Gerbil Updates

It's been awhile since I posted. A bunch has happened over the month. A couple of days after this last post, Trixie passed on. She developed pneumonia.

We didn't want Bud to be left alone. So we got three wonderful 8 week old pups on July 24th.. We thought we might make a foursome. It wasn't to be. The pups were all too old to be put together. So we left two pups together. The other pup we are split caging with Bud. The pups names are Dexter (after the tv show), Toby, and Sam.

Bud and Sam have been in a split cage for almost 4 weeks. I swap sides regularly. I tried an intro last week. They ended up in a gerbil ball. No blood drawn. Alot of back arching and shoving and
tense nose to nose sniffing. Lucky I was wearing gloves. These two want to be dominate gerbil. Sam is over 12 weeks old now and Bud about 2 years old.

I know they want to be together but someone has to be the boss. Bud needs the company of another gerbil. Bud started purring in my hand when I take him out now. He really wants company. Even little Sam sometimes purrs when I take him out to hold.

I try using "hand" intros but they seem to don't want to really interact in my hand. There is plenty of butt sniffing though. They are both sleeping near the wire almost everyday now.

Any suggestions to help? By now, they have to smell alike. I want to try again this weekend. Would doing brief intros at night for a few minutes help? I have never had a split cage go this long.

Trixie's Weekly Update

Trixie is holding on. She still weighs about 60 grams. She has slowed down. Breathing is becoming more labored. She is still eating and drinking on her own with supplement food from me. She starting to like bread crust. So I have been feeding that also. She now likes to sit in my lap in her pouch where it is nice and warm. She is losing some muscle mass.

She still likes to chew on paper plates. She still grooms Bud. Bud grooms her and trys to keep her warm. I am still giving her twice a treatments. She is still peeing and pooing. The poo is getting a little less. Trixie will tell me when it is time to go. Not today.

I have not seen her in the wheel in the past couple of days. She is still very spunky. Eyes and ear bright as ever. Still purrs when I hold her. She still likes to sit on my shoulder when she wants to. She will sit there for minutes. My shoulder must be a warm place.

I know her time is coming soon. Her fur is starting to shed a little. Why do gerbils have such short lives? I wish Trixie could live to four (December 8 birthday) but I know that is not to be. I will cherish everyday that she is here with us. Trixie loves being with her people.

Send her comforting wishes.

Trixie - Weekly Update

I am going to keep a weekly posting on Trixie's progress of her condition. She did well this past week. We are still feeding her the extra food she needs to stay active so she can do as near normal gerbil stuff as she can. Trixie is still eating, chewing, playing a little with her buddie Bud. She gets cooked noodles everyday (one noodle at least 3-4 times a day) with a little bit of her favorite baby food. Gerber's Oatmeal, banana and apple.

She is still getting her twice a day treatment of her medicine and the Povidone Scrub for her sore. She still loves to come out and climb all me. Lately, she has been loving just to perch on my shoulder. She purrs more often now.

I think she is losing a little bit of her muscle mass in her back legs. She has to struggle just a little to climb on their wooden house. Trixie does not climb the Crittertrail tubes anymore. She trys to jog in the wheel a little.

I weigh her every week now. She is still maintaining her weight around the 60-62 gram mark. She has not lost weight since I started feeding her the extra food. She does eat her normal gerbil food when hungry. She loves her pumpkin and sunflower seeds (unshelled). I did see her drink from the water bottle so I know that she is not getting dehydrated.

Merry Christmas! Gerbil Snowflakes

Merry Gerbil Christmas and a Furry New Year! My wonderful little gerbil boys made me this wonderful gerbil snowflake. It is so cute! Spot is my maniac gerbil chewer. He did most of the work. Little Bear helped. This is wonderful way to have your gerbils interact with the kids. Fold up a piece of whit computer papers. Have the gerbils chew for a couple of minutes and VIOLA! A Gerbil Snowflake. Watch this cute gerbil christmas video.

Happy New Year and Gerbil Family Expanded

My gerbil family has now expanded to seven gerbils and a hamster. I did want to mention that I also had a little baby gerbil Stewie. He was a very small little gerbil. I think he may have been the runt of the litter. He was a beautiful gerbil. A rare color also. i got him on December 14th and he passed on December 18th. Mostly likes from respiratory infection. He never made it back from the vet. This is baby Stewie. I will always remember you.

This is my new baby gerbils. Meet Little Bear, Spot, Simone and Mona. All their birthdays are in October. Spot and Simone are Halloween gerbils. Little Bear and Spot are with Buddy.