> ANDREA SPIEGLE <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote
>
> > OK, I realize I'm probably just being paranoid, but I'm
relatively new
> >to gerbil-owning and I'm constantly coming across info of ailments I
> >never knew existed. So now I think I might be getting a little over
> >cautious.
Hi Andrea,
I know the feeling. I was like this when I first got my rats after a
misguided vet told me that they harboured all sorts of nasties that would
kill my gerbies.
>
> > And tonight when I had them in their exercise ball, after I took
> >them out I was cleaning out the droppings and noticed they were a little
> >soft, not dry and hard pellets. The droppings in their tank seem to be
> >normal, unless that's just because they were in there a while and had
> >time to dry out. They don't have stained bottoms, everything seems clean
> >in that department.
>
To be honest gerbils are not usually keen on exercise balls. They get
scared and this makes them wet themselves. I think this is what happened
here. The gerbils both peed and pooped in the ball and as it rolled around
the two mixed together. The pee made the normally hard droppings go more
watery. If the gerbils really had diarrhoea, then they would have staining
around their anuses and probably also stuck under the base of their tails.
You would also detect a very unpleasant odour. I really don't think there
is anything to worry about.
Cheers
Sue
