Some types of antibiotics can harm or kill a gerbil. This means that you should: clean the wound: wash your wound with running warm water to remove bacteria, dirt, hair, or other foreign materials. Tumors are small hard lumps that appear on or near a gerbil’s scent gland. Bleeding can't be stopped after 10 minutes of firm and steady pressure In general, a cut that needs stitches should be repaired within 6 hours of the … Some hamster owners make a thyme tea to help rinse and treat these. You must prevent your gerbil’s wound from becoming infected. Then, wrap it up with an ACE bandage to help keep the gauze in place. The cost of the amputation will depend on how much needs to be removed, but the procedure usually starts at around $100. It is not uncommon, because gerbils have developed this as an escape mechanism. Gerbil scent gland appearance is characterized by swelling, redness, rough dry skin, bleeding, and excess hairless patches. If it was a bite from another gerbil, separate them so that they won't fight in future, else further injury may occur. Watch for signs of illness or infection. Since the wounds are trying to heal, she keeps scratching the scabs off and making them larger because the healing process … Change the gerbil's bedding and use a soft, absorbent bedding that will not stick to the wound, such as Eco-bedding, Carefresh Ultra, or clean white printer paper shredded in your home shredder. If your gerbil is in obvious pain, painkillers may be administered to help reduce the pain temporarily. My mouse caught mites, "we think when my Aunts dog came to visit", I caught it early and got rid of them. % of people told us that this article helped them. Cleaning a fresh wound can prevent infection, and yet there is an argument that peroxide, disinfectants and even salt water all have the potential to damage tissue and delay healing. What can I do if my gerbil's tail gets bitten? Your gerbil may need pain relief to recover. 2: Coat your gerbils tail with a fine powder (specialist wound powders or cornflour will do) 3: Reduce the area they can run around in short term – use a hospital cage if possible 4: Keep their enclosure as fuss-free as possible for the next few days Call your child's healthcare provider for help in reporting the attack and to decide if additional treatment, such as antibiotics, a tetanus booster, or rabies vaccine is needed. You should treat a gerbil bite the same way you would treat a bite from another animal. Blood around the nose is often just mucus, but it could indicate the animal has allergies. Children are the most common victims for animal bites. Photo: allenran917 3 Ways to Clean Your Dog or Cat’s Minor Wounds. 1-2 million animal bite wounds occur each year in the US. Hold the syringe at a slight angle so that the contents go into your gerbil’s mouth, not straight down its throat. Keep a close eye on your gerbil's injured tail - it should heal on its own. References. If you do get your child a gerbil, make sure you supervise them while they're playing with the gerbil outside of its habitat. Make sure you lift your gerbil correctly so you don't hurt it. I accidentally degloved my gerbils tail while cage cleaning, this was at the worst possible time because my internet was out. It can happen as a result of picking up the gerbil by the tail. The vet may also try to remove any irritants or obstructions in your gerbil’s eye to reduce the swelling and irritation. Back to normal: The next days, it will sleep a lot. Additionally, one of my little ladies had gotten. A broken limb will be visible as distorted legs, limping, an unwillingness to move, or unusual sounds - i.e. Take your gerbil to the vet if you notice a significant change in appetite or thirst. I woke up and noticed my gerbils were fighting. Make sure your terrarium has a well-fitting mesh lid so your gerbils can't escape. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. This amputation is permanent - your gerbil's tail will not grow back. If there is extensive loss of skin, bleeding may be controlled by wrapping a clean cloth around the injured area, while seeking immediate attention from a veterinarian. Dispense this onto the wound and pat it dry with some more gauze. First of all seperate it from all the other gerbils just to stop it from sustaining other injuries. The bigger the wheels and toys for your gerbils, the better. That’s because the tail is designed to tear off if a predator grabs it. Degloving describes an injury in which the fur, skin, and muscle are torn off a gerbil's tail, leaving muscle and bone exposed. My grandson's gerbil has a wound in his stomach, like a 'crater'. If using cedar or pine bedding, switch to corncob or aspen bedding or something similar. Usually the wound is closed with dissolvable stitches so there will be the minimum likelihood of the gerbil biting at them; this type of stitch does not ‘pull’ as much as removable stitches as the healing process starts and so irritate the animal less. Then everything will come back to normal. I freaked out, cleaned the wound, and then did the only thing I could think of, and glued the degloved portion back to his tail. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 5,311 times. The gerbil is a small warrior and they get wounded sometimes. Pet-related injuries could be to your gerbil's tail, or they could be even more serious. A gerbil’s tail is one of the most delicate parts of its whole body. This article was co-authored by Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD. Dog Bites. But it can be difficult to figure out what caused your gerbil to die. Signs of pain include squeaking, hiding, nipping, and carrying the ears back against the head. This article was co-authored by Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD. Most animal bites to your finger won’t cause symptoms other than swelling, redness, or pain. Fights can occur for many reasons but in every case, it's not normal. If they are not too bad you can try cleaning them at home. ", https://www.merckvetmanual.com/exotic-and-laboratory-animals/rodents/gerbils, https://www.omlet.co.uk/guide/gerbils/gerbil_care/handling, http://www.petakids.com/animal-facts/companion-animals/hamsters-gerbils/, http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/gerbils/tips/gerbil_housing.html, https://www.peta.org/issues/companion-animal-issues/companion-animals-factsheets/facts-gerbils-hamsters/, https://www.petcha.com/gerbil-out-of-cage-options/. This article has been viewed 5,311 times. Never give your gerbil antibiotics that were not prescribed by your vet. A mite infestation will sometimes be visible to the naked eye as white or dark specks of dust on the hair follicles, but not always. Do I go to a rescue or a vet or something? Do not use tape or butterfly bandages to close the wound as this could trap harmful bacteria in the wound. A visit to a veterinarian is the first step in treating sore nose in gerbils. of pain and discomfort. Bringing the Gerbil to the Vet Allow the vet to examine its ears. 4. Treatment: There is not much to do beside wait until it ends. If you can, apply some antibacterial ointment to the wound and then cover it with sterile non-stick gauze. Keep it warm and safe. Change the gerbil's bedding and use a soft, absorbent bedding that will not stick to the wound, such as Eco-bedding, Carefresh Ultra, or clean white printer paper shredded in your home shredder. 80-90% of bites wounds are from dogs. To spot and treat scent gland tumors in gerbils, start by looking for bare patches or flaky skin on your gerbil’s belly. You should also have rules for playing with their gerbil - they have to keep all of the doors to the room closed, treat the gerbil gently, and never, ever hit it. Treatment of Red Nose in Gerbils. The veterinarian will assess the need to debride the wound and / or amputate. I separated both of them but I’d like to giveaway my injured gerbil. Consult your vet for advice on a gerbil-safe antibiotic ointment. Dr. Nelson is a Veterinarian who specializes in Companion and Large Animal Medicine in Minnesota, where she has over 18 years of experience as a veterinarian in a rural clinic. Determine the appropriate treatment. I don’t want to keep him. $100 million dollars a year are spent on treating dog bite wounds. For example, if a gerbil improves while on therapy, but then gets sick again after treatment ends, there may be another health problem making the gerbil sick. If the wounds a very deep/bad then you will have to take your gerbils to the vet asap before the cuts become infected. If your gerbil seems to be in pain, take her to an emergency vet. While many gerbil owners see blood around one of their gerbils’ noses as a sign of fighting among the gerbils, rump or tail wounds usually indicate fighting. Gerbil mix is good because many brands are quite absorbent. Apply a thin layer of antibiotic ointment to the wound with a Q-tip. Squirt all of the syringe’s contents in one go into your gerbil’s mouth. Try to figure out what caused the injury and eliminate it. If the bite doesn’t break the skin, your chances of developing serious health complications are low. You may also require antibiotics from a vet. If your gerbil won't take the pill directly from you, trying mixing it in with its food. If the infection isn’t too severe and amputation isn’t necessary, your vet might just give you antibiotics to administer to your gerbil. 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