Common Gerbil Illnesses | What to Look Out For!
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- čas přidán 18. 06. 2020
- I talk about common gerbil illnesses, as well as things to look out for, and have on hand! Always go to the vet for any health concerns or issues
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Would you be able to make a quick video on de-clanning and the difference between play fighting and actually fighting. I'm not sure if they're playing or fighting!
Jason Brown if you can film/send me clips on Twitter I can be able to help! The only reason I’m hesitant in making a bonding video is because I do have siblings so they won’t de-clan, and it wouldn’t be fair of me to teach anything on that. I can however make a video on play fighting :)
@@finsandwhiskers They seem to be okay now I think it was just to show who was dominant but theyre both getting along 👍
So glad I came across your channel there’s not many good gerbil care videos on CZcams but you’re so informative and entertaining too thank you! Also my 8 week old male gerbils sometimes squeak I’ve never had gerbils before is this normal?
Really glad I could help, thank you! Squeaking can be normal but also can be a sign of something wrong, it all depends on the context! Younger gerbils definitely squeak a lot in general though. I have 3 that are siblings and they will squeak when one of them tries to steal their food from their hands/mouth 😅
finally a gerbil channel
Thanks, Fins & Whiskers! You're the best gerbil youtuber! :D
Thank you! ♥️
Truly! :D
And 🐇🐰 :D
Hewo
@@barksnibbles9467 oh wow who are you
i don't know who you are
Great Vid! About upper respiratory or pneumonia in gerbils--I had a vet who would prescribe Baytril (Enrofloxacin) and if my gerbil did not respond, he just told me to use it for another week. I lost 2 gerbils to pneumonia that way. My NEW vet offered me expensive testing (which I couldn't do), but then prescribed Baytril and Metacam (Meloxicam) and my gerbil did not respond in 5 days; she switched us to Azithromycin, but after 5 days, my gerbil did not respond. Finally, she prescribed Doxycycline (which had to be compounded at a local pharmacy) and Prednisone. It's been 5 days and my little gerbil is finally, slowly starting to recover. I guess I'm trying to say that if you have an inexperienced "pocket pet" vet, push them to give you more options. Don't settle for the first option as you may, like me, end up grieving the loss of your pet.
Great advice ♥️ thank you for sharing! And I’m sorry you had to go through all of that :(
Hi, thanks for info! Do you know which dosage of Doxycycline and Prednisone you used for gerbils? And was it for oral use? How long did treatment last? We currently have respiratory issues and also Enrofloxacin and Meloxicam are not helping. I told my vet about this but they're not sure how to get that small dosage which would be okay for gerbils. Thanks ❤️
Hi! I've been raising gerbils for 30 years and love your videos! I also wanted to let u know I've been sharing ur videos to help others to get more info. Thanks for this! 😃
Thank you for the support!
Loved the video!! Thanks for the help finding a good food!
You’re welcome!! Thanks for continuing to support 💕
Thanks soooo much! I am getting a gerbil soon and have been binge watching all your vids! There all so helpfull!
I’m so excited for you! Thank you for watching!
Thank you so much! I feel a lot more prepared lol, much appreciated 😄😁💖💖💖
This is really helpful!!
Thanks for watching! 💕
It's great to see someone making gerbil care! I've lost 2 hamsters to cancer and respiratory/eye infections. Hoping to get Gerbils in the future.
Sorry to hear about your hamsters :(
You are the best gerbil youtuber out there. What advice could you give to someone looking into keeping gerbils who is coming from owning hamsters?
Another fairly common illness for gerbils it seems is Kidney disease, we've had a few lately on the gerbil forum :(. As well as rapid weight loss and lethargy, another common symptom is the gerbils licking the glass, even when they do have free and easy access to water (mineral deficiency can also be a cause of glass licking though). Other than that it can be extremely hard to spot it, including by vets. If you get a combination of those symptoms, when you go to the vets, ask them to do a urine test for kidney disease.
On a different note, when I watched you weighing your gerbil I was thinking that mine would just jump straight out of that, then yours did! lol :D. I find it's easier not to bother with a container, because if they can't get out then they'll just bounce around so much you can't get a good reading anyway ;). I put the scales on top of their cage where (like yours) they can get upto, and offer them a treat on the scales, and hope they don't run off with it! :D
Here's my attempts, 1st one failed, 2nd one got it :) czcams.com/video/G0Ri6hQurBs/video.html
I use schredded paper kitchen towels for my bedding. It is really cheat, as dust free as it can get, doesn't get gerbils alergies (as far as I know), and it allows for burrowing really easy for Gerbils.
I say this because one gerbil of mine got fungus because one of the shop beddings, and it took me weeks to cure the poor gerbil. He scratched his nose constantly, to the point of losing its hair and starting to bleed. I swap it to schredded paper, and no more issues from allergies, dust or fungus due to chemicals or unsafe materials.
Very helpful video. I weigh each of my gerbils each week when I change their cages. I log these on a calendar so I can see at a glance if one of them is losing weight. Thanks again!
That's a great idea!
I love your channel it's very fun too watch and imformative!
P.S. do you have any reccommondations to convince my parents to get 2 gerbils?
just found your channel, lots of very helpful info. do you have any tips on taming or how to best interact with new gerbs? i just got a pair of boys and they dont seem too interested in eating out of my hand. idk if they are just more interested in the new environment, or if im being too impatient b/c i wanna hang with them lol. ty for all the informative, well-researched content!
Hi! I’ll be making a taming video, but I will suggest that if they’re not comfortable with your hands yet, to start with your voice! Let them get used to your presence by the enclosure (they can see you), and talk to them. Also have a certain noise (I like clicking my tongue) just when you’re about to give them food, as they’ll know your voice and sound as a positive sign!
Love your channel!
Thank you!
love it
I dont have many time to watch the video but i really have a question
Tommorow im going to the vet but
My one herbil is standing still in a corner, sometimes trying to sleep in a weird pose their or something, when i take him out of his cage hes a bit more active but then he stands still on the couch.
He really doesnt have much energy, he doesnt even nibble on the empty toilet paper roll anymore.
Im really worried right now...
@Fins & Whiskers, Do you recommend sand baths?
i got two baby gerbils from my friend and after reserch i found out she was not taking very good care of them
aka, small cage ,not enough bedding,unhealthy food, and she did not do her reserch so she passed that bad info to me, which i did not follow, but i dont know what to do because it is her family and not really my place to be nosy, she also breeds them but the dad recently died and from escaping and well.... her dog got him to say the least
she has three in this cage that has only like 80 square inches and i dont know what to do
My gerbils are not quite a year yet I don’t think but for some reason one of them keep shaking but went I go look at them the gerbil is moving around as usual still but it does keep chittering in a sort of why is there a specific reason for this?
My gerbil has a scent tumor, due to his age he can't have the operation to remove it. He's three years and two months old.
My vet advised me to monitor him and spoil him rotten until it's time to put him asleep, there's pain relief available for him when needed. He's eating, drinking and very active still... he'll be leaving his brother behind.
This was such a helpful video! I also subscribed! I also have a quick question, my two male gerbils are almost two in November, and they keep on fighting, and I have to separate them but they keep making each other bleed, there noses are bad and bleeding and I don't know what to do? Every morning I clean his nose with water and a qutip. Do you know what would help?
I’d honestly take him to the vet! He will be able to get a better treatment for it
Separate them so they don’t fight. Many of my sibling pairs of gerbils have declined. Once they start fighting, it’s impossible to get them to stop. Get them separate enclosures.
My gerbil just died in my hands it was a tumor now I have to look after her friend any tips on what to do with her and or how to take care of a single gerbil
Your gerbil videos are my favorite videos do more gerbil videos please
I definitely will! Make sure you subscribe and hit the bell so you are notified!
hopefully someone sees this soon as there aren’t many gerbil type youtube videos :( my gerbil has been really lethargic recently , hasn’t been eating , losing weight very quickly , eyes almost always shut due to discharge coming from mouth and nose (i think). he’s around 3 and i just wanted to know : is he sick ? how can i help or is it just (sadly) his time to go as he’s elderly :(( i really would like some advice and hope this comment doesn’t go unnoticed :( thank u !!
I just lost my first and only gerbil due to that. How did it go? It’s been a year
My baby has a red nose and red all around her tail. I can't tell if she's been attacked or if she's sick :(
One of my gerbils has always been making clicking sounds after eating or chewing sometimes. Now he seems to be making nasal noises? Sometimes sneezing but most of the time just weird random noises. He's still active and seems normal so I'm a bit confused.
He could be having an allergic reaction or a respiratory infection, I would go to the vet so you can know what to treat!
@@finsandwhiskersHe's only been like this since this morning. He had quite a lot of sand in his toilet area so I have removed that now as I think it's too dusty. He seems to be alright now but I'll keep a close eye on him. Thank you though!
My gerbil is 3.. I noticed his head is tilted! He walks different, he won't be able to go the vet for a couple days. Is there anything I can do to help him?
Hi I know how late I am to this and you've probably already gone to the vet but I had a guinea pig who had the same thing happen to them! We were told it was most likely a stroke and I had to give him medicine everyday which I felt so cruel doing because he didn't like it. Sadly he passed a couple weeks after going to the vet. I hope your gerbil is ok and is feeling better! 💕
Can you do a gerbil cage tour? And a gerbil supplies video? 🥺🙏
I have a cage tour up, you can find it in my gerbils playlist! I can update it in the future though 💕 and sure!
@@finsandwhiskers thank you 💕🥺
Is this video bc of me or but good work and keep doing what ur doing 👏
Partly 😂 thanks!
My gerbil is walking in circles. Do you have any idea what can cause this to happen ? 😢
Hi. I know This is a old video, please answer. My gerbil, one of my 3. She have very,VERY tired eyes and breathes a little fast i think. I can hear that there’s like a clicking sound coming from her. I’ve been crying the past 2 hrs so i’m desparate for answers. My mom said that we should wait before going to the vets. She said it’s too expensive.😭
Would I have to take a gerbil to the vet like regularly or only if there's an issue?
Only if there’s an issue!
one of my gerbils has 2 dark spots in its fur down the spine. not the skin just fur.
My gerbil is shaking and his eyes are closed can you help me pls
my gerbil has a hole in his stomach he started bleeding on me so that's not good 😔
hi. my gerbil eyes cant open plus shes very skinny and cant eat or drink. she canr walk straight either :( awhat do i do
You should take her to a vet as soon as possible :(
So Ive had my gerbils for 2 weeks now and ive been going through some taming struggles,
my gerbils (i have 2) really don't like being held. they squerm away from me. One is really shy and the other is confident with smelling my hand.
they also dont take any food from my hand. Can you give me some advice?
love your vids
xxx
It can take a lot of patience but since they don’t trust the food out of your hand yet, I would suggest starting with your voice and being near their enclosure! Let them associate a certain noise you make with you getting food for them too. I’ll be making a taming video soon, so consider sticking around! 💕
thank you very much,
I will try this everyday with Maple and Treacle
Hannah Hodges good luck!!
Hi I have two gerbils one of them has a bent whisker is this something to worry about
Is anything else wrong? Any difference in activity?
@@finsandwhiskers no she seems happy she is eating and drinking well but she does get cross if you try to touch the whisker, she is very happy to be Handel she is sleeping the normal amount, she is walking ok to its just this bent whisker ?b
I need help! I was introducing my 2 groups of girls and 2 of them got into a big fight! One of them Walked away with a small bite behind the ear, but my older girl got attacked and the paw Badly and her chin got attacked to, her paw looks sprained, should I try to find a vet? Or should I just try to help he myself!? Please answer Im kinda new to owning gerbils, and I need help!
You should definitely see a vet
Ok I will, she's acting a little more normal, but she's limping and the paw is red and puffy. Thank you
soooo sorry for keep annoying you i just need so much advice for the cage is the ikea billy cage toghter big enough?
The biggest size yes!
Fins & Whiskers wooo!! 🥳
Hey! My gerbils are soon to be 3 and are still really energised all the time and always chewing?
Well that’s great!! As long as they aren’t chewing things they aren’t supposed to 😅
@@finsandwhiskers Yeah! They aren't, thanks!
i'm really scared i got 2 gerbils a couple of days ago and i'm scared they have a desiese lol but are showing no symptoms of anything just normal or it might just me been paranoyed please reply 🥺
Don’t worry, it’s very unlikely for a gerbil to get sick but if you notice they seemed to be eating less than usual or lost weight, you should take them to a vet.
@@glendafreeman5271 thank you so much! also is it normal for my gerbil to be sleeping a lot because i have noticed that he's sleeping soooooo much like all day and all night and i don't know what up with him?
I'm scared since my gerbil is squealing weirdly and he just turned 2 3 days ago
You made this vid on my b day 🙀😺
Happy belated birthday!!
I have a question, my gerbils declaned when one died ive had them for three months and the one died the first mouth and we want to put them together again.
Try the bonding process with them, separate them in the same enclosure with a divider they can see each other through!
@@finsandwhiskers ok! Thank you that was very helpful!
S & A let me know how it goes!
@@finsandwhiskers ok!
I want gerbils but I am completely clueless can you recommend other channels too I love your channel though
I have a playlist on gerbil care on my channel that includes their diet, how to make a food mix, and all about their care, as well as what you will need :) any questions I’m here to help
One of my poor babies has fur missing on his shoulder. I’m told it may be mites, so I’m currently deep cleaning their cage. There aren’t any signs of fighting, or anything for concern. I am worried though that he might be stressed, as he’s very twitchy and gets a fright at the smallest thing and will hide at any chance he can. He does warm up to me after a little bit of coaxing though. But I’m at a loss as to what to do about his nerves, breaks my heart seeing him like that. Any advice would be so appreciated 🧡
Sorry I just saw this! Any updates?
@Fins & Whiskers no problem, I did clean his cage and there was no change. However we were trying some veggies but they didn’t seem to enjoy any of them until I gave them spinach and broccoli. He’s been finishing everything I give him and he’s looking so much better, his fur has grown back completely and he’s less lethargic and much brighter 💛
@@ashmeadow. thats really good to hear!
I have a question about gerbils, so my gerbil has this weird lump on his back, the one day when he was eating I was touching his back and I felt his spine, it looks nowhere near like the back of a normal gerbil, but nothing else is going on, it's been there since we got him, but like I said it feels like it's part of his spine so I don't know if that's just how his back looks or if there's something else going on
Edit: I just realized that this is from 4 years ago but if anyone knows about this please explain
I recommend going to a vet for sure.
@@finsandwhiskers what do you think it could be though? Like I said there hasn't been anything else wrong with him, infact he looks healthy, he's been active and his eyes look fine (I say that because I obviously had two gerbils but their eyes started closing more and more until we brought them to the vet and they didn't make it), the only thing that might be a problem is the fact that he's by himself now, we've been trying to find another gerbil but we haven't been able to because the ones we found were either sick or taken, it's going to the point where he starts throwing himself at the lid of his tank when he wants my attention, other than that he has a good size of tank and plenty of stuff to entertain himself, like I said he's not really depressed or anything he's really active, but whenever he's lonely he tries to make noise to get my attention
@@Cecegoosegirl I can’t be certain, so that’s why it’s important to see a vet. If it’s unusual, and it wasn’t like that before, it is always a good thing to get it checked out. It could become too late otherwise
@@finsandwhiskers it looks the same as it has when we got him, I felt his back again and it didn't seem to hurt him, it felt like it was his skin, like his spine was sticking out or something, we're going to take him to the vet (hopefully), but I don't want to ask my mom if we can go to the store for the 3rd time, but I will as soon as possible
My baby gerbil died today and I don't know why but she lost weight and when I picked her up and tou could barley feel her do have an I idea why she died also (we have plastic and wood in the tank)
Was the plastic chewed? I couldn’t help with those details, vets can sometimes analyze COD if you still have her
@@finsandwhiskers yes the plastic was chewed so I'm going to take it out of the tank
If my gerbil
Has a massive tumour what should I do
You should go to the vet ASAP
Hey I really need advice one of my gerbils lost both top teeth and its bottom teeth got so long we had to clip them. Then we accidentally clipped them too short so that his bottom lip (or whatever you call it) completely conceals his bottom teeth. We give him applesauce and a really great powdered food for gerbils mixed in when he loses teeth. He is grabbing his bottom teeth and opening his mouth wide and overall just looks really uncomfortable having really short teeth. What should we do (or will he just be fine)? I will copy and paste this to a couple of other gerbil youtubers who might know.
Edit: please use the reply instead of just commenting so I get the notification
Have you seen a vet?
@@finsandwhiskers no I have not there are no vets in my area and I do not know any but do you know if it is cause for concern if there bottom teeth are really short?
How is his behavior? Is he eating normal/active or lethargic?
@@finsandwhiskers he is acting normally except he seems pretty tired
@@finsandwhiskersalso he eats normal amounts of food when we feed him
Is it normal for gerbils to make noises whilst sleeping and making clicking noises sometimes?
Clicking by itself doesn’t always indicate illness, so it really depends on context. Have you noticed anything else? Sniffing, sneezing? How long does the clicking last? When do they usually do it? Also, gerbils can have nightmares or active dreams so little noises or squeaks can be normal :)
@@finsandwhiskers they tend to do the clicking sometimes after eating or gnawing on stuff. They sneeze every now and then but not too often
They're also still active so I'm not too concerned. Although right now he is sneezing more often but I feel like it's only after he's been sleeping he'll sneeze more but when he's been awake for a while he doesn't at all really
He could be allergic to certain bedding
Please someone help me and my baby, i think i have figured out what's wrong with her but im not sure if im right
Female gerbil, around 2.5 years, lives alone in a 20 gallon ever since her and her sister fought until blood was drawn from both, not sure when i separated them but its been no longer than a year, maybe less.
Sunday: she was completely fine and acting as usual
Monday: still acting completely normal but seemed pregnant or bloated but has never been introduced to a male gerbil
Tuesday: wobbling when walking, not as fat as the day before but just looked normal, panting and rapid heartbeat making her whole body bob back and forth, mainly sleeping, not interested in any food, water, treats, or people
Wednesday: almost the exact same as Tuesday but had enough strength and energy to make a burrow to lie in all day
Thursday: still lying in her burrow, same as Tuesday and Wednesday
Friday: I put her bath in because i really thought she wasnt going to make it so i wanted her to spend some time in her bath, her favorite thing. She seemed to stay in her bath almost all day, it seemed as her comfort zone.
Saturday: She is doing better, still hanging out in her tub but she had enough energy to dig out most of the sand. She made a burrow under her wheel, (the complete opposite of where she has been hanging out lately, meaning she had walked across her tank multiple times to make the burrow) she made the burrow and layed in it only a little but went back to her tub not long after and i havent seen her use it since. She has been walking completely normal, not a lot but also not a little. I accidentally scared her and she went flying into her house as quickly as she could (if you own gerbils you will know what i am talking about). Her heartbeat/breathing is still more noticable than normal but it has seemed to decline. She has squeaked a lot today, im not sure what makes her do it because usually I am not expecting it and not looking at her. I keep seeing her cleaning her parts, im not sure if thats a good or bad thing.
I did some research and i think it may be heart failure but please can anyone help? Another thing that might be it was constipation, which im hoping it was. Im glad she is doing better but sometimes animals can have a good healthy day right before they die.
Please go to a vet and tell them all of these things.
@@finsandwhiskers I'd love to, I've asked my mom to but she says the stress could kill her.
Last night I looked at her and she was still cleaning so I looked and there seemed to be liquid all over. It wasn't stinky, it wasnt pee, it wasn't blood but it was a weird, faint, reddish color.
@@beefymcbeefn2374 not going to a vet could be even worse, especially when you’ve noticed multiple concerns
What does it mean if they sneeze?
Like us, it could have been because of a bit of dust, or allergies (some gerbils can be allergic to specific bedding and hay). If sneezing continues and happens often it could be an infection to check with an exotic vet.
@@finsandwhiskers ah ok it could be hay as I just switched to it, thank you!
What do you suggest to prevent it if one of my gerbils loses his teeth a lot.
I’d talk to a vet about it so you have a secure solution
@@finsandwhiskers I'm asking you because we do not have a vet near us that will do small animals like gerbils.
I’m not equipped to give any advice or information on that, I’m not a vet nor a professional, I can only strongly advise you to search for an exotic vet so they get proper treatment
@@finsandwhiskers Ok thanks for trying though and your videos are great. I'll just mash up his food till his teeth are normal again.
@@finsandwhiskers He is better now I just hope he keeps his teeth now.
Can there get coronavirus
There’s no confirming evidence or research of them being able to contract COVID19 as far we know. But it isn’t something I’d worry about!