is my gerbil really hurt?

Question

Please help!!! I got my gerbils right before Christmas this year. I have approximately 3. Two have been living together since they were born, and one is all alone in a seperate cage. Today (March 29) I put all of them together in the same cage, thinking that they'd be better off together than one being alone. When they went together the two gerbils that have lived together (Oreo and Smores) started attacking him!!! I tried to seperate them, but my alone gerbil (Twinkie) freaked out and bit me while he was on his back wrestling with Oreo and Smores. Twinkie bit Smores on the side of his nose while my dad picked up Twinkie and tried to help him so he didn't get killed. Twinkie bit my dad and my dad started bleeding badly on HIS finger!! So my dad accidentally flung Twinkie to the floor,Twinkie was put in his cage, but I don't know if Twinkie or Smores is hurt, but I'm really worried, Smores is just sitting in a corner and seems a little scared what should I do, are they hurt?Please Help

Answer 1

I think u should take them to the vet for a check up. Its best to catch injuries(if they have any) before they grow even worse. Better safe than sorry. I hope everything works out for you though!

Answer 2

For future reference, NEVER try to handle a frightened or upset gerbil without heavy leather gloves. An experienced handler, when bitten, will not fling a gerbil.

1) Take a little bit of rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide on the end of a Q-tip and gently touch Smores with it where he was bitten. Do not pick him up. It's okay if he bites the Q-tip. You want to make sure his wound does not become infected.

2) Take Twinkie to the Humane Society and give him up for adoption. The fact that this happened is proof that you and your family are not able to care for all three gerbils.

Twinkie may have broken bones from being flung to the floor. He may need to be put down. The Humane Society will take the gerbil and have him examined by a vet, they will either place him for adoption or put him down.

I'm sooo sorry that this happened. Please read everything you can about gerbils if you decide to keep Oreo and Smores. You have to be a responsible pet owner.

Gerbils are extremely territorial and vicious. When you handle them they can smell each other's scents on you - not good! Talk to them and stay around their cages so they will all know that you are there but don't pick them up. They've been through a lot of trauma and need time to recover. Give Smores at least a day or two.

Twinkie will hopefully find a home with someone like me, who specialize in single gerbils who are bachelors and/or must live alone. lol

Make sure you and your dad take care of your own bite wounds, okay? :)

Answer 3

Everything that happened was 100% predictable. The first thing you need to do is to read this on-line gerbil handbook from beginning to end to understand gerbils:
http://www.agsgerbils.org/Gerbil_Care_Handbook/index.html

If you want to buy a book get "Gerbils: Complete Care Made Easy" from www.amazon.com or the www.AGSgerbils.org store.

#1: NEVER introduce a single gerbil to a pair of gerbils -- gerbils are very protective of their family grouping and will kill the intruder. The only way to introduce gerbils is one-on-one. And, you cannot just put them together. You need to introduce them slowly and carefully using a split cage:
http://www.agsgerbils.org/Gerbil_Care_Handbook/adopt.html#split

#2: NEVER touch a fighting gerbil with your bare hand! You will get bit and hard. A gerbil in the middle of a fight is fighting for his life and will chomp down hard on anything that touches it (a stick, a glove, or a finger).

Make sure that your dad has a current tetnus shot. If he doesn't he should call his doctor and see whether he/she recommends it.

As for your gerbils, try giving them some easy to eat foods like a piece of banana and some cheerios (in addition to their regular food). You can wash off the wounds be trickling warm water over the cuts -- many gerbils actually like this. And, you can put a tiny dab of neosporin on them.

The gerbil that was flung might have back or head injuries. Leave him in a quiet, dark, warm location -- try putting a towel over half of the cage. If any of the gerbils don't look better in a couple of days call your vet.

Good luck.

Answer 4

Maybe they are just startled a bit. Keep an eye on their wounds to make sure they don't get infected. It seems like they didn't appreciate Twinkie coming in to their territory. Check on twinkie very often just to make sure he doesn't have anything broken or any head trauma (shaking, nodding his head) besides that lots of love and care always helps :-) Good Luck!!

Answer 5

Is Smores bleeding? If not,he must be okay,just allittle freaked out from the battle,and Twinkie should be okay too!

Answer 6

Watch them very closely. The worst thing they have probably suffered is shock. Animals can be very territorial. Don't try that again.

Answer 7

TAKE THEM TO THE VET THEY'LL KNOW WHAT TO DO