Saved From Mites Just in Time! Photos.

[Die Fledermaus]

Owing to a lot of personal stuff, such as landlord harassment, I have been unable to check the crew as much as I'd like, although nearby gerbs were fine. But Cole had mites bad and was lethargic and breathing heavily. he quickly got the full treatment from me: Ultra Care spray rubbed into the skin, and Sevin dust in new bedding in a cleaned tank, plus oral liquids.

Happily, I can say I have never seen a gerbil look so bad and so near death come back to life and look now so normal, all that in several days! Yes he is fine, although now one eye has developed some red porphyrin, sugesting an allergy to something. The aspen? I have seen a few gerbs suddenly get allergic to it despite having been on it for a year! If it doesn't clear I will get out the Carefrsh, or Kaytee Soft-Sorbent.

[pinky]

He's a pretty color! Glad he's better now!

[Die Fledermaus]

I just checked his eye. The porphyrin is gone! Go figure.

[pinky]

I was curious about your use of the word porphyrin, because it has a specific meaning in chemistry. I did a little research.

How to tell the difference between porphyrin and blood: "Porphyrin will fluoresce to a bright pink/magenta color under ultraviolet light, blood will not."

Interesting application of the properties of the porphyrin molecule--and totally sensible.

[Die Fledermaus]

Red gerbil mucus I believe is called that, for whatever reason.

>> Adara
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Re: Gerbil Allergy Scare - Note the SYMPTOMS
« Reply #6 on Apr 26, 2004, 1:50pm »

The red stuff is called porphyrin, it can also come from their nose and saliva glands.. You'll see it a lot more in rats than gerbils, but yeah if they show those symptoms then something's usually up with the bedding [usually people housing them on pine!]

Good advice <<

[Die Fledermaus]

Pinky, you recall the name of the disease in PEOPLE that causes porphyrin to appear? It has for centuries been associated with vampirism and drinking blood (which apparently helps the condition!).

[pinky]

Porphyria. I wasn't aware of the association between it and vampirism.

From Wikipedia:

"Nowadays, some people argue that vampire stories might have been influenced by a rare illness called porphyria. The disease disrupts the production of heme. People with extreme but rare cases of this hereditary disease can be so sensitive to sunlight that they can get a sunburn through heavy cloud cover, causing them to avoid sunlight — although it should be noted that the idea that vampires are harmed by sunlight is largely from modern fiction and not the original beliefs. Certain forms of porphyria are also associated with neurological symptoms, which can create psychiatric disorders. However, the hypotheses that porphyria sufferers crave the heme in human blood, or that the consumption of blood might ease the symptoms of porphyria, are based on a severe misunderstanding of the disease. There is no real evidence to suggest that porphyria had anything to do with the development of the original folklore, as the hypothesis is mainly based off the characteristics of the modern vampire in any case."

[Die Fledermaus]

I remembered the name "porphyria" while in the gym today, but thanks for posting that.

I knew what I did from one of the first episodes of CSI where the culprit made protein shakes with human blood.

[pinky]

Oh, yum!

[deana]

I am so glad you got him better, I love his color what is it called Very pretty.

[Die Fledermaus]

>> I love his color what is it called <<

Black.

he is too dark for a slate.