My little paralyzed girl is having a new dillemma. She has started chewing her right hind leg at the thigh. Is there any way I can get her to stop? HELP! -Will ******************************************* This has happened before, to another member. I tried to find that email but couldnt. If I recall correctly. The gerbil became paraylized and was put into the sink for the night with tissues and food. Eventually, he also began chewing on his back feet. Members do you remember this? However, I did find this one on egroups. http://www.egroups.com/message/gerbils1/11450? This link is for the thread below. From: Chris White <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Thu Jan 21, 1999 10:28am Subject: Death Of Megan :o( Today, Megan was put to sleep. This morning, when I was doing the "gerbil round" which involved checking all the food and water, I found Megan sprawled on the bottom of the tank. I thought she was in mid yawn, but she stayed in that position for longer than a yawn should take place. I then carefully picked her and placed her on the table. She moved round in a circle. I thought, "oh, no. Not another gerbil with a stroke", but then I noticed that she was dragging her back legs as if they were paralyzed, to which then made me think "Spinal injury". I gently squeezed her back legs, but there was response. I tried pushing her back legs, but there was no resistance, but she was still breathing. I checked her scruff so see how dehydrated she was, and the scruff returned slowly. I tried giving her water, but she just would not drink. So, I placed her in a different tank, with some food and a tissue soaked with water (I was hesitant to use a bowl of water, as she may climb in but not be able to get out). When I came back from leaving the house, I was hoping that she may have passed away - not in a cruel sense, but in a sense that she may have had her suffering to end. But she was still alive. Her legs now had go stiff and almost dead, however, she was still breathing. I took her to the vets, so that she would no longer suffer. I thought it would not be fair to Megan to keep her alive, with the quality of life she had. When speaking to the vet, he said that it my have been a spinal injury (which I initially thought), but more likely, it may have been a condition in which the blood circulation to the legs, fails for one reason or another, which causes the stiff paralysis that Megan experienced. I know that this is a long e-mail, but how many other people have experienced this problem? How common it is? What exactly is it? (translating the vet's jargon was kind of confusing). Thanks for reading. -- Chris *********************************** Chris's Website http://www.crwh.freeserve.co.uk/index.htm -- Gary's web pages - http://home.talkcity.com/StudioDr/go5
