Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Gerbil help vet prices please.

38 replies

Thesmallthings · 02/01/2019 19:20

I know this isn't the right place but I need advice and Google is not helping.

Ds10 has a pair of gerbils, they are a year old. Yesterday I found one had had it's tail degloved. Most likely by the cat.

I took it to my vets today. It's not infected thank God. Speedy, is eating, playing, weeing and pooing fine. You honestly wouldn't be able to tell.

Consolation was 35. The surgery they wanted 250.
I don't have it. I brought some antiflamtry pain killers from the vet to. And was told to keep bathing it with salt water and told what signs if infection looks like but hes as happy as can be right now. Even said it could heal on its own if the dead bit falls off with no infection. Which is what seems to be tapping now.

I was put in touch with rspca would will help with vets bills as I get some housing benefit.

My question is does any one know what their prices are like? They said consultation is 7 pounds so I'm hopeful the surgery will be a decent price

Also how do I get him to take his liquid medicines. He won't take it on its own. Nor mixed in with yogurt. .

Has any one delt with degloving in a gerbil before?

OP posts:
6triesbuttingout · 02/01/2019 19:42

Is anyone else having a crap new year? Dh and I both got d&v. My mum died November and was the anniversary of my dads death 30 dec. I thought things would get better but have just heard both (younger) brothers have cancer arrg

Sourtart · 02/01/2019 19:45

Good luck Thesmallthings. We had our hamster PTS earlier this year. Was about £25. Prior to that he had a minor operation which cost £60

That wasn’t with RSPCA

hooveringhamabeads · 02/01/2019 19:49

Don’t know about RSPCA prices but when my hamster needed antibiotics I was told to put it in his water bottle.

WombatStewForTea · 02/01/2019 19:59

I thought it was the PDSA who helped with reduced vets fees not the RSPCA. Have you tried them OP?

Original poster
Thesmallthings · 02/01/2019 20:00

Hoover. He needs 0.01ml so it would be diluted and he wouldn't finished the whole water so I'm not sure water bowel would work.. plus he has his brother with him ( I can't separate them as they may de clan then )

Im sorry about your hamster, i know their little but they are great chacaters. 60 I could live with. And im hoping it doesnt come to having to put him down.

6tries I'm sorry your having a really bad couple of months. I hope your brother kick cancers butt. Xx

OP posts:
Original poster
Thesmallthings · 02/01/2019 20:02

Wombat I think the pdsa are part of them? It may even be them as i spoke to rspca gave me a number to call.

OP posts:
LoobyLou1976 · 02/01/2019 20:02

Hi
I'm a veterinary nurse, sorry to hear about your gerbil.
I think the price you were quote sounds very large? We do reduced price consultations for 'small furries' at my practice (mice/rats/gerbils etc), so the consultation alone sounds a lot and the surgery costs sound a lot too.
Could you discuss the possibility of paying your bill in instalments? Some vets will allow you to do this. I can only think that the surgery will be amputation of the tail, there is no way to cover the exposed tail with skin if it has fully degloved, so it is literally amputating the tail to a stump and sewing it shut. Obviously the risks for a small furry having a general anaesthetic are significant.
No idea about RSPCA policies, sorry, I'm in Scotland (SSPCA up here).

Just keep an eye out in the meantime for signs of infection (swelling/discharge/weeping/smell/lethargy/not eating etc)

Hope you get this sorted soon.

LoobyLou1976 · 02/01/2019 20:06

Sorry forgot to add, the liquid medicines should probably go straight down his throat, if you can get a tiny insulin syringe from the vets and draw up the correct amount, just restrain him in one hand and pop it right into his mouth (get some help to hold him or wrap him in a small towel). This is the only way you know he is getting the whole dose.

Original poster
Thesmallthings · 02/01/2019 20:07

Looby... i coyldnt believe the price they said, i asked about instalment but they wont unless it's 300 plus.

And I can't afford to go checking other vets for consultations as they womt price with out seeing
Him. so this charity place is our last hope

If it gets infected I'll have to pay for him to be put asleep as I just can't afford 250 Sad

OP posts:
LoobyLou1976 · 02/01/2019 20:12

I understand its a huge amount of money. I'm so sorry, its a sad reality that a lot of animals get put to sleep because of costs.
I don't think that the RSPCA and PDSA have any links (I might be wrong), I think if you are on benefits the PDSA will be able to help you. Do you have a branch near you? Give them a phone and tell them what benefits you receive, they will be able to tell you if you are eligible for treatment. The main thing just now is that he is eating/drinking and doesn't seem to be in pain.

thesnapandfartisinfallible · 02/01/2019 20:15

Sit him in your lap. Put your index finger and thumb on his cheeks and gently pull his cheeks back to grasp the scruff of his neck to open his mouth, exposing his teeth. He will struggle and squeak but you aren't hurting him. Hold him like that tilted back, put the syringe in his mouth and squirt it into his cheek.

I've had many a hamster on antibiotics and that's how I force them to take it if they won't eat it.

LEMtheoriginal · 02/01/2019 20:22

Another vet nurse here. Nit much experience with gerbils thouugh.

However, when i was young i pulled my gerbils tail off (degloved) He was disappearing down the back of the sofa and i grabbed his tail. I don't think we took him to the vet. I seem to remember it grew back.

I would go for the antibiotics and make sure you use a non sticky/dusty bedding until it heals.

MonkeyfaceThereturn · 02/01/2019 20:27

I will probably get lynched here but come on. It's a gerbil. I spent £300+ on a hamster who's pouch had fallen out many years ago, pretty children and when I had money to burn. Bloody thing died anyway, so I'm not a rodent novice. But someone getting housing benefit and is struggling? Just PTS if need be!

Original poster
Thesmallthings · 02/01/2019 22:00

Thank you for the replys.

I asked for anti b just in case but she said it wouldn't work.

The chairty place I'm tryk g tomorrow is psda I believe. They only charge for what they use not for the vet or time.

I work but do get some housing benefit so I qualify for it. I'm gutted we don't have a blue cross as they only ask for a donation.

It is tail amputation that were looking at. Though if got a friend who is a vet nurse who's poped over to night and she reckons they may not have to chop it as the tail has dropped of a fair bit so may heal on its own.

But he is being checked again tomorrow so that's the important thing, he quite happy tonight ran up up n down me.

OP posts:
Original poster
Thesmallthings · 02/01/2019 22:04

Gerbil tails also don't grow back unfortunately.

Other than I don't want him to be in pain I also don't want to teach my children we just dispose of animals just like that.
I will do everything i physical and finacliy i can, ds whos 10 and the offical gerbil owner also suggest we surrenda him to the vet if it ment he got the treatment he needed. So if tomorrow still to much much that's something I will ask

OP posts:
LoobyLou1976 · 02/01/2019 23:05

I think you are doing the right thing and teaching your child an important lesson, well done to you. Animals are not disposable commodities that we can just get rid of when they 'break'. I know that in reality many people will say 'it's just a gerbil/mouse/hamster' whatever, but it sounds like you (and your son) really care about it and are doing the best for the wee pet.
I concur that the tail will not grow back, the 'dead' bit may shrivel and drop off eventually but if he is being seen again tomorrow then I'm sure he will get the best treatment.
Hopefully he will be okay. x

Grilledkippers · 02/01/2019 23:19

One of our gerbils fell through the top layer bars of the cage and lost about 1.5 inches of fur and skin on his tail. The little bone was exposed and we couldn't have left him like that. I paid around a total of £365 for ab, painkillers and part tail amputation. We were also told he may not survive the op as a small animal. He did and is in fine fettle but bloody hell the costs! Luckily I was in a position where I could pay at the the time. My daughter is also 10 and we were so delighted he pulled through - only a gerbil but a part of our family. We got very emotional!

chickensinthegarden · 02/01/2019 23:28

Why do you have a pet if you can’t afford the vet fees? I know I’m going to get flamed, but it really is irresponsible.

Original poster
Thesmallthings · 02/01/2019 23:46

Because I can't afford 30 a month for 2 gerbils.
Yes that may make me a shitty person.

Grilled, bless his little heart, I'm so glad he got his treatment and you was able to. If I could I really would.

OP posts:
TamzinGrey · 03/01/2019 00:01

Your local RSPCA branch will give you vouchers towards the vet bill if you are on benefits. They don't actually provide a veterinary service themselves but will be able to recommend somewhere affordable.

familygermsareok · 03/01/2019 00:31

That sounds like a huge amount of money to me. We had 4 gerbils and one of them got his tail caught in the edge of a plastic tunnel we had in their tank and the end third of the tail came off completely exposing the meninges. The vet had to amputate the stump. This was about 8 years ago, and the op cost about £50 with an additional £7 ish I think for antibiotic injection, wasn't given oral meds after. Just local vet, not PDSA and no reduced fees.
I agree that animals should not be considered disposable for convenience but £250 😱 I honestly don't think I would have paid that and would have pts.
How old is your gerbil? Ours lived for between 3.5 - 4 years and two had to be pts because of tumours. If (s)he is getting elderly that might be another consideration.

Isleepinahedgefund · 03/01/2019 00:34

I had a hamster that broke its leg. He was treated with antibiotics, painkillers and lots of rest/TLC - fortunately made a full recovery. Cost a fortune in vet/drug bills though, and nothing invasive done to him!

Sometimes the kindest thing to do is to PTs though, the little pets are so fragile that an operation is not the best thing for them. If my hamster had needed anything invasive Or wasn't getting better I would have very reluctantly had him put down.

Highly recommend you do not take your children to the vet consultations though, just in case.

familygermsareok · 03/01/2019 00:44

Sorry, just re read op, see he is only a year old. As he has already seen vet and seems quite happy maybe just keep cleaning tail and trying with antibiotics and see how he goes. Hope he gets better and all goes well.

Original poster
Thesmallthings · 03/01/2019 11:15

Well good news.

It was the rspca clinic. I think vets are training over looked by a vet and volenters are used. So prices are very suberdised. You only pay for what is used. Vet seen said as the tail has died and dropped off and there is no infection there is about 60 70 percent it will heal on its on. He's given me anti biotic.

But if in a week it's no better or gets worse surgery to amputate his tail will be needed. And it will cost 60 pounds. Which whilst id rarther not spend it I can live with it.

I just wish we had come here yesterday instead of wasting almost 50 at a different vet just to be told what I knew in the first place.

Speedy is a very fiesty strong gerbil with quite the chacacter so I think he's going to be fine

OP posts:
Original poster
Thesmallthings · 03/01/2019 11:24

Anti biotics only cost me 53p.

I'm sooo thankful places like that are available. We made a donation of 10 quid because it was so cheap and the staff where amazing.

OP posts: