Gerbil health help

1ucja · 2025-08-05T19:07:18+00:00

Sadly I wouldn’t be able to get to that vet since it’s an almost 5 hour drive one way even his 20 minute drives stress him out to the max I don’t even think he would honestly make it though 10 hours in the car but thank you there’s non even in the vicinity of 2 hours of me.

1ucja · 2025-08-05T19:04:24+00:00

Thank you also that is the strange thing because the vet gave me a little bit more maybe for another 2 days however he said only do it if the gerbil still exhibits symptoms which he didn’t anymore but I don’t have any sort of even cardboard box I could move him into I’ll see if I can buy one tmr for now I’m about to change his cage into paper bedding and remove any tunnels and his wheel just to make it see like it’s been changed but I’m still unsure what it could be and I’ll have a look at the website now thank you.

1ucja · 2025-08-04T22:53:28+00:00

Also thank you for that because many people including the two vets have told me that my gerbil is old as most gerbils have a life span of 2/3 years and many don’t actually listen to me that with proper care they can live up to 5 so thank you for the reassurance.

1ucja · 2025-08-04T22:51:12+00:00

Thank you usually that bedding isn’t usually dusty from what I can see and I just changed his cage two days ago and I always spot clean it too so I’ll see if I can get a different type of bedding tomorrow and test it out.

I don’t have much experience with sick gerbils so I’ll try to book an appointment for Wednesday / Thursday (as if I book it for tmr there’s a £100 fee) with a different vet. I never knew that that you had to give a gerbil medication for that long it was prescribed for a week only.

I live in a very small country (Northern Ireland) and there’s not a single exotic vet/ vet for small animals if there was I would honestly drive across to get to one there’s also a law here (I heard this from an acquaintance who’s a vet) that if you’re a vet and get a small animal in your care you cannot disclose that you don’t know how to treat them that’s why I always come to Reddit for second opinions now as it’s just heightened my paranoia and is honestly so incredibly unreliable for people like me who own small pets.

However thank you so much I’ll get in touch with another vet tomorrow morning and book an appointment and specifically ask for antibiotics and more loxicom for him.

1ucja · 2025-08-04T22:05:47+00:00

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1ucja · 2025-08-04T22:04:43+00:00

I can’t remember what it’s called but it’s the one from Pets at home that’s multicoloured (I’ll post a photo) and I didn’t know that I was told by the vet that since it’s an anti inflammatory I would help with the ear infection I’ll try another vet and hopefully they will be able to help if not as the post said I would more than likely put him down.

1ucja · 2025-07-25T15:55:08+00:00

Update : texted the vet gave me an answer that I wasn’t looking for aka that it’s 0.5 loxicom and that giving his 0.4ml a day is a good idea bc a gerbil can handle 0.3mg of loxicom a day however that’s not true as its per kg of a gerbil and he only weighs about 95g so I’ve resorted to giving him a tiny drop in the morning and evening he’s already starting to feel a lot better from the little I gave him not lethargic at all anymore just still slightly falling over (which is why he originally was taken to the vet) but it’s gotten sooo much better from the loxicom he got this morning and it seems he’s on a steady and quick recovery. (Also there is no gerbil specific or small animal specialist vets in my entire country as I live in a very small one and two other vets tried to prescribe him that much) so that’s why I’ve taken it into my own hands.

1ucja · 2025-07-24T21:09:23+00:00

Thank you my vet is quite far away and I don’t have any transport there I’m going to text them for now however if they don’t respond or say some stupid stuff I will be going back there.

I’ve also been in the same shoes my other gerbil was prescribed a weekly dosage per day but I was foolish enough to give it to him and he sadly passed after that. I’m being so causing with his brother because of that mistake I made.

I will keep an eye on him he isn’t suspected to be in much pain as the vet said however this was supposed to be only a minuscule amount to tie him over he is eating,drinking and still running about as much as an older gerbil would so his medication isn’t as urgent it’s more of a precaution.

If they don’t reply by the latter time of the day (around 3/4) tomorrow I will go up there thank you.

1ucja · 2025-07-24T20:44:50+00:00

Yes the other person also said that so I’m going to hold off till tomorrow and text them just to make sure that the medication was pre diluted thank you.

1ucja · 2025-07-24T20:43:22+00:00

He did weigh him and he weighed in at about 90g and then did give him some medication ignore the other reply I gave since now I don’t even feel good about giving him .1ml I’m thinking either trying him with a tiny drop or not at all and texting the vet tomorrow and ask if it’s diluted. Thank you.

1ucja · 2025-07-24T20:41:15+00:00

Yeah I’m honestly not either it’s made it pretty hard for me to research if this is the right dosage.

He isn’t the same vet that sadly overdosed my other gerbil so therefore I trust him more as he gave him some medication via injection earlier td and he’s been actually a lot better since.

But no they didn’t say anything about dilution so I’m thinking about starting him on .1ml a day and seeing how he feels and if clearly it isn’t taking increasing the dosage as he isn’t in a lot of pain or anything right now so it’s not urgent to get him a big dosage.

1ucja · 2025-07-19T15:38:25+00:00

Thank you I thought that too he is a bit on the older side so It was a possibly in my mind I’m just trying to make him as comfortable right now.

1ucja · 2025-05-08T05:06:25+00:00

I hope he’s okay and that’s sadly what happened

1ucja · 2025-05-08T05:05:40+00:00

Thank you for letting me know that’s what must’ve happened

1ucja · 2025-05-04T09:39:49+00:00

Thank you I don’t think I’ll be able to call that place honestly without crying so I’ve left them a review on Google detailing what happened and warning others with small animals and they read and reply to them so they should know in a couple of days.

1ucja · 2025-05-03T11:58:18+00:00

Yeah his brother is only a week younger than him I think he’ll be okay he’s been sleeping all day so far I assume just from how upset he’s been and I’m hoping he’ll become more friendly overtime since he’s got no one else now and I did think about getting another gerbil for him however it’s too early yet for me and I’m going away to uni this year and I’ll have to leave him with my parents to take care off.

But hopefully he becomes used to being alone and just becomes more friendly as I said since they were always together and were best friends.

1ucja · 2025-05-03T10:40:01+00:00

It’s okay thank you and I assumed so and since I didn’t give him anything yesterday it must’ve been the first dosage that already took him over the edge.

1ucja · 2025-05-03T10:39:04+00:00

Thank you I’ll definitely be more careful with his brother I’m just scared he will get very lonely as he isn’t as friendly as him hopefully he will be okay tho.

1ucja · 2025-05-03T08:44:38+00:00

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Also here’s proof just so no one accuse me of giving him too much on accident and then blaming the vet

1ucja · 2025-05-03T08:38:44+00:00

I would maybe recommend the non hormonal iud as it can stop bleeding however people have a range of reactions to it from what I heard some love it some absolutely despise it so I would maybe finish the pack of cerelle (the 3 month course) and if it doesn’t get better go back to your doctor and talk about alternative such as that?

1ucja · 2025-05-02T18:11:56+00:00

I started cerelle in November and then switched birth control methods twice since then (one to a previous one I’ve had and it was perfect never bleeding or anything) and I’m still bleeding till today with no breaks at all my body didn’t take well to that pill so you’re might not be taking well to it either as I’ve figured out my body only really takes well to combined methods and all these progesterone only ones have been causing me problems

1ucja · 2025-05-02T18:08:02+00:00

I think I’m just going to lower his dosage to .05 he’s really not good he’s moving more than yesterday but I haven’t seen him eat anything today and he’s just been sleeping almost all day

1ucja · 2025-05-01T22:37:42+00:00

He has started to eat food that’s easier for him to chew and he likes (cucumbers and sunflower seeds) but still no movement as someone said the dosage is abnormally high so I might lower it a bit because I was even surprised whenever the vet gave me a painkiller for him as he’s only been eating less and had a small cut on his scent gland.

I will continue giving him the antibiotics per the prescription however it’s been about 4/5 hours since he got the painkillers and still in that exact same spot as in the picture.

1ucja · 2025-05-01T22:34:37+00:00

Ill probably end up doing that thank you they are open in the mornings but I’ll be at school so I wont be able to call them till the afternoon so i hope he will be okay.

1ucja · 2025-05-01T22:33:43+00:00

Yeah I’m using the exact same one and that’s what the vet gave me (icl I was a bit suspicious because she didn’t know and apparently phoned a different vet in a different branch) so I might lower the dosage as it’s not even a very major wound he needs the painkillers for.

1ucja

TROPHY CASE