Gerbil tail problems

Question
QUESTION: Hello,

I have a female gerbil that is about 8 months old. She is alone because she was separated from the other gerbils at the pet store when I purchased her and they said it would not be a good idea to put her with another (not sure why) She does come out every night day for at least an hour with my boyfriend and I, we put her on a large sofa and she runs around and plays with us. We keep her in a 10 gallon tank with a metal topper and full most of the bottom up with aspen bedding. We give her several cardboard boxes, wooden sticks, egg cartoons, and other things to play with/chew every week. She eats and drinks fine and is very active.

A few weeks after we got her we noticed her tail looked odd at the tip, a small black part and it looked like the end of the tail was growing odd. The tip of the tail recently fell off but the black part is still there. It's not hard or anything and I think it might just be what the tail looks like with no hair... it would seem like the hair at the tip of the tail (like a half inch) is thinning or falling off. It also doesn't seem to bother her if we touch it.

She did get loose several times when we first got her and I think she might of injured it and thats why the tip fell off but I am honestly not sure. I do not believe it is mites or anything because it is just the tip of the tail and I rarely see her scratching or anything like that.

Do you have any idea what this might be? The vets around me do not want to be "bothered" with pocket pets and say that it's $300 just to go through the door...

I am sorry for writing so much I just really worry about her. Thank you for taking the time to read all of this.

ANSWER: Hi Steph

Thanks for your question.

Usually when the tip falls off it is because it has been caught somewhere and blood supply has been affected.  This is usual, allowing the tip to come away if the tail gets caught is a safety precaution for a gerbil in case they get trapped anywhere.

However, it does sound strange about the black part - I would be tempted just to monitor her.  If you can, photograph it so that you know if there are any changes.  Does the rest of the tail seem to be OK?  Is there any blood or pus coming from it?  If so you can keep it clean by either bathing it in warm salt water, or you can buy a natural antiseptic cream from pet shops called Teatree cream - this might help prevent any infection.

If the area becomes swollen, is bleeding or there is pus, then she may well need antibiotics, which unfortunately you would need to get from a vet.  Also, if she appears unwell in herself it would be worth getting her checked out, but I appreciate that the vet bill you quote is ridiculously high.  In the UK there are some pet rescues or animal charities/hospitals who can advise on pet illness - I don't know if you have anywhere like this near to where you live.  It might be worth checking on-line to see if there are any gerbil organisations/clubs who might be able to suggest someone who could at least have a look for perhaps a small donation.  Anything is worth trying.

I hope this helps you.

Regards
Sheila

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------


tail   QUESTION: Thank you so much for your reply it's been very helpful!

The tail is not bleeding or anything like that thankfully. I did take a picture a few weeks of it. It looks the same now just with less hair so the black is more visible. It looks hard but it's actually not when you touch it. I am attaching picture perhaps that can help. She also seems very healthy besides the tail (eating, drinking, running around, etc)

Thank you again

Answer
Hi Steph

I don't think you need worry about this - this could just be natural pigmentation or scar tissue.  I'd only worry about it if the end swells or clearly changes in some way or another.
The fact that she is happy otherwise is great - she clearly isn't bothered by it.

Regards
Sheila