# HELP PLEASE! 3-4 year old Gerbil in death process



## NorthernAutumn (Mar 13, 2009)

Hey guys...
Gerbil. at least 3 years old, from Vet.Laboratory.
Looks ill this morning
Matted, wettish fur.. puffing at intervals. Eyes glazing over.
Excited to recieve craisins and apple, but appears to fall asleep between bites.Little bodily tremors now and then..

Is this death, or respiratory illness?

Vet says 40 to euthanize, 40 for checkup. <--- not really manageable...

Next steps?


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## LadyBug (Mar 13, 2009)

this forum is all i can give you. hope it helps 
http://gerbilsuk.proboards15.com/index.cgi


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## Bo B Bunny (Mar 13, 2009)

I think nearly 4 is a long life for a gerbil honestly.


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## NorthernAutumn (Mar 13, 2009)

Had to go to school...
I was able to stroke Shreddie's head before I left... I've never been able to touch him very much. He was just lying there, falling asleep for about 5 minutes at a time before having another nibble of apple...

I've put a washcloth in there for him if he wants... 
I honestly expect him to be dead by the time I get home 

Called another vet, and the girl at reception said that this is pretty much how her hamsters went too...

This sucks:cry2.


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## Lover_Of_Lopz (Mar 13, 2009)

hope he is ok....


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## Bo B Bunny (Mar 13, 2009)

I'm sorry he's so ill. I held my hamster while he passed and it was very similar.... I cried all night while he slept in a towel in my arms.... that's been about 12 years ago..


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## BSAR (Mar 13, 2009)

I'm sorry he is ill. 
Maybe he will pull through.


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## NorthernAutumn (Mar 13, 2009)

Poor little guy is still holding on...
He was very excited to receive a cornflake... but fell asleep eating it.
I'm rubbing his ears a lot... I'd love to hold him, but I don't want to upset him any more. He's like a little zombie, slipping in and out of life.

I've never watched a creature of mine die before. It is too sad for words.
Thank you for your words. I hope that he will move through this, but he's had a very long life for a little fella who was supposed to be euthanized after his year as a lab gerbil at a veterinary training college.

He only bit once, and that was during an escape. Nate tried to pick him up from behind a chair... gerbils prefer kraft dinner boxes for travel, thankyouverymuch... :biggrin2:

He didn't look like this at all 2 days ago (school is crazy, so haven't been watching everyone as closely...) 

My poor guy:cry2


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## Boz (Mar 13, 2009)

Aww poor guy.  I'm good with gerbils but not so much their health. 4 years is a good age for a gerbil. They typically live 3-5+ years. 

How's his breathing? Have you changed anything lately? Litter type, food, anything new? Keep him warm and comfy, hopefully he'll pull through!


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## NorthernAutumn (Mar 13, 2009)

Nope, same litter, food, everything.
No heat change, no sudden scares...
His sides just move as if he is lightly panting.
No sounds.


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## TinysMom (Mar 13, 2009)

*NorthernAutumn wrote: *


> I've never watched a creature of mine die before. It is too sad for words.


If you need a place to vent - my PM box is open...I won't have much to say - but I do have hugs. 

I've been in your shoes - only with rabbits - not gerbils.


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## TinysMom (Mar 13, 2009)

I meant to say - and this is up to you totally - but if he isn't in pain and you can hold him - you may wish to do so for a bit. 

I think if you don't - you might have regrets later on.

But that is up to you - just going from my experiences...


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## NorthernAutumn (Mar 13, 2009)

I really don't want to scare him, or upset him... I would love to hold him, but that would probably not make him feel very good. Today is the first day that I've ever been able to rub his ears...

I feel like I've never gotten to know him the way I should have.

Thanks for your support  I appreciate it a lot.


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## Boz (Mar 13, 2009)

What sort of litter is he on? I doubt it's a allergic reaction to his litter but I thought I'd ask.

Poor guy. I hope he pulls through!  I'm sorry you have to go through this. ((Hugs)) When my first gerbil died I was out of town and my brother called to tell me. My mom said the day before she was all "puffy" looking, eyes half open but she was moving around and eating. Luckily, whatever it was she had didn't effect her two sisters and they are happy and healthy today.


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## Pipp (Mar 13, 2009)

I'd guess this is typical heart failure behaviour? Sounds very peaceful. Running out of energy, breath, life... 

But a good way to go. . . 


sas :rose:


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## Amy27 (Mar 14, 2009)

I am sorry. This has to be so hard for you. I can't offer any advice but I wanted to let you know I am thinking of you and your gerbil.


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## NorthernAutumn (Mar 14, 2009)

Thank you for your kind words, everyone.
He is now refusing food, and will only shuffle a bit in his dreams. 
I hope he passes soon now... I don't want him to feel anything...

My god, if I feel like this about my little gerbil, I can't imagine what losing my buns will feel like. I can't imagine how so many of you have coped with your losses:hug:.

Boz, it's aspen litter, aquarium tank.

Autumn


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## Boz (Mar 14, 2009)

That's a perfect setup. 

We're here for you!:hug: I know how hard it is. I felt bad when my gerbil died. I didn't get to spend her last days with her. She was a sweet girl. She would sit in your hands and was pretty good about not moving around much which made her easy for friends who wanted to hold one of my gerbils. She also would sometimes jump into my hand for treats. Her name was Maxie. She was only about a year and a few months old too. 

This was her. She even had a little "M" marking on her nose!


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## NorthernAutumn (Mar 14, 2009)

I'm feeling kinda frustrated right now... he's refusing to die.
I'm syringing as 50/50 mix of pedialyte into him, in the intervals of crazy action between the zombie states that last about 3-5 minutes..

I don't want him to die... but I also don't want to prolong the process...

Is it possible that he's had some sort of elaborate neurological damage?
He just leapt out of my lap, scurried a little, then sunk down and was still... then did it again.


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## TinysMom (Mar 14, 2009)

He's most likely fighting death then. I will have rabbits do that when they are close to dying - its their last ditch effort to fight death.

I'm sorry - because it sounds like his passing won't be as peaceful as I'd hoped it would be.


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## NorthernAutumn (Mar 14, 2009)

What do I do with this?


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## TinysMom (Mar 14, 2009)

You have a PM...


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## NorthernAutumn (Mar 14, 2009)

Thank you everyone for your prayers and kind words over the last 24 hours.
Shreddie hit the Rainbow Bridge with all four feet a-running, at 5 am this morning.

Though I wish he could have passed in his sleep, I am thankful I was with him. He looked like he was smiling, with those funny little teeth...

Here is a picture of my little guy:
Thank you again for all of your thoughts. I am thankful to have all of you as my friends:hug1.


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## missyscove (Mar 14, 2009)

:hug2:

I'm sorry.

Gerbils seem like awesome little critters. They're illegal in CA though.


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## Becca (Mar 14, 2009)

So sorry for your loss 

I have a gerbil and she is 3, shes a wild little gurl though, hates being picked up and stroked so theres not much communication between us - I am so so sorry


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## undergunfire (Mar 14, 2009)

I am sorry about your loss .

I do not have gerbils, but I do have rats. I have seen them slowly dying and some have been sudden, at all ages. With rats, I like to let them decide when they want to go to rattie heaven. A lot of people are so quick to euthanize, but I think it is a very scary process for them...I'd rather they die at home in their hammocks with their buddies.

Ralphie (my hairless rat) hasn't been looking or feeling the best lately. I almost had him PTS last Thursday, when his son's went in for their neuters. I just couldn't do it. Why? He may look terrible and his breathing is not food at all, but he is still walking through the cage and eating. He will gladly take food from me. I am keeping him going by giving him some Metacam and baytril/doxy combo. I do not think he will pull through this, he will eventually pass on from respiratory illness (like many rats), but he is holding on and I can't be the one to say "Okay, Ralphie, it's time for you to go".....it is his choice. Now, if he was suffering/limp/not eating/in obvious severe pain, then of course...I would help him cross over.

I hate being the one to decide for my pets to "live or die". I have had to do this only once, and that was for my first pet rat. So far, I have had 3 rats die happily at home with their buddies in a hammock...and that is the way I want it to be.


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## irishlops (Mar 14, 2009)

same with my rabbits, but keep death far from there hutch door..


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## SnowyShiloh (Mar 14, 2009)

So sorry to hear about Shreddie, it's hard when you know they're dying but you can't do much but watch. My last rattie took a day to die, I could tell she was on her way out and I put her on an extra fluffy blanket and surrounded her with her favorite foods and drinks so she could at least enjoy them. RIP Shreddie, you were a cutie!


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## Boz (Mar 14, 2009)

Aww RIP Shreddie. He was gorgeous! ink iris:

Gerbils are great pets, in my opinion. I fostered a pair of girls for 3 months (till they were adopted) at the end of 2008/beginning of 2009. They were afraid of my hand and would avoid as much as they can. I moved them from a crittertrail cage, which they were in at the shelter, to a 20 gallon tank at my home. Just a housing change made them more confident and less frightened of my hand! In that little time they changed and were jumping into my hands for treats and running up my arms by the time they were adopted.


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## tonyshuman (Mar 14, 2009)

I'm so sorry. I had gerbils as a child and hamsters now and it can be such a powerless feeling because they can be so fragile. Shreddie had a wonderful 3 years with you and it sounds like he was enjoying his last moments as much as possible. RIP, Shreddie.
:rainbow:


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## NorthernAutumn (Mar 14, 2009)

Thank you so much for your good wishes, everyone.
It makes me feel better  He had a longer, better life with me than he would have at the lab.


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## Luvmyzoocrew (Mar 14, 2009)

i am so sorry. RIP


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## JadeIcing (Mar 14, 2009)

So sorry for your loss.


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## DeniseJP (Mar 16, 2009)

Hugs to you - it had to be hard to watch Shreddie in his last hours but I am sure he appreciated all you had to offer him.

My son Benn wanted a hamster and got one - he saved his money for the cage, the supplies and "Buffy". I was not a hamster person but Buffy was a character and we miss her a lot.

A few days before she passed at age 3, she escaped from her cage. I was in bed and hubby said "There's a mouse in the room, I can hear it chewing." I turned on the light and Buffy appeared, wadding something in her cheeks - most likely the sunflower seeds hubby had in his pockets. I returned her to her cage and locked her in. We had two cats and two dogs in that section of the house and how Buffy did not manage to get them going is beyond me.

RIP Shredder... hopefully Buffy can show you where the sunflower seeds are over the Rainbow Bridge...

Denise


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