--- Ronni Mcdonald <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Kathy,
> Hello and welcome to the GML! Glad you and your boys
> are having so much fun with your little critters.
Thanks, Ronni!
>
> An important piece of information that seems to be
> missing from your post is
> the reaction of your sick gerbil to the change in
> bedding.
>
> Have you noticed any change in her appearance,
> demeanour, behaviour etc.,
> since changing bedding?
When I posted yesterday, it had only been a few hours
since I had changed the bedding, so I wanted to give
Chuckie the chance to really respond to it -- if she
was going to respond, at all. And she has. Right away,
I noticed that Chuckie (and the other two) was very
excited about the bedding. I had spread the corn cob
on the bottom, then the Carefresh (about two inches
worth) with some alfalfa spread around rather
liberally on top. They all LOVED it! The alfalfa,
especially. It seemed that they didn't know what to do
first: dig or munch. They finally settled for digging
tunnels all over the cage with frequent alfalfa breaks
to keep them going. :) It was fun to watch! It was
also fun to try and guess where they were only to have
them all pop out from under the bedding in a different
section of the cage. It was like gerbil hide-and-seek!
My boys were just fascinated.
>
> It appears, from your last paragraph, that all three
> gerbils are responding
> well to the change. Does that include Chuckie? Is
> she less hunched over,
> fur less puffed, moving faster, stool less runny?
The change in Chuckie as of late last night was
dramatic. I can't say that her posture has changed all
that much, although she appeared less cramped up than
before. She didn't run around as if all four legs were
tied together, anymore, although they were still close
together. Her energy level was the polar opposite of
what it's been since Friday and she's eaten quite a
bit since the bedding change. Chuckie was the busiest
of the three yesterday (and that's saying something!)
and was constantly tunnelling in the Carefresh or
running around the cage, up and down the ramps,
investigating everything. She was even the first to
try out the new tube we put in there. But what made us
the happiest was that she became as social with us and
as affectionate as her two little friends have been.
She came right up to the door, asking to come out, and
hopped right into our hands when we opened the door.
That's a first! And she did that again and again.
Here's hoping that's a good sign regarding her health.
(I've also added DriTail to their water, just in case,
and will do so for the requisite seven days, unless
anyone feels there's a reason I shouldn't(?).)
>
>
> Keep us informed and good luck!
I'll do that. Thanks, again!
Kathy
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