due to a fight, my gerbil has a cut on top of his mouth and cannot eat

Question
hi danielle,
I have told another expert about my situtation that happened. My gerbil got into a fight with my hamster etc. I have just realized that my gerbil has a cut on top of his mouth and that might be the reason he isnt eating. And i tried putting atibiotic on his wounds but he keeps jumping and running away. Is there anything i could give him to eat that is not too big for him to eat/ or something liquid that he oculd eat? i have also found several wounds on his body with no hair or anything. the eye that has been bleeding after the fight, is half closed. is he going to be okay even though he has one closed eye?



thank You

Answer
The eye and cut should be fine, however I would suggest the following things. If the cut on his mouth is out the outside of his mouth, not the inside, you can dab it with some peroxide on a cotton ball, twice a day for 5 days. This will help keep the wound disinfected. After letting it sit on the cut for about 2 minutes, you can gently wipe his mouth with a damp cloth to get the excess off.

For the eye that is closed, you can use neosporin on the eye twice a day for 5-7 days, to help fight any infection that might be in it. It should be fine, however, there is always a possibility that it may never heal. One of my rescue hamsters is blind in one eye due to a fight. The swelling never went down, and scar tissue grew over it. However, he leads a completely normal life, despite the injury.

For food, you can soak some Total cerial (high in vitamins) in water until soggy, and then feed this to him. You can also fix him some plain oatmeal cooked in water, with no sugar or anything else added to it. Another suggestion would be baby food, preferrably a flavor like puree'd chicken, because of the protein in it.

If you feel his condition worsens at all, or doesn't show improvement within 7 days, I would have him examined by a veterinarian who is experienced with rodents. Possible prescription antibiotics may need to be prescribed.

Hope this helps!