>I lost my 2 female gerbils yesterday.
Condolences.
>It was horrible, the first Momma I found dead and half
>eaten in her cage, her mate had to be pulled off her
>as he was munching though her, why do they do this?
Hamsters and gerbils both do this. It's a way of getting
rid of the carcass so it doesn't attract other predators.
They usually are most effective at it getting rid of small
pups, but if a cagemate goes down the other denizens
will all munch at it.
The one I hate is removing a half-eaten baby from it's
littermates who are helping get rid of it. :p
>My 2nd Momma I found dead at the end of the day, well
>she actually died in my hand, I'm so upset.
This sounds like something going through your animals.
Nursing females, have a lot of drain on their system,
and other than pups, will go down quickly if something's wrong.
>I am thinking that it is dehydration, what causes it? I have
>put fresh water in their cages every day, change their litter
>regularly and feed them fruit and veg as well as normal gerbil food.
>If anyone can help me find out what cuases dehydration I
>would be very grateful.
Dehydration is often a symptom, not a primary cause. They
stop eating and drinking because they are sick, and often
go downhill rapidly, with the dehydration aiding the demise.
IF you are feeding a balanced diet, IF the waterbottle is working
properly and fresh water is available, then it is a result from
something else going on.
You said you were treating or just finished a course of antibiotics
with the females for something.....
Just because you do the 10-14 days doesn't mean you
have cured the animal. It could be something that didn't
respond completely to the treatment, and the drugs being
administered might have needed to be changed and/or the
treatment time extended.
Without having had a necropsy performed and specimens
taken for testing for cause; it will be very difficult to hazard
a guess as to what actually killed your females...and it may
have been something totally different for each one.
>On a lighter note - being left with 2 cages - one with the male
>in and the other with a 8 week baby and 3 week baby, I
>thought the best thing to do would be to introduce them, we
>did it with a great amount of trepidation and
>hurrah they all took to each other <great sigh of relief>.
Good that they're getting along.
>I'm almost too scared now though to have them together
>as I know more babies will result and to go thru this again
>is so heart wrenching.
Losing animals is never easy. However you might not have
any problems at all.
>I know it wasn't respitory disease as they are over this
>and have finished the antibiotics.
Unless you have testing done, you can't be 100% sure.
It could have been something that wasn't quite done yet,
and even though you completed a course of antibiotics,
it wasn't totally knocked out yet.
I've had animals where I've done over a month of treatment
and had to switch drug therapies after a few weeks.
>Both gerbils were extremely cold and thin when
>they died despite being dripper fed with pedailyte.
That does sound like the symptom of dehydration.
I always use a warm-corner cage, and sometimes
a few drops of fluid every ten minutes or so. For hours.
I use 1/2 light cornsyrup, 1/2 warm water for the first
few feedings, then switch to either pedialye (if combatting
diahrrea...in hamsters I will also be feeding Dri-Tail directly
or even children's kaopectate diluted) or KMR.
Some animals I've started this on, when I found them
they appeared dead (but not chomped yet) and only
a lack of a certain stiffness in the limbs was the reason
I started. And rigging them into a warm tank, and after
3-4 hours getting an obvious swallow or heaving of
a side to let me know they're still alive...and about 24
hours later, having the animal moving and actually
nibbling on food and take a swipe at either an apple
or the water bottle.
Rehydration and antibiotics and various fluids to give
quick energy and rebalance the animal...it is one of the
most difficult things for a home-hobbyist to do.
If you see any signs again of anything in your remaining
animals, take them ALL in to a vet. And even if after
a course of antibiotics something doesn't seem right,
go back in.
>Thanks again
> ~Heather
I wish you luck.
Deb
Rebel's Rodent Ranch
