Deb Rebel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote
>
>What you describe sounds like a tumor or growth in the
>brain. If the symptoms had come on suddenly, you
>perfectly described serious head trauma. As caused
>by a fall, causing a stroke and/or hemorraging in the
>brain and swelling of the tissues.
>
>Since you say it came on more slowly (over weeks) and
>worsened over time, it sounds like a tumor or growth.
>
Gerbils are very prone to cholesteatoma, a build up of keratin as a cyst
in the middle or inner ear. this is what causes the balance problems. It
is not likely to kill a gerbil. Most gerbils recover most of their
abilities and adjust in a couple of weeks. Although the head will still
tend to tilt.
Antibiotics may help as the cholesteatoma may be the result of an ear
infection, or the cholesteatoma may result in a blockage of drainage and
an infection.
Have a look at http://www.gerbils.co.uk/gerbils/ailments.htm for more
info.
The text there has been reviewed by M D McGinn, one of the co-author of
many papers on this problem:
AGE-RELATED INCREASE OF SPONTANEOUS AURAL CHOLESTEATOMA IN THE MONGOLIAN
GERBIL: Henry KR, Chole RA, McGinn MD, 1983, Arch Otolaryngol, 109,
19-21
CHOLESTEATOMA: SPONTANEOUS OCCURRENCE IN THE MONGOLIAN GERBIL MERIONES
UNGUICULATUS: Chole RA et al., 1981, Am J Otol, 2, 204-210
CHOLESTEATOMA: EXPERIMENTAL INDUCTION IN THE MONGOLIAN GERBIL, MERIONES
UNGUICULATUS: McGinn MD et al, 1982, Acta Otolaryngol, 93, 61-67
SPONTANEOUS CHOLESTEATOMA IN GERBILS: PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS: Tinling
S P, 1989, Proceedings of the 3rd Int Conf on Cholesteatoma and Mastoid
Surgery, , 43-47
McGinn told me that no gerbil they studied had died as a result of
cholesteatoma.
It is of course possible that the gerbil has another problem that causes
similar symptoms such as an ear infection or a brain tumour, but almost
always the symptoms you describe are due to one of these cysts.
--
Julian
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
National Gerbil Society
http://www.gerbils.co.uk/
