He needs to be kept very well hydrated- sick gerbils often die of
dehydration and not the actual infection they have. Get some unflavored
Pedialyte and give that as often and as much as he will take.
For nourishment, you can try some human baby food to start off with- I've
always found applesauce and carrots to be favorites. If he improves, you
can begin mixing the baby food with the baby grain cereals and pedialyte.
If he is not yet fully weaned you can also use KMR.
Using Ornacycline for the antibiotic is better than nothing, but I have
found others to work much better much quicker. If you have access to an
exotics vet, I'd recommend getting some Bactrim liquid- it's a pediatric
suspension and I've yet to have an animal dislike the taste. Baytril is
also another option, but I would hesitate to use it in such a young animal.
Don't give up just yet- I've had some gerbils I was certain were not long
for this world make some terrific comebacks.
Good luck to you and the pup!
Jill
----------
> From: Paige McDonald <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: SOS - Legless BamBam
> Date: Friday, April 06, 2001 12:00 PM
>
> My 6 week old pup, BamBam, has had a respiratory problem for
> several weeks now. She's still the size the was when she was 3-4
> weeks old, so I left her with Mom and Dad after I weaned her
> brothers and sisters. She was almost well when I took her off the
> Ornacycline, and she got progressively worse. She seemed dead of
> her feet when I picked her up today, and I found both of her back
> legs had been chewed off and she had a bald patch on her head :(
> Seems Hope and Hero tried to put her out of her misery and didn't
> finish the job.
>
> I seperated her and she's alone now.. I may put her with one of
> her siblings so she can stay warm but I'm afraid they'll finish
> what Hope and Hero didn't. Her "stumps" seem to be very clean and
> healing pretty well, but she's skin and bones. I'm putting
> Neosporin on her legs and getting Ornacycline in her from a
> needleless syringe, but is there anything else you guys would
> reccomend I do?
>
> Thanks,
> Paige
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