I have just got my gerbil back from the people who were looking after him whilst I was at uni and he has lost about 1/2 his tail.  I can see his bone sticking out the end and was wondering what I should do?

I can take him to the vet but am unsure if they could do anything for it and whether any of you had any experience of this.

One of my gerbils died whilst they were there and now this - I am not sure I want to send him back (they are not bad people but do have two young children and they wouldn't do anything deliberately to hurt the animals so I don't want to hurt their feelings)

Thanks in advance and sorry for my large amount of advice taking lol!
Anna

ohh i'm not sure i'd want to send them back either...doesn't sound like they are the best babysitters. is there anyone else who can take them?

no experience on the tail, i'd see a vet, if its open it might get infected or something.

I wouldn't send him back either! Sounds like they might have been picking him up by his tail...? I wouldn't worry about hurting their feelings tbh - it's your gerbil afterall and you want it to have the best possible care. Odd that they didn't let you know what had happened.

Can't you keep him with you now you're no longer in halls (I think!)?

Yes I can keep him with me it was just for me getting to see how it was to live with a dog at uni - it is fine so I think I will keep him.

I feel really bad and the family are one of the nicest families around they just have never had pets (I did them a whole handbook about caring for gerbils but accidents do happen) they have their own gerbils now so don't think they will mind.

Any tips on the tail aspect?

Thanks
Anna

I'd definitely go to the vet for some advice--I'm suprised the people you left him with haven't done so already!
Also I'm not sure if it's the same with male gerbils, but we had 2 girls and they were great company for eachother. When one died of what seemed to be some sort of stroke, the other one really pined and I had to keep her in the kitchen so I could 'chat' to her now and again! she used to come to the bars and sniff my finger.
If you can keep 2 males together I would sort out the tail then get him a little friend if that's possible !

I found these links:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080218181819AAMJLNx

http://www.pets-warehouse.com/gerbils.htm

http://www.gerbil.info/html/health.htm

Thanks for those links zarah.  It seems that nothing needs to be done - it seems pretty healed up so maybe I should just keep an eye on it.

I have thought about getting him a friend but then he is going to die first and that one will be lonely. Also not sure whether it is possible to introduce new gerbils to old ones.

Thanks

Glad they helped.

I just found a gerbil forum here. Looks like a very busy place, so they might be able to advise you on getting him a friend :-D

Thanks I am going to look on there now.

Anna

I haven't looked at the links, but gerbils, a bit like lizards, can drop parts of their tails if grabbed by the tail. Whenever anyone picks up a small tailed animal by the tail it must be by the root, close to the body, or this can happen. If there is bone exposed not to worry, it will simply dry up and fall off in time.

Thanks Marianne there is about 2mm bone left and it doesn't seem to be affecting him.  Now I just need to work out whether to get him a friend and how to introduce them - it seems if the other one is young enough he should be excepted in.

Thanks
Anna

Hi,
I am not sure what you should do except keep it clean it should heal o.k. I havn't have much experience with gerbils, my son once had an  a Aguarna (is that how you spell it?)
One day I opened the glass case to feed it some fruit, it used to turn it's tail to whip you, it hated women. I asked my hubby to feed it and it turned and sheaded its tail egh!!
The tail fell off and jumped all round the case on its own, it was awfull. Every time you went by the case the tail would jump up on it's own and jump round again, it was quite frightening.
The tail took a day to die, The Aguarna just grew another, needless to say, We sold it all complete, It was very nice to look at, with its red heat light and case, but, as it was all left to me to clean and feed it no-way. I will stick to my dogs L O L.     

Denese

when did he lose the tail - id be concerned they let it happen and never bothered to inform you. Wouldnt be keen to take the gerbil back there if at all possible. Trip to the vets to check everything OK. Small animals are prone to shock easily which can be fatal so would advice a once over at the vets to be on the safe side.

They did tell me but played it down that it was only the tip.  I don't want to make them out as bad people because they really are lovely.

I might take him when I take my dog today

Thanks
Anna

A gerbil can act kinda like a lizard and will lose its tail if it is grabbed by it or you pick them up by it.

We have 3 gerbils at the mo all brothers and live very happily together, one came from the shop with the same thing, its nothing to worry about as it wont kill them or change their style of living what so ever.
And no gerbil has ever died from the condition as far as I know and I have had them for many many years, and unless its bleeding I wouldnt go to the vets there really is no need if it is clean and not bleeding.

But I wouldnt let them baby sit my pets anymore as they have been holding by the tail as a gerbil wouldnt be able to do it to each other.

Bit late replying to this topic, but years ago I  was working in a pub, also did a bit of cleaning upstairs, the kids had put the hamster in with the gerbil and the gerbils tail was half bitten off, the poor thing was near to deaths door as they didn't feed or water it. I put it down my blouse to warm it and gave it a good drink, it lived another 2 years.I complained to their parents as they didn't know how to look after them and they gave them to me to rehome.