>>If there is any bare tail left, it needs to be amputated as
>>the layers of bare tissue will just die off and necritize,
>>and infection will set in and kill the animal.
>
>This simply does not happen in gerbils.
I had one go from this, for some reason it's partner
went after the tail and hindquarters and chomped it up.
The necropsy showed infection, and dying layers of
tissue in the last quarter inch of tail. I attributed the
death to the injuries and infection that had set in at
the tail area...
<shrug> I will defer to you, Julian, as expert! This was
my experience. But one case out of three that I have
had with gerbil tail degloving...one had happened just
before I rescued the animal, tail piece missing with a scab,
and I left it be and it recovered fine. One was allowing
someone else to handle a gerbil and they grabbed it
by the tail to prevent it from jumping. Both of those
cases involved the last inch or less of the tail.
>Untreated the exposed tissue and bone simply dries up and drops off
>within a few days. Please to not allow a vet to operate unless there is
>sign of infection. An inexperienced vet will do more damage than nature!
That is true. At least my veternarian admits he has little experience
in the very small animals...they do have pictures of ONE syrian of
about 8-10 months they removed a growth from. The smaller the
animal, the greater the risk of something going wrong from the anesthesia.
>Over some thirty or so degloving injuries I have seen in gerbils, none
>have required any treatment. And that includes any use of cleansers,
>antiseptics or anti-biotics.
>
>As an owl prey animal, the tail is effectively a decoy. If the owl gets
>the tail, it does not get the gerbil. This obviously makes the task of
>the predator more difficult, and explains the tuft at the end of the
>tail.
>--
>Julian
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>National Gerbil Society
>http://www.gerbils.co.uk/
I do agree, that to keep an eye on it for any sign of infection (discolored
and smelly seepage, redness and swelling, lethargy in the animal).
Deb
Rebel's Rodent Ranch
