|
Post by deana on Jun 27, 2006 19:45:04 GMT -4
I was holding nibbles today and she seems to be really skinny, I know she is eating good. What could be the problem with her, the others in her cage seems to be too but not as much. I know gerbils are not supposed to over weight but underweight? she doesn't get as much exercise as she should. She is about a year and a 1/2 now could it be her age?
|
|
|
Post by Die Fledermaus on Jun 27, 2006 21:28:33 GMT -4
What can I say except it sounds serious. I had a gerbil, about two, get real skinny, and die. Internal tumor or other condition? Maybe Andrea knows, or some other gerbil expert.
best wishes.
|
|
|
Post by deana on Jun 27, 2006 23:29:04 GMT -4
Oh no! thats not good:( I hope that isn't it, I can't take her in until next wqek when I get paid, I didn't feel any lump on her I am going to check her now, maybe that is why she is biting now too. This is not a good night for me with my gerbils and the declanning too.
|
|
|
Post by Andrea on Jun 28, 2006 2:48:07 GMT -4
I have skinny gerbils. It's their breeding unfortunetly. Do you have a baking scale? If so I would weigh her and keep an eye on her weight. Has the weight loss been gradule? or all of a sudden?
It can be alot of things, liek if she's on the low end up the gerbil totem and so everyone else eats all the good stuff first, or a sign of illness. I would start feeding her extra treats, like sunflowers, and add a bit more protine to her diet see if she bulks up. If her character or health changes I would take her to a Vet and get their opinion.
Hopefully it's nothing, I have one gerbil, lexus who gets fat in the winter and skinny in the summer, she's just over 2 years old. I also have Chevy who has always been skinny no matter what, He's also sickly looking but going to be 3 years old in November and shows no sign of stopping (he's deaf too!).
|
|
|
Post by Die Fledermaus on Jun 28, 2006 5:08:05 GMT -4
I hope it is not serious. But I never had a robust-looking gerbil start getting skinny rather quickly and survive long-term.
|
|
|
Post by deana on Jun 28, 2006 8:06:42 GMT -4
Thanks you guys Andrea is was gradual, but I got her out after reading your response and she seems heavier again, I gave her 3 mill worms and she cobbled them up and stuffed them in her cheeks. Nibbles is dominant and lives with her two daughters. Lucky is trying to be dominant lol she will pick a fight with the other two and will lose everytime, it is so cute to watch her. For a little bit I will take Nibbles aside and feed her alone just in case the others are getting there first, I don't want to make her too fat though lol Hopefully it is just that and I don't have to take her in
|
|
|
Post by Die Fledermaus on Jun 28, 2006 9:29:06 GMT -4
Maybe you exagerrated your initial description of "skinny"?
Best wishes.
|
|
|
Post by deana on Jun 28, 2006 10:35:31 GMT -4
yeah I think you are right there, I worry to much sometimes and last night was one of them, but she was skinny and boney but this morning she wasn't as bad. I'm going to feed her firat and alone out of the cage and put her back in after with the food bowl and then I will know she has had enough:)
|
|
|
Post by furryflowers on Jun 28, 2006 11:37:25 GMT -4
Yes i agree she may be "low on the totum pole", good idea to give her individual care & feeding, also keep an eye on her teeth, just in case......Sometimes too Gerbs can get an "over-active thyroid gland"....I believe Judi Block from the AGS list recommended a bit of fresh Avocado to help Gerbies gain weight in a healthful way, Judith is an "ACE" with Nutrition both for people & gerbies! Best of luck to you & her, glad she looked better at your later inspection!!
|
|
|
Post by deana on Jun 28, 2006 12:08:49 GMT -4
She could be low but I don't see how, she is the dominant gerbil but older she is the mother of the two in there with her. When I put the food bowl in the cage she is on top of it:) and they wait. I probably over reacted like do sometimes when I felt the shoulder bones and the small stomach area, she seems fine now.Checked out the other gerbils too and I have fat ones and skinny ones :)mainly the males are larger right now. I gave her another toilet roll tube and she is chewing on it. Yummy avacadoes I like those too, want some now;)
|
|
|
Post by jeannie on Jun 28, 2006 13:09:42 GMT -4
Judith is great in many ways.
I have lost a few to kidney/liver failure, and they all experienced gradual weight loss, increased water consumption, and a preference towards greens. The decline was over a period of a few months, until it was clear they were suffering too much and I had them PTS.
On the other hand, sometimes they lose weight for a while, then gain, then lose, and they are perfectly fine. It's really the slow gradual loss over time, despite what you feed them, that is a cause for concern.
I have a gram kitchen scale which is great way to keep track of their weights.
...............
SP edit. DF
|
|
|
Post by megs on Jul 7, 2006 13:22:55 GMT -4
I'm no gerbil expert, but I know there is a big difference between two of my dwarfs, Sprite and Scarlet. Sprite is VERY small and skinny, but she is the most aggressive, and probably one of the more athletic/active. Scarlet is a little chubby; she always carries food around with her in her pouches and is alot bigger than Sprite and also bigger than Scout. It's interesting to see not only their physical differences, but also how their personalities affect this.
|
|
|
Post by Die Fledermaus on Jul 7, 2006 20:14:17 GMT -4
In the dwarf forum I started a thread on a rescue of two dwarfs: both female, and one, Harriet, likely the mother. She was normal; the other, Hilary, is lighter in color and always skinny no matter how much I feed her. Genetics? Or the result of neglect as a pup? Don't know. They both love canned crickets, though.
|
|