Posted: May 27, 2009 7:30 p.m. EDT
Q: Recently, one of my gerbil's lost both her back legs. I don't know what happened to her legs, because I cannot find them. She has two bloody stumps. I don't know how to treat her, but I have taken her out from the other gerbils. Can you give me any advice on how to help her?
A: If you can afford this, you should immediately visit a veterinarian who is familiar with gerbils. You did the right thing by separating her from the other gerbils.
It is possible the other gerbils attacked her, but that would seem unlikely with gerbils under normal conditions. If there is crowding or fighting, this might occur. Because you cannot find evidence of the legs, I would be concerned about fighting and the other gerbils destroying the legs.
The reason to visit your veterinarian is that your gerbil needs the remaining parts of the legs treated medically and possibly bandaged. Also, antibacterial medications will likely be needed to try to assure that infection does not set in and kill your gerbil.
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