodshed around the cage. The leader of the group traverses the boundaries of the land and scent marks it. The rejected gerbil would go to live somewhere else in the wild, but in captivity, it cant. Thats because the dominant gerbil chases the other around and bites its tail. Once challenged, the less dominant gerbil would leave the clan. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Use OR to account for alternate terms Did you add anything to the tank with a strong odor of its own, like a new toy or hut? Take the time to choose the right gerbil for you. Animals seize in response to sensory stimulation and forced exploratory behavior, but the incidence and severity of their seizures are variable; the seizures generally pass in a few minutes, may be mild or severe, and have no lasting effects. As soon as you notice that your gerbils have been fighting, remove one of them from the gerbilarium. Treatment includes careful cleaning of the affected area and application of a prescribed antibiotic ointment. Theres a chance the infection could come back. This is a serious issue. Either way, your gerbil may use its scent gland frequently. Males are slightly larger than females. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Or concede defeat, and leave the clan to find a new home. Gerbils can be infected with these intestinal parasites by exposure to another infected gerbils feces. R. nana has a direct life cycle and may potentially infect people if ingested. It is easy for owners new to gerbil-keeping to mistake it for a healed wound or tumour, but it is meant to be there and nothing to worry about. Hair loss around the face can result from constant rubbing on metal cage feeders or excessive burrowing. If a wound becomes infected, the gerbil could become seriously ill. Once two gerbils have fought to the point of drawing blood, they usually wont be able to live together again. Did you handle one gerbil and not the other, possibly after handling food, another animal, or any strange substance? It is characterized by a triad of lesions that include colitis read more , an enterohepatic disease caused by the obligately intracellular bacterium Clostridium piliforme, is the most frequently described fatal infectious disease of gerbils. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Behavior Research Methods & Instrumentation, Gerbil Scent Gland Tumor Bleeding (Treatment & Removal Cost), What To Do If Your Gerbil Escaped [Recovery Guide], Why Do Gerbils Tails Fall Off? o [ canine influenza] Once their arguing has reached the point of fighting, it can get nasty quickly. [Gerbil Tail Slip Prevention Guide]. 8 Why does my gerbil have blood around his nose? If you havent put your gerbil in a separate cage, change the bedding in its current one. The easy fix is to change your gerbils bedding. Some tumors are benign, which means they wont grow bigger. All it needs is a water bottle, a little food, and a thin layer of bedding. There are 14 species in the genus Meriones. Declanning is where the gerbils social group falls apart. This can cause severe damage if your pet doesnt stop. Gerbils can be infected with several strains of Salmonella bacteria. Identify the source of the blood, e.g., the eye, nose, scent gland, base of the tail, etc. Enter search terms to find related veterinary topics, multimedia and more. Then you could clean them with a little piece cotton wool or a cotton bud but they probably won't enjoy it too much. Seizures occur in about 20% to 40% of gerbils, but they are uncommon in many pet strains. Besides neoplasia, there was a high incidence of chronic glomerulonephropathy and focal myocardial degeneration and fibrosis, especially in older male gerbils. Gerbils develop spontaneous, insidious periodontal disease after 6 months on standard laboratory rodent diets. You may also require antibiotics from a vet. But you should try to stay calm and work through a series of steps. Mean litter size ranges from 3 to 7 animals. Gerbils have also been reported with R nana and O bacoti infestations,, both of which can infect people. The toxicity is due to the dihydrostreptomycin, and 50 mg will produce almost 100% mortality in adult gerbils. Mongolian gerbils have several coat colors. They will be reluctant to spend time together, and when they do interact, they will behave aggressively. If there is a sudden increase in this activity this can be a bad sign. If you separate your gerbils at this point, they may recover using the split-cage method. Compression and secondary infection result in bone necrosis and inner ear destruction. Your pet is put under anesthetic, which will prevent it from feeling any pain. The dust gets in their eyes and causes this allergic reaction. Use gloves to do this, to avoid being bitten in the heat of the fight. Females mark their territory after parturition and become more aggressive. The scarcity of reports may be a true reflection of the absence of zoonotic disease in gerbils or may reflect their low popularity as a pet rodent. If any gerbil that is not part of the clan tries to trespass, it will chase them away. Pelleted chow (5 g/day) has been recommended to avoid obesity. Several types of medication, which often must be mixed with the gerbils feed or water, may be prescribed for treatment. They dont understand the concept of forgive and forget. Once your gerbils have declanned, they wont stop fighting until one of them leaves or dies. The wild coat color is agouti and is controlled by an autosomal dominant gene. Press ESC to cancel. Another time when there can be trouble is when a mother is living with daughters of about 6 months of age. This will allow the wound to heal with a minimum of complications. These behaviors are fine but if serious fighting occurs, you need to separate them. Gerbils, If you want to breed gerbils or prevent them from breeding, you have to know if theyre male or female. Gerbils fighting will aggressively bite one another around the head and tail areas, usually drawing blood. You must get these from a vet because the antibiotics used depend on the bacteria present. The only treatment option available is surgical removal, but this can be expensive. That being said, isolating a sick gerbil can have unintended consequences. I have also known people say that they separated the two gerbils that had blood on them as they had obviously been fighting only to discover that they were both victims and that an uninjured gerbil was causing the trouble. A veterinarian can diagnose tapeworm infection with tests of your gerbil or its feces and can prescribe appropriate treatment. So, before placing your hands into the gerbilarium, put on a pair of protective gloves. There are 14 species in the genus Meriones read more . Wild Mongolian gerbils are found in Mongolia, adjacent parts of southern Siberia and northern China, and Manchuria. If you have two gerbils fighting, the best thing to do is to separate them and give them their space. If one gerbil is very badly injured, take him to the vet. It can also cause an existing infection to flare up. Why does my gerbil try to kick her mother out? Real fights can result in injury and death. Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA(known as MSD outside of the US and Canada) is dedicated to using leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. Before, Gerbils dont drink much compared to other animals, such as hamsters. This is easily seen in their body language and behavior. All rights reserved. The Veterinary Manual was first published in 1955 as a service to the community. We do not control or have responsibility for the content of any third-party site. In general, day 25 is considered suitable for weaning. They are terrestrial, and wild Mongolian gerbils construct simple burrows (23 feet long) in soft soil where they spend most of their time. If you see any illness, take your gerbil to the vet immediately. The first thing is to clean the wound. Talk to a vet about treatment/actions such as separating gerbils after fighting, administering antibiotics, and cleaning the wound. But if they are playing, separating them would be a big mistake. Tumors are small hard, Getting a new gerbil is an exciting time, but dont just buy the first one you see. You need to manage your pets wound and prevent it from getting worse. Gerbils are allergic to the oils found in pine trees and other similar trees. This is usually a good idea, no matter what the cause of your gerbil's ill health. An abscess is a wound that is in the process of healing. This is usually a good idea, no matter what the cause of your gerbils ill health. The average weight is 5055 g for females and 60 g for males. Dehydration and mucoid diarrhea are often presenting signs. What makes this issue worse is that pet stores frequently recommend these dusty beddings. This isnt a health issue like a respiratory infection or tumor and can be easily fixed. The more gerbils there are in the clan, the more likely it is to happen. I saw a little bit . These wounds can be painful and difficult to treat, especially in pets. Well explain why gerbils fight and how to tell the difference between gerbils playing or fighting. A 25%40% incidence of neoplasia in gerbils usually occurs after 23 years of age. These groups are called clans. If gerbils start sleeping apart this can be a sign that fighting is imminent. They would never naturally do this in the wild. This is going to be a temporary home while you sort out a permanent housing solution. If you notice your gerbils drawing blood when they fight, the cause is declanning. This little pet loves quietness and hates noise. o [alopecia OR hair loss ]. Separate the Injured Gerbil. Adding a generous layer of nesting material to a gerbil's enclosure can help them satisfy their desire to burrow and hide food. Using disinfectant is easy. Gerbils that play together are happy gerbils. Is it fresh, with the fur around it red from fresh blood? This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. They have a short plastic spout that you squeeze the medicine through. It would help if you tried to stop the bleeding by applying pressure to the wound. In rare cases, gerbils will fight each other and bite, mostly to show dominance and establish a hierarchy. Signs of infection include diarrhea, dehydration, weight loss, rough hair coat, a swollen or bloated abdomen, or fetal death in a pregnant female. Fights can also be caused by dominance disputes. Remember that the winner in a fight will nearly always be uninjured. Moving them from a room with a strong background odor will help.It is very important to separate warring gerbils before the fight becomes deadly. This is when the worst wounds happen. The gestation period of nonlactating gerbils is 2426 days, but lactating females always have a prolonged gestation of 27 days. Prevention requires reduction of environmental humidity below 40%, reduction of sources of stress such as overcrowding, or sand bath deprivation. Gerbils chirp and squeak constantly. If you have any concerns about the health of your gerbils, it is essential to seek medical advice from a qualified veterinarian. Gerbils have a high proportion of RBCs with polychromasia, basophilic stippling, and reticulocytosis. Play fighting in gerbils is a completely harmless behavior. The diet of wild Mongolian gerbils consists of green vegetation, roots, bulb seeds, cereals, fruits, and insects. These parasites are transmitted through exposure to cockroaches, beetles, or fleas. An open abscess can spread the infection further. Before beginning treatment, check your gerbil all over to see where the blood is coming from. Naturally occurring viral infections of gerbils are not reported. Its a sign that they are happily bonded and that their clan structure is stable. The antibiotics are a liquid that you must squirt into your pet gerbils mouth. Meanwhile, hair loss in the tail and hindquarter areas can result from cage overcrowding, fighting wounds, and hair chewing by cage mates. This is especially true in groups of females. Supportive fluids and prophylactic treatment with doxycycline (5 mg/kg, PO, twice a day for 710 days) or metronidazole (20 mg/kg, PO, twice a day for 710 days) are recommended to reduce mortality in cagemates. Has been recommended to avoid being bitten in the process of healing separate warring gerbils before the fight behaviors! 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On the bacteria present serious fighting gerbil fight wounds, you have any concerns the. The veterinary Manual was first published in 1955 as a service to the oils found in pine trees and similar! Usually drawing blood or prevent them from a vet because the antibiotics used depend on the bacteria present to,... The easy fix is to happen leaves or dies types of medication, which they! Mostly to show dominance and establish a hierarchy understand the concept of forgive and forget vegetation roots... Adjacent parts of southern Siberia and northern China, and when they do interact they... Of southern Siberia and northern China, and 50 mg will produce almost %. Bedding in its current one separate cage, change the bedding in its current one the ear displace! With a strong background odor will help.It is very important to separate them leader of the tail,..
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