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Post by jeannie on Feb 20, 2004 0:39:47 GMT -4
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Feb 22, 2004 21:51:21 GMT -4
I'm turning this thread into a Care and Health sticky. It will save us all the trouble of retyping certain issues.
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Post by dosergirl on Feb 25, 2004 22:47:30 GMT -4
National Animal Poison Control Center at 1-888-426-4435
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Post by adara on Feb 26, 2004 15:01:48 GMT -4
A common problem in older gerbils is them losing one or several teeth. I don't know what causes this - probably just through a lot of use I'm sure a lot of uneducated people's pets die because they do not notice this. Generally if an older gerbil's tooth is missing it won't grow back - and if it does it will be weak and break again easily. If it is a younger gerbil then it was probably broken off somehow by accident and is more likely to grow back again As gerbil's teeth grow constantly this can become a problem if you do not notice straight away. The other teeth can become longer and prevent the gerbil from eating - essentially starving it to death. If you are confident enough and your gerbil is tame enough you can clip the teeth yourself with the correct clippers - I highly recommend seeing your vet the first few times just so you get an idea of how to do it. Of course if a gerbil has both top and/or both bottom teeth missing then they will find it hard to eat the normal gerbil mix. For my elderly gerbils with missing teeth I always offer their normal mix along with other easier to eat foods for them. I also add water soluble vitamins to their water. These foods are: Cockatiel seed Rolled oats [dry or with a little soya milk] Mashed potato [cooked with no salt - again a little soya milk is good. Soya milk/products are good for keeping weight on elderly gerbils] Apple Banana Bread soaked in soya milk The kibble biscuits in gerbil mix soaked in soya milk I also shell a couple of sunflower seeds and/or pumpkin seeds and break them up very small so the gerbil can eat them. As a lot of these foods are moist foods you should remove any uneaten moist food after a day as it will go off.
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Mar 16, 2004 22:53:47 GMT -4
Speaking of weight, as your animals get older I would suggest getting a small scale and weighing them once a week to be sure they don't start dropping in weight. But I know them all so well if any of them lost half an ounce I could tell, except for my new dwarfs who are so light it is hard to tell.
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Post by andromeda on May 8, 2006 15:34:19 GMT -4
I did this for the mongolian gerbils forum but it seems to fit nicely in here. picking up gerbilsGerbils are desert animals. In the desert danger is usually from the sky. To pick a gerbil up don't grab from above...it will scare him. Carefully scoop up from below Holding gerbils1) Normal holding of a tame gerbil. They don't keep still so just let them walk from one hand to the other, keeping changing hands. Also works with hamsters. 2) to check gender or for cleanliness of bottom area Hold by the base of the tail and lift with gerbil supported on other hand. Do not hold by any other part of tail and do not hold like this for long. 2) pups with eyes nearly or just open Pups this age move very quickly, we nickname them popcorn pups. Hold firmly without crushing and they generally fall asleep!! (Dan here is blind not asleep) Be very careful, that still, sleepy pup can suddenly explode like a wound spring and rn from your hand into serious trouble! nervous gerbils You can pick up a nervous gerbil in a jar, tube or other container that is part of it's normal home. Let the gerbil choose when to leave the receptacle so it feels in control. Weighing gerbilsI use electronic scales, first put bowl or show pen on, set to 0, then add gerbils. Gerbil sandbathjust put sand in a bowl, pen etc and add gerbils Water bottles[u/]
In tanks a wire cage is good
In plastic bins a hole in the side and wire to balance
Showing/transporting gerbils
These small tanks are ideal. Some substrate (woodshavings or whatever you normall use), shredded white tissue, a little food and some cucumber or grape for moisture and your gerbil should be fine. Try not to let them overheat though.
agouti V nutmeg
The agouti has white feet and tummy (as do all agouti types and spotted/pied gerbils) The nutmeg is a self and has a greyish/nutmeg belly
Split cages
For mongs a traditional split introduction is good. Remember splits can take weeks/months and don't always work.
For dipodils a small cage within the tank is used
Teeth
Tend to be yellowish. The front incisors grow throughout a gerbils life and if they are not trimmed through gnawing can cause problems. Also if the are broken or loose they can prevent a gerbil eating. Gerbils who loose weight fast often have tooth problems.
Claws Gerbil claws are important for grip and feeding. They rarely need clipping.
Claw colour varies..read the standards for the different colours. Pregnancy
A gerbil close to giving birth often develops a 'lumpy' tummy as the pups get big. Sometimes you can feel them moving!
medicines
I hold the gerbil firmly in the palm of my hand with my finger and thumb holding his front paws, then use a syringe to place meds in his cheek. Don't squirt it down his throat and don;t give more than a drop at once.
I have more and will add them when I locate them Hope this helpful Any requests?
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Post by Die Fledermaus on May 10, 2006 20:37:26 GMT -4
Helpful. Although less so if one has dial-up!
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Post by sisco18 on Jun 28, 2007 12:38:02 GMT -4
that was all very nice and imformational actually I was wondering if anyone knew what color of pups to expect from an agouti and a nutmeg.
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Jun 28, 2007 13:39:18 GMT -4
You can find online gerbil color charts and palettes; you can even find a genetics calculator.
I apologize I am way too busy to find the links now. You can search or I can look later.
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eden
Rodent Retreat Newbie
Posts: 15
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Post by eden on Jun 28, 2007 15:27:18 GMT -4
Thanks for the info and pics! It depends on their genotypes and which recessives they may carry. Here's a gerbil gene calculator: gerbils.silvanon.com/gerbilcalculator/Agouti: A*C*E*G*P* Nutmeg: aaC*eeG*P* If you don't know, Agouti pups are most likely. If the Agouti has 'a', you can also expect Black. If the Agouti has 'e', you can also expect Dark Eyed Honey. If the Agouti has 'a' and 'e', you can also expect Black, DEH, and Nutmeg. There are other possibilities, but they're not as likely.
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Post by sisco18 on Jun 28, 2007 16:53:17 GMT -4
wow that gene calculator thing is fun I never knew there where so many possibilitys Ic your not to far from me do you breed gerbils I live in fond du lac. Its nice to see someone closer to me.
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Post by sisco18 on Jun 28, 2007 16:58:40 GMT -4
thats another question I was gonna ask are there actually small animal fairs that you can go and purchase them It looks that way from the pic above just curious ive only ever been to bird fairs.
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eden
Rodent Retreat Newbie
Posts: 15
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Post by eden on Jun 29, 2007 23:28:19 GMT -4
Oh my, we are close, Sisco. Yes, I breed gerbils. Do you? You should introduce yourself in member intros. I think I saw a small animal fair in Milwaukee. None in these parts. The American Gerbil Society Midwest Show will be in Omaha Nebraska, Oct. 12, 13. Anyone know of others?
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Jun 29, 2007 23:51:50 GMT -4
You could write the AGS, or post on their board if you are a member.
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Post by sisco18 on Jul 1, 2007 14:28:14 GMT -4
no I dont I was going to try to but my split cage that worked out failed the pup was loosing weight and got attacked so I put him in his own ten gallon with tank topper and other female pup her sister is in the 29 gallon they really dont get along very well and my male is in a large aviary style bird cage about 5 feet tall that I made shelves in I want to post pics of it but I caint figure out how I have photobucket just getting them here is the problem I think maybe once she recovers In a few months I will try and reintroduce her to her sister or is that that not a good idea I seperated them cause they were fighting I have the room to keep them apart but three lone gerbils. you get my point right.
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