Actually, Tyzzer's disease and wet tail are two separate illnesses. Wet
tail is a disease that occurs in hamsters and not gerbils, although owners
who find that their gerbils have a "wet tail" often describe the animal as
having wet tail. The presence of a wet tail related to Tyzzer's disease
would most likely be from diarrhea, so you would see staining from that in
addition to the tail being wet. Diarrhea doesn't occur with every case of
Tyzzer's though. Other signs of Tyzzer's are weight loss, lethargy and a
rough coat. It's a pretty fast-moving disease and, left untreated, is
usually fatal.
Another thought as to why the tail may be wet- I have picked up gerbils
after they have just peed and then made their way back through the puddle,
which can leave the tail wet at any point along it. It could also be
related to diet- do your gerbils get many fresh foods?
Hope your little guy is doing well!
Jill
----------
> From: ANDREA SPIEGLE <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Re: C: Wet Tail
> Date: Monday, December 18, 2000 12:55 PM
>
> I'm no gerbil expert, but from what I've read, a wet tail could be a
> sign of Tyzzer's disease (also known as Wet Tail). I'd get him or her
> checked out by a vet. From what I've read, it seems like Tyzzer's is
> easily passed among gerbils, so if the other one os fine you might want
> to think about seperating them until you can make sure what the problem
> is. Hope I've helped. (To others on the list, do I have my facts
> straight?)
>
> Stephen Wakely wrote:
> >
> > Hi there,
> >
> > I have started to notice one of my Gerbils quite often has a wet tail
again.
> > It seems to always be in the same place - near the base. I have checked
the
> > water bottle for leaks and it seems fine. The other gerb never seems to
have
> > the wet tail.
> >
> > Any ideas what this might be? Is it anything to worry about?
> >
> > Many thanks,
> >
> > Stephen
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