> I have some horribly terrible news. :( Just got my email to send out again.
> Evon, who was laying on her side and breathing rather rapidly, > nestled up against the glass in a little hollow. I knew immediately > something wasn't right. She would twitch from time to time as if > something was wrong with her right side. I thought at first she might > be having a seizure. I honestly didn't know what to do! I went and > carefully tried to pick her up. As I did her rapid breathing turned > into an almost gasping for air. I got her out of the tank and sat > with her on the bed, holding her oh so carefully, watching her > struggle and not knowing what to do. She died there in my hands. Bummer, condolences. > seems to like to space them out. But my only assumption is that her > death was caused by some kind of complication in her pregnancy. Her > nose was rather wet though - not when I first picked her up, but > after she died. Not unusual. > Now I almost wonder if her little pup nose to nose > with her was the only thing keeping her alive up until then, and I > was the cause of her death by picking her up. Whatever the reason, I > now have two pups without a mom, and just barely 5 weeks old. I will > watch them carefully the next few days, but at least they have dad to > keep them warm. It could have been a complication of a respiratory infection that was very difficult to detect. > Does anyone have any ideas? I'm just at a complete loss. Though I > love all my gerbils, I will admit she was my favorite. > some way they will grow up to reflect her. I just hope this isn't > something genetic, and that I won't have to worry about this > happening in the future with her daughter. You would not have gotten more than a litter or so if it was genetic. > Thanks for any insight any of you may have. I know I could take her > to a vet and have them figure it out, but I couldn't bear to think of > my beautiful Evon taken apart to find the cause of her death! That is difficult but sometimes necessary for the health of the other animals in your care. Most vets I've known that performed necropsies are very respectful of the deceased; and it would be a way of figuring out what exactly happened. However this is also very expensive. > I miss her terribly. > > -Jackie Condolences :'( Deb Rebel's Rodent Ranch
