David Hinsley <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote
>Hello Everyone,
>
>We have been sent the following message and wondered if anyone from the GML
>has seen something like this before:
>
>" I own a couple of gerbils (sisters) who are nearly 3 years old. One of
>them is not well. She has been scratching inside her ear so badly that it
>has started bleeding. She now walks with her head held to one side, and
>sits in the corner of the cage alone. She has lost weight, and has been
>this way for a couple of days. We took her to the vet about 6 months ago
>for a different reason, and the vet said that there is not much that can be
>done for gerbils, and that if they are very ill that they are best put to
>sleep."
>
>Thanks in advance...
>
>David Hinsley,
>www.gerbils.org
This sounds like the cholesteatoma problem described at:
http://www.gerbils.co.uk/gerbils/ailments.htm#Infections
Sometimes the irritation this causes results in scratching and loss of
appetite etc. Our experience is that an antibiotic treatment does no
harm. It is possible that infection is what leads to the cholesteatoma
(these are a build up of keratin by-products in the ear).
Most gerbils recover well in a few days although the head tilt may
remain and balance may be permanently damaged. If the cause of the
problem is resolved the gerbil adapts well to the resultant
disabilities.
I hope this is helpful.
************************************************************************
* Jackie and Julian *
* [EMAIL PROTECTED] *
* National Gerbil Society *
* http://www.gerbils.co.uk/ *
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