Why is my gerbil losing hair and getting scabs on its nose?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can see the hairloss you are referring to. This would commonly be caused by overgrooming by a cagemate, but since Jim lives alone, he could be overgrooming himself due to boredom. He may also have mites, a skin infection, or an autoimmune condition. I would recommend having your vet take a small samples of skin from the area and sending it off as a biopsy to definitively determine what is going on.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria or fungal). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics or antifungal meds (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection can eventually be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

I am sorry to hear about Peanut. The most common cause of a sore on the nose in a gerbil is a condition called "sore nose" or "nasal dermatitis" and can be related to stress, high humidity levels in the cage, or trauma due to excessive burrowing or injury on cage. I would recommend bringing Peanut to a vet to confirm this is what is affecting Peanut. If the case is mild, they may prescribe a topical antibiotic creme or ointment to apply. In severe cases, oral or injectable antibiotics may be necessary. You can read more about this condition at: https://www.petcoach.co/article/nasal-dermatitis-sore-nose-of-gerbils/ Best of luck to you and Peanut!

This is likely just a pigment change and no big deal but of course, without seeing it I cannot say for sure. If any of the areas look like growths, scabs, scales, flakey or in any way abnormal besides the color change, then I would have your vet take a look. Your vet will be able to ensure there isn't any type of bacterial or fungal infection that needs to be addressed. Keep a close eye on her.

Aw, how cute! Hair less on the areas surrounding the nose of many rodent species can be an indication of mites, ringworm, or some other fungal infection. Any of these will require treatment to clear up. Ring worm is also contagious and can be spread to other animals as well as humans. Some simple diagnostic tests can also be run by a vet to determine which of the above is more likely to be the cause of Stitch's problem. Other less likely causes would include some sort of irritant resulting in hair loss or and underlying bacterial infection. Hope this helps.

That could be just an injury but it could also be the start of a tumor. Gerbils kept in a wire cage will often spend hours chewing on the cage bars, and this will rub off fur and irritate the nose. The simplest solution to do is keep your gerbil in an aquarium with glass sides. Glad you changed the bowl. I hope you got one that is ceramic or glass - that way she can't chew it. Do you have chew blocks for her? http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/our-products/hay/harvest-stacks-western-timothy-with-carrots https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/you-and-me-wood-chew-sticks-for-small-animals She may need a better diet. I don't know what you are feeding her but I suggest you use a premium diet like Oxbow. This may curb her chewing on other things. https://www.petsmart.com/small-pet/food-treats-and-hay/food/oxbow-essentials-healthy-handfuls-hamster-and-gerbil-food-5173696.html I, of course, would recommend you take Yuki to a vet for an exam. If you don't want to do that just yet I suggest you just monitor the nose for now. Do not apply anything to the nose topically because Yuki will just lick it off and ingesting those topical medications would not be good for her. Hope this helps. Best wishes!

Hello. Thank you for using PetCoach! This looks like a ringworm lesion to me. http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=18+1800&aid=2494 You can try using a topical anti-fungal medication like Clotrimazole to see if it helps. Apply a thin layer to the lesion twice a day. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Antifungal-1-Clotrimazole-USP-Cream-1-oz-tube/950932820 Remember two important things: 1. It can take weeks to months for ringworm to resolve. If you are not making much progress with the cream after a couple weeks I would take her to the vet. They can give you an oral medication to use that may be more effective. 2. Ringworm can be contagious to people so wash your hands thoroughly after handling her. Hope this helps. Best wishes.