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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!).
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Post by Andrea on Jun 23, 2006 4:41:11 GMT -4
Nope. i am on their Yahoo list, but set it at no mail a few years ago. I just found way to much 'blabber' that had nothing to do with gerbils.
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Post by Andrea on Jul 11, 2006 1:24:58 GMT -4
I shoudl give you the Photos of the Maple Ridge woman who was the one to get the laws passed... she be ICKY!
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Post by Andrea on Jul 5, 2006 15:49:58 GMT -4
Today it's not smoking hot YEAY, it's overcast, so nice and cool. Good thing b/c I'm going to go help my Aunt & Uncle move today, woudl be so not fun in the heat.
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Post by Andrea on Jun 18, 2006 16:16:03 GMT -4
I think it's pretty slow on most messege boards. Summers comming everyones doing things now!
... i'm going to go clean all these stinky cages/tanks/pens now.... yeay me.
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Post by Andrea on Jun 14, 2006 0:04:01 GMT -4
Thanks DM,
it's been tuff few days, getting Jack better and saving him, but not being able to save Porsche. I'm pretty sure b/c of her illness (seizures, kinked tail) as a baby she was kinda of 'weak'. And that's why this took her so hard and so fast. It seems unhealthy pups are predisposed to illness later in life.
My Mom came for a Viset today and we burried Porsche in my backyard, where her uncle and 2 other of my little gerbils sleep peacefully. I will make them all new crosses tonight.
My biggest concern now if for Audi, she seems fine but I'm affraid of her catching this illness. I've going to continue with the Ornacycline in teh water for the next couple of days just in case. I also have her upstairs and away from the gerbil room. Mercedes, the girls Aunt has a distended abdomen and i'm not sure how much longer she has, right now she's bright and happy. But when she has gone, I'm thinking of split caging Lexus (Audi's mom) who is with Mercedes now with Audi.
What a week so far.
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Post by Andrea on Jun 13, 2006 1:23:36 GMT -4
Porche is my first Baby. Over a year and a half ago I decided to breed one of my gerbils. Porche and her little brother were born. Porche was always a fun little baby though she suffered from Seziures and had a 'kink' in her tail. I would hold her still her spasms stopped, she grew out of them at 4 month old. She's always been a very healthy and stong gerbil, seeing her like this is breaks my heart. I'm not ready to loose her, though she dosn't want to fight to live, just fight me from medicating her. She may just be a gerbil to most, but she is the first baby animal i have ever had, and we're quite bonded. It's been a hard day, and i feel almost helpless b/c I can seem to get her to improve. I think my only hope right now is good thoughts and prayers for her. Big Sister Porche, always taking care of everyone else.
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Post by Andrea on Jun 12, 2006 18:28:40 GMT -4
This morning Porsche went to the Vet. She's hunched over, clicking, breathing rapidly, very dehydrated, eyes are sunkin and not bright at all. It broke my heart to see her this way this morning. I totally missed it yesterday b/c I was so involved with my sick bunny (who is better now). The Vet mentioned Bronchitis. But truth be he wasn't very knowledgable on gerbils (I saw him for my bunny). I brought along the Chlor Palm that I had from another vet viset, and he said that it would work, and that's what he would have prescribed. He also didn't think she's make it ... So, I've given her a half a grape, put ornacycline in her water and had her drink from it and gave her the prescription meds. I have put her in a clean cage (with her sister who's fine) upstairs and put it half on a heating pad on low. Should I give her water with the eye dropper?Is there anything else I can do? Out of all my years with gerbils, and all the other illnesses we have faced, this is my first Resp. infection. Porsche is 1 year and 8 month old, she has seizuers up untill she was about 4month old, and was born with a kink in her tail. Despite all this she has always been a very healthy and good looking gerbil. I REALLY don't want to loose her, she was my first pup, and she HAS to outlive her parents who are both over 2.
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Post by Andrea on May 30, 2006 18:49:25 GMT -4
Wow what beautiful gerbils... they look for familor to me Glad to see you made it here!
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Post by Andrea on May 28, 2006 20:54:32 GMT -4
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Post by Andrea on May 28, 2006 16:13:04 GMT -4
10G is fine for a split b/c you want them to HAVE to interact with one another. I usually use my 50G split first, then down to a 20G split, then to the 10G split with my intros. I had a declan just before i left last weekend, no blood shed but Mercedes decided she's now the boss of the tank, and wants to kick her sisters kid out! So poor Alero has been getting chased and picked on, i tryed split screening them in hopes things would calm down, but it didn't work they are done. Alero is now in my 45G split with Capri, who recently lost her second tank mate. So I have 2 split cages going right now. I think pairs do SO much better then 3-somes or more. I've tried over the past couple of years to keep more then 2 together, and well they have ALL de-clanned at some point in time. My breeder friend thinks it's b/c I give my gerbils to much space (20G tanks), which it just may be. I do have 1 more 3some, Chevy (who's 2.5) and two 7 week old males, this is kinda my last try. If you have a Craigs lsit in your area, or other free classifieds, post you are looking for 10G or bigger aquariums, and how they DON'T need to hold water, for Free or a cheap price. That's what I did and ended up getting my 45G for free, and my 50G with a 15G for a case of beer ($20). I've also had 10G tanks given to me. It's the best way to go when U have many animals and not alot of money.
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I wish
May 28, 2006 16:18:52 GMT -4
Post by Andrea on May 28, 2006 16:18:52 GMT -4
My father never let me keep a pet. If you love animals you can always help by volunteering with local humane or rescue groups. A VERY good idea. All those animals need someone to love and care for them, it's great experiance and you can proove your responcible, and learn all sorts of stuff from the experiance. I volunteer for a animal rescue, and we have a girl who's only 8 who comes out with her Mom and helps with bunny days, and Bunny rescue, plus Dog walking at the SPCA. Read lots about the animal you want, I used to write papers on the animal and how i could care for it when i was young. Now it's not always going to work, My Dad didn't let me have pets when i was a kid either, but the more you learn about each animal, when your old enough to get your own you'll be a super owner! Oh - And you can also try Pet Sitting from Family & Friends pets also (PS - I didn't get my first gerbils untill I was 18, I'm 26 now and have 17 of them!)
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Post by Andrea on May 16, 2006 2:29:56 GMT -4
Yes, Marge looks to be a Saffire.
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Post by Andrea on May 15, 2006 18:19:07 GMT -4
I've just stolen this picture from my friends site, it's a GREAT example of the three colours.... What is realy awesome is her "Ultra Dark" colours she has been able to produce (20+ years experaicne sure helps i"m sure). So Beautiful. Even her spotteds keep these bright coloured coats. Pictures taken from - www.geocities.com/cvaneysinga/gerbil.html
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Post by Andrea on May 11, 2006 23:53:41 GMT -4
My "Dove" who I belive is actually a saffire ( ) is a tiny little guy. I have 2 females in foster that are both Lilacs and one is very large. So I can kind of see that ya
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