Susanne <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote
>Hi,
>
>it seems we have a lot of gerbil trouble lately.
>After two surgeries (one scent-gland tumor, one tumor in the
>mouth) we've also had two gerbils with inner ear infections.
>And I just now discovered a third one with a slightly tilted
>head.
>Are inner ear infections contagious? What exactly causes them?
>Is there something we should or shouldn't be doing?
>
>Can genetics be involved?
>We do seem to have a big percentage of growths in the ear in our
>gerbil population.
>Over half of our 24 gerbils have them, and they are basically all
>from one set of parents.
>
>Any advice would be appreciated.
>
>--
Are you sure they are infections? Most head tilts and balance problems n
gerbils are caused by cholesteatomas. These are cysts of keratin that
build up in the middle ear and eventually damage the adjacent organs of
hearing and balance.
My webpage on this says:
Inner Ear Problems
Again this is more common in older gerbils, and is recognisable when the
gerbil has a head tilt. This is caused principally by a cyst in the ear
known as a cholesteatoma. These cysts are common in gerbils and are
untreatable. However, my experience is that the chronic condition caused
by these cysts, where the gerbil loses balance and often circles whilst
holding its head at a very unusual angle, is treatable. Presumably this
chronic condition is caused by an infection that is secondary to the
cholesteatoma. The best treatment is an anti-inflammatory injection
administered by your Vet, and treatment with antibiotics such as
Baytril. In the majority of cases a reduced head tilt remains even
though the chronic phase of the condition has passed, but your gerbil
will adapt to this and will enjoy life as much as he ever did. Be aware
that this problem can reoccur. If the chronic phase of this condition is
not treated then the gerbil will often become totally incapable of
caring for itself, it will collapse and quickly die.
This is based on our own experience, plus a long exchange of e-mails
with a Dr McGinn who has published many papers on ear and hearing
problems in gerbils and similar rodents. He was generous enough to send
me copies of the articles I did not already have.
--
Julian
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
National Gerbil Society
http://www.gerbils.co.uk/
