Hi,
Thank you very much for your responce!
> His nose is being irritated by something in the tank.
>
> 1: Are your gerbils on a paper based bedding or have paper for nesting
> material? Toilet paper makes a very fine, irritating dust, and I'v found
> Carefresh to do the same. I can't use paper based bedding at all in my
> tanks.
>
> 2: If they are on wood shavings what kind are they on. Pine and cedar have
> toxic resins that are irritating to the respiratory system. The best bedding
> and nesting materials are corn cob and aspen shavings.
I am using, and have been using, aspen shavings. I researched before I got my
gerbils and discovered this to be the best choice.
> 3: What do you use to clean the cage with. Cleaning solvents, dish
> soap/bleach, can cause irritation if not rinsed THOROUGHLY with VERY hot
> water. It is really best to use very hot water only for cleaning their
> homes.
I cleaned their aquarium earlier today, with hot water only =/ Again, I read
up on the web about care, and cleaning, and found this to be the best option.
> Get some Neosporin to apply to the muzzle. A very thin coat is all you need.
> Don't want to block the nostrils. This will relieve some of the irritation
> and hopefully reduce the constant rubbing.
>
> The red you see is their mucus not blood. The muzzle will swell a bit and
> will lose it's hair. This is very temporary. As soon as you find out what
> the problem is and correct it, the nose will slowly become less irritated
> and the gerbil will begin to leave it alone. Thus giving the nose a chance
> to heal. This may take a week or two so don't get worried.
It seems as though I'm doing evreything right! But I'll be sure to apply
Neosporin and see if that helps. Hopefully this goes away, because I have no
idea what's causing it.
Thanks Again,
Jessica
