Mo's Been Causing Mayhem
For someone so small, Mo has caused mayhem amongst our resident gerbils. We will set the scene.
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Johnson's Surgical Adenoma Removal:
Johnson developed an ever-so-common scent gland adenoma, so we booked him in to have his scent gland surgically removed.
Surgical removal of a gerbil's scent gland can be curative. All glandular tissue has to be removed because scent gland tumours (SGTs) frequently reoccur.
Johnson handled the anaesthesia well. He was very skittish and nippy when he initially woke up, so we handled with caution. Usually, we keep gerbils in solitary adapted accommodation when recovering from surgery. When they're fully healed, we will rebond them to their companion via the split-tank method.
Bonding gerbils is a complex subject. It is generally not advised for an inexperienced owner to bond a gerbil to an established clan.
We feared that Johnson wouldn't be accepted by his brothers if he was kept away from them in solitary accommodation.
Although it'd be more stressful, we decided to keep the trio in a split-tank set up throughout Johnson's recovery. We had to be mindful that Johnson may appear different without his scent gland.
Fortunately, our plan worked! Pickley, Johnson, and Mo were able to live as full-time companions after Johnson recovered from surgery.
Surgical removal of a gerbil's scent gland can be curative. All glandular tissue has to be removed because scent gland tumours (SGTs) frequently reoccur.
Johnson handled the anaesthesia well. He was very skittish and nippy when he initially woke up, so we handled with caution. Usually, we keep gerbils in solitary adapted accommodation when recovering from surgery. When they're fully healed, we will rebond them to their companion via the split-tank method.
Bonding gerbils is a complex subject. It is generally not advised for an inexperienced owner to bond a gerbil to an established clan.
Table description demonstrating the difficulty scale regarding different scenarios of bonding gerbils
We feared that Johnson wouldn't be accepted by his brothers if he was kept away from them in solitary accommodation.
Although it'd be more stressful, we decided to keep the trio in a split-tank set up throughout Johnson's recovery. We had to be mindful that Johnson may appear different without his scent gland.
Declanning:
Gerbils live in groups known as 'clans'. Mo lived with his two brothers, Pickley and Johnson. We've had them since they were only 2 weeks old and nursing from their Mum, Luna.
Pickley, Johnson, and Mo at 5 weeks old.
They lived happily together for over 3 years.
For reasons that are still unclear, Mo viciously attacked Pickley. The general rule is; once blood is drawn, gerbils are no longer safe to live together. We separated Mo (perpetrator) from the clan immediately. Pickley and Johnson stayed as a clan.
Mo didn't come off well either. Understandably, Pickley defended himself from Mo's attacks.
Fortunately, Pickley and Johnson remain best friends.
For reasons that are still unclear, Mo viciously attacked Pickley. The general rule is; once blood is drawn, gerbils are no longer safe to live together. We separated Mo (perpetrator) from the clan immediately. Pickley and Johnson stayed as a clan.
Before (right) and after (left)
Pickley was medicated with Flamazine/Silver Sulfadiazine cream (topical antibiotic) applied BID to his facial wounds and oral 1mg:1kg Metacam/Meloxicam (NSAID) BID. Pickley healed well.Mo didn't come off well either. Understandably, Pickley defended himself from Mo's attacks.
Before (right) and after (left).
Mo had significant injuries to his hind-left limb.
Mo was prescribed a prophylactic course of oral broad-spectrum antibiotic Baytril/Enrofloxacin (fluoroquinolone antimicrobial agent) and oral 1.5mg:1kg Metacam/Meloxicam (NSAID) BID. Bite wounds can harbour a lot of potentially harmful bacteria. Due to the extent of the leg-trauma, Mo developed oedema at the site. Oedema describes inflammation and swelling caused by small blood vessels leaking into the surrounding tissue. Oedema has numerous causes.
Unfortunately, there was little more we could do for Mo's oedema. We kept Mo in solitary amended accomodation throughout his recovery to ensure he rested his limb thoroughly. Thankfully, Mo's body reabsorbed the fluid. We were then able to help Mo find a new companion.
Fortunately, Pickley and Johnson remain best friends.
Joining New Clans:
Gary and Graham:
We thought Mo would make an excellent addition to two friendly young gerbils, Gary and Graham.
Bonding to an existing clan is, as we've already mentioned, very difficult. Nonetheless, we believed Gary and Graham had a warm and friendly nature. So, we attempted to bond them.
Things were great between the trio. We were pleased Mo found stable companionship.
Unexpectedly, Graham was viciously attacked by Mo several weeks later.
Before (right) and after (left) - fur loss occurred due to topical antibiotics.
Mo was separated from the clan, and we scheduled him for castration. Although we weren't entirely convinced Mo's aggression was caused by hormones, we wanted to provide Mo with an opportunity for companionship - gerbils are social mammals.
As for Graham, we applied topical antiseptics BID and prescribed him oral 1mg:1kg Metacam/Meloxicam (NSAID) QD. Unfortunately, his bite wound developed a bacterial infection despite the antiseptic application. We prescribed Graham a short-course of oral Baytril/Enrofloxacin (fluoroquinolone antimicrobial agent) and topical Flamazine/Silver Sulfadiazine (topical antibiotic) and continued with NSAIDs. Graham made a full recovery and continues to live happily with his companion, Gary.
Mo's Castration/Orchiectomy:
In most vertebrates, the majority of testosterone in a males body is secreted by the testicles. The 5 most well-known vertebrae classifications are fish, mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. Gerbils are rodent mammals in the order Rodentia
Castration, particularly surgical orchiectomy castration, will drastically reduce testosterone production and can result in beneficial behavioural changes for our pets.
Mo's surgery went smoothly. Mo was a bit of an over-groomer towards his post-surgical site. We precautiously applied topical Flamazine/Silver Sulfadiazine (topical antibiotic) and administered oral 1mg:1kg Metacam/Meloxicam BID.
Around the time of his castration, Mo also developed oedema of his front-left paw. The cause was unknown at the time, but Mo was introduced to a high twice-daily dose of oral Metacam to relieve discomfort, and applied topical Flamazine to open tissues - Mo had been self-harming the area, likely due to pain.
Mo recovered well from surgery and oedema in his foot was slowly being reabsorbed.
Bernard:
A bittersweet opportunity arose. Bernard sadly lost his beloved cage mate, Zizzi. Bernard is a castrated male gerbil who'd been bonded to numerous gerbils already. We thought Bernard would be a perfect companion for Mo. So, we started a split-cage bond.
All seemed well, the boys were even attempting to groom each other. We thought we'd finally found Mo a friend.
Unfortunately, our dreams soon came crashing down. The following morning, Bernard had degloved and fractured his tail. We suspect Mo bit the tip of Bernard's tail (where the fracture is) which resulted in Bernard degloving his tail as a defence mechanism and way of escaping.
The bonding was pulled, and Bernard was admitted for an emergency partial-tail amputation the same day.
Before (right) and after (left).
Fortunately, the surgery went well. Bernard was introduced to a short cause of prophylactic oral antibiotic Baytril/Enrofloxacin (fluoroquinolone) and 1mg:1kg oral Metacam/Meloxicam (NSAID) BID. Bernard made a speedy recovery, and we plan to bond him to a lone female gerbil shortly.
Mo:
Mo had caused significant injuries to 3 gerbils. We decided it was no longer safe for him to live with other gerbils.
In the wild, many gerbils live in family clans, albeit some clan members are distant relatives. In captivity, although it's rare, some gerbils will never bond to gerbils outside of their family.
Peripheral Oedema:
Mo is an old man now with disabling chronic health problems. Mo suffers from peripheral oedema, possibly secondary to chronic venous insufficiency. The illness occurs as a result of the valves in the veins, particularly those in the lower limbs, not working as effectively. The valves don't allow blood to flow back up to the heart.
The heart pumps blood in a singular direction. Simply speaking, the right side of the heart pumps blood to the lungs to pick up oxygen, the left side of the heart will pump the oxygen-rich blood around the body.
When the valves don't work as effectively, some of the blood flows backwards, resulting in blood pooling in the affected area. This is what is known as peripheral oedema.
Peripheral oedema appears as an accumulation of fluid/blood trapped in the body tissues, causing swelling and inflammation. It's most common in the extremities perfused by the peripheral vascular system.
Mo has had two amputations as a result of unmanageable, painful peripheral oedema.
Left-Forelimb amputation:
Mo had chronic swelling of his left forelimb that had been managed with a high-dose of non-steroidals and oral Tramadol Hydrochloride (analgesic opioid pain-relief) TID. Unfortunately, Mo had turned to self-harming his forelimb. Mo's condition also leads to slow-healing wounds. His forelimb was in a mess and making Mo miserable, we decided it was kindest to amputate.
Mo's surgery went well. The difference in Mo's well being after surgery was spectacular. It showed how miserable his forelimb made him.
Mo was housed in adapted accomodation and was prescribed a course of prophylactic oral antibiotics. Mo was already on adequate pain relief.
Amputated forelimb
Amputated forelimb
Toe Amputation:
Mo developed peripheral oedema in one of his toes. There was so much blood pooling within his nail that it had turned black. Mo was already prescribed adequate pain relief but was still self-harming and attempting to remove the toe himself. If Mo was removing his toe anyway, we'd prefer to amputate the toe in a safe, sterile surgical environment.
The surgery was a success and Mo recovered brilliantly. Post-operative care and medication were the same as his previous amputation.
Amputated toe - blood pooling in the nail.
Ideally, we didn't want to end up cutting Mo into millions of pieces due to chronic oedema. The vet wanted to introduce Mo to Vivitonin/Xanthine derivative. Vivitonin can increase blood circulation, therefore, reducing some of the symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency. Mo has responded brilliantly to the medication and isn't suffering from peripheral oedema anywhere in his body at present.
Osteoarthritic Changes to Hips and Hindlimbs:
Unfortunately, Mo also suffers from chronic pain and splayed hips secondary to osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis causes joints to become stiff and painful due to the protective cartilage on bones breaking down. The exact cause(s) is unknown, but it is suspected that numerous problems such as age, lifestyle, previous trauma, weight, and genetics can cause osteoarthritis.
Management of osteoarthritis includes lifestyle choices such as maintaining a healthy weight, regular exercise (gentle exercise is better than none), and often supportive medicinal management too. Mo is prescribed 1mg:1kg Metacam/Meloxicam (NSAID) BID and Tramadol Hydrochloride (opioid) TID, although long-term opioid usage isn't advised.
Mo lives in smaller accomodation to make it easier for him to utilize his entire cage. We lightly scatter feed his food. Normally, we would hide food all around the tank to encourage our gerbils to forage. For Mo, we scatter food in 3-4 places, this means he still gets exercise and enrichment, but he is still able to source and utilize his food too.
Although his life is different from most gerbils, he is a happy old chap, and we love him dearly.
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