F.A.O. - N.G.S. breeders

[Admin]

Hi,

In light of recent health problems reported with E.coli, and also to sum up our discussion on the subject at the AGM of our society, i have compiled a few points below, summing up our decisions at the meeting.

Comments are welcome.


1. We (NGS breeders) should regard ANY bouts of diarrhoea (especially if followed by death) as suspect, until it's confirmed otherwise by a vet

2. As a responsible NGS breeder we should always inform our secretary of ANY health problems appearing in our stock (and not just diarrhoea) so that swift advice and also correct procedure can be undertaken, and help can be given if so needed.

3. As soon as health problems are noticed, we must stop selling and swapping stock, and consider the stock to be in quarantine until the health problems have been removed from the breeders stock. The NGS doesn't want to have it's breeders associated with bad breeding policies or for intentionally selling on gerbils with known health problems.

4. During this quarantine period, on no account should you bring gerbils or attempt to enter gerbils at shows, until you are fully satisfied that all health problems have been removed from your stock. This of course does not bar you from coming to shows and supporting other NGS members at that event.

5. Quarantine in E.coli should be for at least until the treated gerbils have offspring, and that offspring are shown to be healthy.

6. Health problems do not automatically mean needless, senseless culling. The form of E.coli concerned in recent health problems is very treatable, and culling the gerbils should only be considered by a vet as a very last resort.

I am the first to realise that vet costs can be expensive, but hopefully as breeders we realise this, and can hopefully minimise the impact on our wallets by saving up in advance for these problems if and when they arise. That's part of sensible breeding with animals that are capable of producing many, many, offspring! If you can't afford vet fees, many vets allow you to spread the cost over several weeks, which is much easier to afford. Even so the price for testing and treatment can seem high (£40) but it will be nothing compared to how this disease can affect yours and others stock if not quickly treated. In many cases i'm sure the NGS and it's members can help people who can't afford fees immediately by making our surplus supplies of baytril/antibiotics available. After saying this, not being able to afford treatment is no excuse for hiding suspected health problems in your stock and to then carry on selling or swapping stock.

The above numbered points are aimed primarily at active NGS breeders and their current stocks.

Eddie

[Mermum]

Thankyou Ed
As some of you know I currently have problems with some of my stock and while I cannot confirm the source of the infection it seems likely to have come from another breeder who did not follow advice given. Naturally my animals remain in quarantine until I cxan be sure they are safe.
I hope all other breeders will read and heed this advice.
The heartbreak of having pups you have fought nearly 3 days to save die in your hand is not something I would wish anyone else to suffer.
Gill

[Mermum]

Thanks Sandy
Yes the pallids are great
I love it when they forget their feet
but they are amazingly not as clumsy as I expected, and I loved the way one immediately started climbing the bars

As for the illness, if everyone takes this advice we can reduce its spread. It just needs a LOT of commonsense and a yes, a little financial investment into our stock.

The biggest whine we hear is 'I can't afford a vet' yet thats a part of having pets. I'm sure we ALL whine about vets bills but in the end we chose to have these animals.

Don't worry I'll be back................and I'm gonna get my BIS one day

[Admin]

Hi,

Sorry to hear about the pups mum. I know how sad it can be to lose them.

I've had several inquiries over the week, asking what to do if you think your gerbils may have come from a known source of infection. So below i've listed some clear guidelines of procedure.

1. The first thing to do is DO NOT PANIC. If you think your gerbils have come from a known source of infection, quarantine those gerbils at least two doors away from your established stock. Then monitor their health until they have a litter. If the litter seems healthy and has no signs of diarrhoea, then it's safe to assume the parent gerbils are not infected. If this is the case the breeding pair can be placed into your main breeding area with your established stock.

2. DO NOT RUSH TO THE VET if your gerbils appear healthy! The vet may not be able to accurately test for E.Coli unless the gerbils are showing VISIBLE signs of illness. Again if you think your gerbils may come from a suspect source of infection, isolate them from your main breeding area and monitor their health until they have reared a litter. If the litter is healthy with no sign of ill health or diarrhoea, then once again they can be placed in your main breeding area. Again this advice applies to breeders and not keepers of gerbils.

3. What if the litter is unhealthy and the pups get diarrhoea? THIS is the time to consult your vet, and if you are a N.G.S. member it is wise to also inform our secretary of your gerbils health problems. The vet will mostlikely at your request send off a sample (faeces) to be lab tested. The whole process takes between 7-10 days to analyse what bug is causing the diarrhoea, and also what antibiotic the bug is sensitive to. In the meantime you must take care of the litter as best as you can. Products such as Lectade and also Avipro probiotics are invaluable medicines during this period, and coupled with a heat pad can seriously reduce any losses in the litters. Once the lab results are returned to your vet, then your vet can prescribe the gerbils with the appropriate antibiotics.

4. What if you don't breed but are worried anyway because you think your gerbils may have come from a suspected source of infection. Again don't panic. If you keep only a few gerbils and no other pets, it's a case of washing your hands after playtime etc. and practicing good hygiene. This is because E.Coli can spread easily , and can be particularly bad to people of a young age, or elderly, or anyone with a compromised immune system. The gerbils themselves may be carriers all their life and never show any symptoms of illness. But it must also be remembered that if the gerbil is stressed or under the weather in anyway, or if you attempt to breed the gerbil, symptoms may suddenly appear. In this case, a quick vet trip will quickly cure the problem. Remember the quicker you get to the vet to seek treatment, the more the chance of a succesful outcome.

Once again i stress to all that common sense prevail here. The form of E.Coli that has been identified is easily treatable, and only in rare cases of bad diarrhoea has it proved fatal to pups. Good hygiene and common sense should prevent it from travelling any further.

At all N.G.S. shows since the AGM judging and handling gerbils is followed by spraying hands with a hygeinic alcohol rub, that is effective against E.Coli and a whole host of other organisms. The alcohol rub we chose to use was recommended by R8ch as being very effective at it's job. It is very cheap and readily available, and is recommended for all keepers of animals as part of a sensible plan for hygiene with animals.

The product is available online here,

www.spservices.co.uk/product_info.php/cPath/80/products_id/2695?osCsid=49beaef2522d9d28937ed1921907b826

Once again any comments on this are welcomed.

Eddie