Gerbil and Hamster Update

Just an small update on my babies.

Sam is doing fine alone. He does get a little bored. He recently started purring when we take him out to play.

Bud is thriving on being alone. Not at all depressed.

Spot and Little bear now a tad over 2 years old. Starting in the senior realm of gerbils. Spot recently started jumping into my hand and climbing onto my shoulder without any bribery. Little is starting to do the same.

Toby and Dexter are doing just fine. We still need to work with Dexter more. Still a little skittish. Toby is as friendly as he can be.

Mona and Simone are also a little over 2 years old now. Simone still has her nose problem but it is under control. Mona is now a good friendly gerbil. I can pick her up with no problem. Simone loves to be picked up.

Fred the Hamster is now abut 1.5 years old now. He is still going just fine. Still loves his ball. Loves to be brushed. With his long hair. He needs it.

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.

Senior Gerbil Trixie

This is my little grey agouti Trixie. She is 3 1/2 years old. About the beginning of May there was a small lump on her belly. Vet said to watch it. While I was away at the gerbil show. The sore opened. Took her to the vet the day after I got back. Vet gave me medicine and brown liquid stuff to keep it clean twice a day. Trixie seemed to respond well to the treatment.

After two weeks, I took her back in for a checkup. Vet was concerned that the sore wasn't healing properly. He took a small sample to send it to the lab for analysis. Trixie did lose some weight. Vet suggested supplement her diet with baby food. That was a week ago.

Vet called yesterday evening. It is not good. Trixie has cancer. Surgery is too risky. Vet and I agreed to continue the same treatment. Supplement her diet with veggie baby food and cooked noodles and any extra sunflower and pumpin seeds she want.

Trixie is still a very active little girl. Doing all the normal gerbil stuff. Trixie also purrs when I hold her. She only does it for me. I will treasure everyday that she has left.

Patches the Gerbil

A new gerbil came into my life yesterday. A 3 year old male name Patches. I am fostering him as he is very ill and his owners can't give him the 24/7 care he needs right now. He suffered a stroke over a week ago and might have had a relapse Saturday night. They couldn't cope so I offered to care for the little guy since I am working at home for the time being. He lasted the night so I got him in to see my vet this afternoon. His teeth needed clipping. I think that would help him overall. Patches is helpless like a young gerbil pup. I have been feeding him with a syringe and his liquids also. He has responded well. He is much more fiesty than yesterday afternoon.

I got him to drink from the water bottle for a little bit. That is progress. I am switching his Karo/water solution to organic baby apple juice. He is still getting baby food with a syringe but I am hopefully once he gets strong enough that he can lap up baby food on his own.

I will keep all of you posted.

Buddy and Honeybear

They are together. You couldn't see a happier gerbil than Honeybear. She just loves her new boyfriend. We put the wheel in the tank. HoneyBear missed her wheel. Buddy really didn't know what to make of it. He is two years old and never been on a wheel. Honeybear supervised and give tips on how to run. Honeybear is 3 years old. They are both past having babies. It is not 100% but the risk of babies is low.