UPDATE: 8/23/09 - Chester & Bryan have been adopted!posted by Twin Squeaks Gerbils | 12:46 PM
This is the official blog of Twin Squeaks Gerbils, a site where both children and adults can learn about gerbils, look at gerbil photos, find tips for keeping their pets healthy and tame, and much more.
- I am a member of the Board of the AGS (American Gerbil Society), am the editor of the AGS newsletter, run the Twin Squeaks Web site, and am the proud caretaker of 11 gerbils named Toby, Gobo, Grace, Tori, Sebastian, Marco, Polo, Hallie, Cassie, Smurf, and Bach. (You can read about them here.)
16 Comments:
Awwwwwwww... they're SOOOOOOO cute! I also would like to comment on the Picture of the week. Desert is very adorable. :)
Hi Kylee!
Yeah, I know I already commented on it, but I also want to comment on the Picture of the week. Black Pearl is my gerbil, and I was really excited to know that she was posted on it!
HOW CUTE!
I too have to comment on your picture of the week! Black Pearl is very cute. :) Nice choice for 4th of July, BTW, with the flag background!
They've been adopted! Yay!
Great! I hope they've gone to a loving home.
Hi Kylee,
Just wanted to know, how are Hallie and Cassie doing on their introduction? I hope they're doing great!
On another note, I have a question which I'm not completely sure you'll be able to answer but I think you'll have some advice:
My adorable almost-3-year-old gerbil, Sandy (who is VERY sweet!), began to drag her left back leg this morning. I might have thought it was broken, but when holding her if I gently touch or move the leg, she will do nothing, as if she can't feel it all. Now she does trust me very much, so she just may be very comfortable with me touching her foot, but I'm still not sure if she had a stroke, some sort of back injury or what exactly happened. She seems to be fine other than that, though she may be more tired/lethargic than usual. If you have any suggestions for me then I would really appreciate it!
Hi Sharon,
I hope Sandy is doing better.
Linette,
Sandy is, in fact, doing a good deal better! She's beginning to walk on the leg again, though she does still favor it quite a bit. But that's a big dif compared to how she was dragging/holding it up before!
I still am, however, wondering what it was/is...anybody have any ideas?
hey sharon,
hope sandy heals just fine!
Thats good news Sharon. Could she have dislocated a joint?
Linette,
Do you have any idea what it would take for a gerbil to dislocate a joint? That might have been it.
Thank-you for your concern!
Gee Sharon I really dont know but couldnt be much different then when a person does it. Usually it comes from hyper extension of a joint. Jumping, twisting or pulling away when caught in something. Did you notice and swelling? A break or sprain would swell. Hope she's better!
Sharon, I'm so sorry that I didn't get to respond to this *much* sooner! We were out of state on vacation when you posted about Sandy's problem with her hind leg. After we got back, I was tied up working on the AGS' Virtual Show and tending to an older, dying gerbil (more on that later). I'm just now getting back to reading blog comments!
How is Sandy doing now?
Without a visit to the vet, it's hard to say exactly what it was. The first things that come to mind are mild stroke, injury to the leg, or possibly injury and/or swelling around a nerve (leg or back).
You could look around her tank and see if there's anything that she might have caught her foot on. For example, I've had a few gerbils who have insisted on crawling up the side of their water bottles. Maybe her foot could have gotten stuck between the bottle and the bottle guard?
If she's almost three, a mild stroke might be a more likely culprit than an injury?
If it happens again, I would try to get her to a vet who has some experience with exotics/pocket pets. Many vets are able to do an ultrasound on a gerbil, which would give them a view of the bones and any fractures or abnormalities.
Hopefully, she's all healed up by now, and it doesn't happen again!
I'm sorry that I didn't read your post sooner, and I hope Sandy's doing much better now!
Kylee,
Sandy is completely healthy again, and I am very thankful for that. I am thinking that it must have been a stroke, or at least that's what seems to be most likely. Thank-you so much for your reply!
So sorry to hear about little Mike! :(
I'm so relieved to hear that Sandy has made a full recovery! Give her an extra treat for me, okay? :)
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home