"Fight, Fight, Fight!"

[Andrea]

ARGH.....

I cleaned all my cages monday.
Tuesday I come home and Dakota & Ranger are covered in blood around their faces and sleeping on opposite sides of the tank.
I removed their toys, and watched them, they seemed to get along, and eventually started to groom one another.
I told them if they don't smarten up they are outta here.... musta worked b/c they are a happy couple again.

I usually leave some old bedding in the tanks when I clean them out, but i forgot in theirs... stupid me.

So I'm wondering, since the bites were not real bad, and they were only around the head area do we think they will continue to get along and maybe they worked out the issues they were dealing with? (most likely dominance).
Or do we think I will return home to another blood bath?

[Die Fledermaus]

I don't know, but I'd worry. I never have had anything like that. I have never had a fight with blood that worked itself out. I don't know what else to say, except watch closely, and if one looks very nervous, split them.

I've had some split screenings go well lately, but the last one was a failure: the slightly bigger agouti male terrified the cream male who ended up with a biten tail. I watched them for five hours, and realized it was not working. I put the screen back in as I have no place for one to live alone right now.

[Andrea]

Well they are still buddy buddy, back to normal.
I think I just screwed up with no leaving some old bedding in. I never had that problem before, but then I haven't always had this many gerbils.

[Die Fledermaus]

That is good to hear.

The oddest and saddest thing was when one gerb KILLED his tankmate in a holding tank as I cleaned their original tank. Somehow he freaked out - weird smells, perhaps.

[Andrea]

aawwww, that is sad

[gerbilsprincess]

Well, you know that their tears and "snot" are red too, so it could have been an allergic reaction to something, but the whole opposite end, idk! My 2 male gerbils fought this morning, but they get along well now! So i dunno...

[Die Fledermaus]

I once had a gerb suddenly develop an allergy to aspen and show that red porphyrin; I took her off aspen. Several weeks later I tried aspen again and there were no problems.

I have seen arguments and fights occur for no understandable reason - other than they just (like people) did not get along. Bad chemistry!

[Andrea]

I've had gerbils with allergies show the porphyrin also, I find with younger gerbils sometimes it's just something they grow out of, as long as it's not rally bad.

The two boys I posted about are still together and happy, not shown another sign of aggression again.
I will just have to make sure next tank cleaning we leave a bit of old bedding in