My gerbil pup has broken leg?

Question

my gerbil had pups, unexpectedly, about 10 days ago - I think. It looks like one may have a broken front leg, it looks twisted and it has trouble walking. It does not look as "nourished" as the rest. I think there are 6 total. Is there anything I can do for him/her?

Answer 1

First off, you can't really do anything with the leg. It might be a birth defect, but you can still love your gerbil, even though it has a leg problem.

About the nourishment.. Is it eating? If not, try and hand feed it. Use a syringe (without a needle) and put some liquid food, which you can find a pet hospital or pet store, and feed it to it slowly, directly to the mouth.

It's important that you leave the pups to acclimate themselves to being alive, first!

Good luck,

Pet Rodent Expert

Answer 2

take it to the vet and him/her tell you what to do.  love your gerbil even though it has a twisted leg and be gentle because it may be painful. all your gerbil wants is to know that its loved.

Answer 3

It may just be that the leg has not developed yet. gerbils and hamsters keep on developing up to 4 weeks after birth.

You can try giving them Complan - mix it with cold water or cat milk as this will help build up their strength.  Alternatively, you could ask your vet for a small amount of special powdered milk that they have for orphaned animals.  You need a small amount of this -  mix it with water and give via a syringe/dropper.

ps: you gave me an answer to my question about my cat having kittens- I live in Newton, MA. Does your brother live around there?