What do you do when your gerbil....

[Angel_Wing1]

One of my gerbils got attaked by my cat and has well a pretty big cut under his ear. He acks normal like running in his wheel and chewing boxes but i was wondering what I can do to help his cut heal and Do I clean it and with what?

[Jade]

Cat bites have a BIG tendancy to get infected. There is a lot of bacteria in a cat's mouth. I would recommend you keep it clean with anti-bacterial soap and water tonight, and contact a vet in the morning for an antibiotic such as Baytril or Trimethoprim Sulfa.

Make sure you take note of antibiotics to avoid:
Penicillin
Lincomycin
Ampicillin, Amoxicillin (or Clavamox)
Cephalosporins, Clindamycin
Erythromycin

[Angel_Wing1]

Well i don't think it will get infected because the cat is mine and he well is indoors most of the time and my gerbil is acting normal but whats an actibacterial soup? Do i put Hydrogen peroxide or something like that on his cut?

[Jade]

Cats have normal bacteria in their mouths, just like we do. When that bacteria gets into a wound, it grows and creates infection, no matter how healthy your cat is. Your gerbil will likely not show signs until it's too late.

Anti-bacterial soap = any soap that's without fragrance and labelled anti-bacterial or anti-microbial.

I would highly recommend you seek veterinary advice and an antibiotic. In addition, they may want to check the wound for subcutaneous (under the skin) pockets. When a cat bites down it usually pulls, creating a space between the skin and the muscle layers - this is perfect breeding ground for bacteria.