Would "Zoo-Med Mite Off" Work for Gerbils?

Question

I bought "Zoo-Med Repti Sand" for my two gerbils about 2-3 days ago. It came in a sealed package, and it advertised that there were no dyes or added chemicals, so I bought it with the intention of avoiding sand that would contain carcinogenic materials. Anyway, I put the sand in their tank, and it was in there for about a day when I noticed that they were itching excessively. At first, I thought maybe it was because the sand was getting trapped in their fur and irritating them, but even after I removed the sand and replaced it with Carefresh bedding, they were still itching. I've begun to suspect mites, but I can't tell for sure because I've tried wrapping them in tissue and I don't see any red/clear/black dots moving around. Since then, they've been very lethargic, and they're just not acting.. right. They're still itching a lot.

Does anyone have any experience with using "Zoo Med Mite Off" on small mammals? Supposedly it works really well with reptiles..

Answer 1

they could have mites or the may not like the sand, hay work well as a bedding for gerbil, and they don't need water bath a sand bath is best about every 2 to 3 week use chinilla sand for the bath a put it in something it the cage

Answer 2

I know that dish soap does not work on guinea pigs. I would be hesitiant to use it on gerbils. What we use for the pigs is ivermectin. You may want to talk to your vet about that to see if it works for gerbils as well.

Answer 3

Wash them in Dawn dish soap.  The citrus oil kills most parasites.  Do not use reptile products on mammals.  Reptiles have a very thick skin that does not absorb most things, whereas mammals have very porous skin that can easily absorb chemicals into the bloodstream, which can potentially kill them.