>Michael Ryan: >put cayenne pepper? or lemon oil? >or - shivers, take her to the vet. ***************************** >>My little paralyzed girl is having a new dilemma. She has started >>chewing her right hind leg at the thigh. Is there any way I can get >>her to stop? HELP! >> >>-Will >>************************************************** >>* -Will Bickler * >>* Proud Papa of Evergreen Gerbils Ltd. * >>* [EMAIL PROTECTED] * >>* http://www.evergreengerbils.com * >>************************************************* I'm reposting my reply to this on wideband.... If a body part goes numb, an animal will often chew at it; self mutilation. As Will has described her starting to twitch her rear legs, the area probably feels like pins and needles, or is totally numb. The only way to get her to stop will be to fashion an elizabethan collar and put it on her. And hope that the feeling continues to return to her legs, so that the numbness or pins and needles goes away. For an animal the size of a gerbil, one can make one from a gallon milk jug (disposable); I will be happy to forward the sketch to anyone interested. The cone is stapled a few times with the points/ends going in where the animal can't rub against them; and bandage gauze is threaded through the collar end and used to fasten it to the neck. The length of the collar is such that there is no way the animal wearing it can get their head around and get to any part of their rear section. Small animals like gerbils and hamsters HATE these things even more than a dog or cat; and it is difficult to keep one on them. This also will cause a lot more work on the part of the keeper, as the animal will now not be able to feed or drink by itself; so will have to be hand fed and offered water at regular times. Plus they will not be able to groom themselves and will start to STINK within a day. If this animal is showing improvement, this will be the only way to prevent the self mutilation until feeling returns. Deb Deb Rebel Rebel's Rodent Ranch <>Dwarf Campbells<>Syrians<>Gerbils<> <>Ratina and the twins<>Mousie the white mouse<> <>A full scale rodentry <:3 )~~ <>
