Wet Tails

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1. Why are hamsters not a good choice of pet for children?
Hamsters are a popular pet, they are cute and fairly easy to look after. Parents buy hamsters for their children without realizing the risks involved. If a child has allergies, just being around a hamster can irritate that. They can not only bite but can also transmit diseases. A child does not understand how to hold a hamster correctly and it only takes a little tighter hold than the hamster likes and the animal will bite.

2. What is wet tail?
Wet tail is a serious intestinal disease often seen in younger rodents. This is caused by bacteria in the ileum. The most common cause of wet tail is stress which can be brought on for many reasons including:
Overcrowded cages
Poor hygiene
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Keeping the grip for extended periods can cause exophthalmos. This is a condition that causes either one or both eyeballs to bulge too far out and is a condition that requires immediate attention by a vet.

9. Why should gerbils not be caught or held by the tail?
A natural defense mechanism that gerbils have is the ability to shed their skin to escape predators. In captivity this often occurs from the gerbil being picked up by the tail. If untreated immediately it may require an amputation as once the skin slips off it leaves the underlying bone exposed. The best way of picking a gerbil up is by scooping the gerbil in to a cup of the hands. They are much less likely to bite this way.

10. Gerbils are monogamous. What significance does this have with regard to a colony of gerbils?
Gerbils typically form life long (monogamous) pairs. If a paired gerbil loses it's mate, it is often known to not accept a new spouse. Both the male and the female help to raise the young. In the wild, there will be typically be only one breeding pair and the rest of the colony made up of their offspring at various ages. All the time that the offspring is in the nest, they will not breed but as soon as they leave, they go off to find a mate of their

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