>I got a call today from the mother of the girls who have my dove-black
>pair. One of the girls had a bad bite from the dove female. This
>gerbil has been handled often and from a week of age. She has always
>been very friendly. This afternoon she bit one of the girls and hung-on
>so that the girl had to remove her from her hand.
>
>I felt very bad about all of this (and offered to take this gerbil
>back). I am wondering if late pregnacy could make a gerbil do this out
>of the blue (she's due any day now). I couldn't think of any other
>possible explanation. I know there was an informative thread about
>gerbil bites a while ago, but this did not seem to fit into any of the
>common reasons for getting gerbil bit.
>
>Any ideas?
Last stages of the pregnancy could have caused the gentle
one to bite....like being picked up 'wrong' and it was uncomfortable
for the female.
When any animal starts looking like a coaster on legs, about the
last four days I leave it alone once I clean their cage....unless it
crawls up my hand to be picked up.
The last day or so especially may make the female uncomfortable
if she's carrying a large litter; and it is best to leave her be. Offer
a special treat and a kind few words crooned to her, and resist
petting her, as she may turn and bite.
One other factor that can contribute at any time, if an animal is
sleeping and isn't awake before you touch it, may bite because
it's startled.
Gerbils aren't known for 'fanging' but they can.
[veteran of being fanged here.....mostly by hamsters]
********************************
As for the bite...I make sure it bleeds to help clean the wound
out...then go for the peroxide; and the neosporin. Most
wounds to humans, even if the animal gets 'hung up' and
has to be removed; are not in need of medical attention.
Unless you have a compromised immune system to begin
with; problems with circulation in the extemities, or a
propensity to form clots that can break off (some medical
conditions or medications may cause that); home care
and a bandaid will care for it.
*************************[stuff to watch for]
If the wound site gets red, puffed, or changes color (usually
a black or yellowish green) within 12-24 hours, go to the
doctor immediately. If blood pulsed out of the wound, go
to the doctor. (spurts in rythmn to the heartbeat). If anything
beyond the bite area feels numb, cold, or tingly; go to the
doctor.
If it was over a joint and the joint is stiff feeling, go.
Most chomps I've had (I have had one that needed stitches,
but that was a very extensive one on a finger near a tip and
I needed the flap sewn back) have been punctures, and not
so deep that home care and paying attention to it for 24 hours
for any signs of something worse haven't taken care of them.
**********[the scary stuff that's a teeny worry, don't worry, K?]
I do suggest you have your tetanus shot fairly current; a
shot within the last ten years...[I stomp stuff all the time, I
get one once a year anyways] AND if the animal that bit
you exhibits any of these symptoms or you notice the
following; take the animal and go to the doctor immediately:
Animal: glazed dazed lethargic look, seems wild, and
lashed out at you for no reason. Discharges of eyes and
ears and nose...especially the nose discharge looking
reddish and frothy, and frothy (either reddish or whitish)
at the mouth. Or excessive drooling, possibly reddish
tinged.
You: swelling and tenderness at the site within hours,
and it does not want to scab or start healing. Give it
24 hours for yourself; and if you suddenly have aches
and stiffness in the joints and a fever, sudden and
about 102.
Unless the animal also is....
reeling like it is dazed or drunken, center of balance
problems; hiding in dark places all the time, and
seems totally untamed (reversed taming and reverts
to wild).
[[I had a cat that started to have seizures; the morning
she had one and didn't come out of it...no longer
recognized anyone, and bit me on the thumb. The
animal went to the vet; and after they put her down
they discovered I had been bitten. They gave me these
symptoms to look for, questioned me about the cat
in great detail, and called me the next day to see if
I was in perfect health and/or went to my doctor...
as they were worried about rabies. This is the zillion
to one in housekept gerbils, but I mentioned just in
the case. I was just fine, and still have the scar. A
bittersweet reminder of my once sweet cat...
[who was determined to have had a brain tumor that
caused the seizures and a stroke to compound
the problems] ]]
***************************
So your friend (or their mother) should not worry;
and tell her that. Just take care of the wound, use
neosporin, and keep an eye out for signs of anything
worse....out of hundreds of 'barely breaks skin' to
'remove animal from hand' ; I have had just one case
of having to have medical treatment, and if it had
been in a more central to the palm location, it would
not have been a problem.
Deb
Rebel's Rodent Ranch
