I have had my gerbils just over four weeks so they are about 11 weeks old. After I had had them for 2 weeks one of them developed a sore nose. It looked like he was having a nose bleed. I read on the net that gerbil's mucas is red and that it may be an alergic reaction to the sawdust so I changed it imediately. It didn't make any difference and he has been scratching it alot and he even scratched a big piece of skin off. As a result he has bald patches around his nose which have not grown back yet as he is still scratching it. He had a small bald patch by his eye from scratching but that has now cleared up. I took him to the vet and he gave me some liquid to put on the nose but so far this has not made any difference and it cost £26! Up until today the other gerbil has been fine but now he has a bloody nose. The vet said it may be dermatius or ringworm but I am unsure what to do. The vet said if the liquid formula didn't work then I should take him back and have him knocked out and samples taken from his nose, but I don't really want to put such a young gerbil through the trauma when it could be avoided. They both scratch their noses which makes me think it is an allergy, could it be the sawdust? I avoid cedar and pine if I can, is there a particular brand that may help or could I use something else such as sand?
If anyone has experienced similar problems with their pets please let me know as I welcome any advice at all.

I recently switched bedding and found one of my gerbils was allergic to the new stuff - she was wheezing and her breathing was laboured. I switched her to shredded paper and there is no problem now. It does seem that your gerbils are still allergic to whatever it is you're using.

Alternative beddings to traditional woodshavings are:
-carefresh
-megazorb
-shredded paper
-peat/potting compost
-sand
-straw
-hay
-corncob
-paper towels, shredded
-or a mix of any of these.

I'm sure there are others. You'll probably need to experiment to see what works for your gerbils.

You might try manuka honey to clear up the sore noses, I'm told this is great stuff. You could probably get it in a health food shop but as I've never bought it don't take my word on that one! You can order if off the net anyway, that's for sure.

Don't have them knocked out. They're too tiny, they won't make it. Your vet is clutching at straws and probably trying to make a quick buck to boot. I'd be 99% sure it's just an allergy to the bedding.

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