Worried sick about my gerbil.

[Sevaede]

I have two female gerbils. One is dove coloured (Bijou) and the other is sapphire coloured (Rota) according to http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/e_ehr/gerbils/colors.htm .

I just noticed something earlier today.

Rota is at a slant. The closest thing I can describe it as is it looks like her whole body, head included, are cocked severely to the right. She has a weird sense of balance now, it seems. I called the vet and she recommended me to other vets who were all already closed. I will be calling them tomorrow and seeing what could possibly be wrong. I hope she's alright.

[lute]

i don't know much about gerbils, sorry. i hope she's ok. :(

[Zippy]

I know nothing about gerbils.But Hope it is nothing.

[chrissycat21]

I really hope she is ok! Please keep us updated when you hear from the other vets.

[IRescue452]

It sounds like she had a stroke. Many gerbils go by way of stroke. If this is the case there will be nothing you can do to rehab her, just make sure she can swallow food and water.

http://www.animalhospitals-usa.com/small_pets/gerbil_health.html

[IRescue452]

What happened to your black and peach girls?

[Sevaede]

What happened to your black and peach girls?

Their tails fell off (We think because the woman who was getting them out of their little cage held them by their TAILS!). We were within our two week warranty (PetCo, by the way) so we took them back to be treated. Another woman (who was a manager of sorts) was "helping" me. She seemed pissed off and started yelling at me and was like, "Well WHAT do you WANT? Some salve or a band aid? I'll just send somewhere out here to get them" and that she would treat them but they had to take them back. Some girl came out and took my cage and took it back in a room and then I had no gerbils.

I called the vet and they told me to "put neosporin on it".

[Sevaede]

It sounds like she had a stroke. Many gerbils go by way of stroke. If this is the case there will be nothing you can do to rehab her, just make sure she can swallow food and water.

http://www.animalhospitals-usa.com/small_pets/gerbil_health.html

That's what first came to mind but I wasn't sure. She falls over half of the time but she can nibble on food. If she doesn't improve then I don't know what to do.

I called the other vet and they told me to call the original one (that I had called the first time). It seems nobody in this town dabbles with gerbils.

Thank you for the help!

[Chilli]

Poor girl. If able, I hope she improves.. and I hope she's happy.
Good thoughts headed your way for your little gerbil girl! :)

[lv4dogs]

Some possible illnesses that come to mind are a stroke, inner ear infection, tumor (most likely in the brain).
Over the years this has happened to a few of my rats, hamsters & gerbils and it was always one of those problems.

Is she able to move that side of her body? If she can't or if it is limited it is most likely a stroke or tumor (probably brain tumor).

I hope you can find a vet. Good luck with her, she's in my thoughts.

[Sevaede]

Thank you everyone for your good thoughts and support! :)

I have not been able to pinpoint one vet in town who can/will even look at her for one reason or another. Nobody is even willing to give me advice or help my figure out what it may be.

I am thinking either stroke or inner ear infection. She does nibble on food and wriggle her right side so I think I will wait it another day and then try calling some other vets. I'll try calling PetsMart too (to see what they think.).

She doesn't seem to be bothered by it, at all, actually. I can't help but laugh every time I look at the gerbil habitat from over the top and she peeks out and I see one eye (left) looking up at me like "gimme some food, woman!".

[Logan]

I doubt Petsmart is going to be of any help. You rarely find well informed small animal people there, even though they do try to be helpful and friendly, most of the time. Have you done a search for small animal veterinarians in your surrounding area? We don't have one here, either, but luckily, I did find one vet who doesn't advertise being an avian vet, who will treat my birds, and he did help one of our hamsters along to the rainbow bridge one time, too.

Best of luck. Hope your little gerbil will improve. It does sound like a stroke, though.

Logan

[Vermontcat]

Wenisrubber, I hope that your gerbil is able to recover.
I have been following your thread because my gerbil Chocolate had a stroke last Friday and I did a lot of research on it last weekend.
I made sure that she was eating and drinking and was as comfortable as possible. My gerbil was also wobbly and became blind due to her stroke.
Unfortunately she passed away this morning, she was just about 3 years old which is old for a gerbil. :(
I hope that your gerbil didn't have as severe a stroke as mine did and that she can recover. How old is your gerbil? Hopefully if she is young, she can recover.
Sending get well wishes your way.

[Sevaede]

I doubt Petsmart is going to be of any help. You rarely find well informed small animal people there, even though they do try to be helpful and friendly, most of the time. Have you done a search for small animal veterinarians in your surrounding area? We don't have one here, either, but luckily, I did find one vet who doesn't advertise being an avian vet, who will treat my birds, and he did help one of our hamsters along to the rainbow bridge one time, too.

Best of luck. Hope your little gerbil will improve. It does sound like a stroke, though.

Logan

Yep. :) We have 56 vet places here. Four of them *say* they dabble in small animals (like gerbils, mice, etc) one of those being my regular vet. However, I guess she does not as the techs and people who know her sometimes use avain and small animal interchangeably (where it applies). I have called others and they told me to call Dr Brookings (my reg vet). So, I am pretty confused. I am going to start calling the other places!

She looks the same as she has. She nibbles on food and drinks and (I think) chews on her chew sticks and mineral/salt chew.

[Sevaede]

Wenisrubber, I hope that your gerbil is able to recover.
I have been following your thread because my gerbil Chocolate had a stroke last Friday and I did a lot of research on it last weekend.
I made sure that she was eating and drinking and was as comfortable as possible. My gerbil was also wobbly and became blind due to her stroke.
Unfortunately she passed away this morning, she was just about 3 years old which is old for a gerbil. :(
I hope that your gerbil didn't have as severe a stroke as mine did and that she can recover. How old is your gerbil? Hopefully if she is young, she can recover.
Sending get well wishes your way.

Aww! :( R.I.P. Chocolate! :(

Rota sounds about the same (eating, drinking, sleeping, wobbly, lesser vision). I will be calling around to the emergency vets for advice!

I've had Rota(and Bijou) for about four months. They have since increased in size so I can imagine they are pretty young.

Thank you much!

[Dorothy39]

I'm hoping that Rota can be treated---and rehabilitated.


Keep your chin up---Rota is eating, drinking and keeping an eye on you too!!!

Gerbils are so sweet!!!!! You are doing all you can , I'm sure!!!

I hope Rota pulls through... :(