What's wrong with my gerbil?

Question

I have two young gerbils, a male and a female (please spare me the sex talk), I got them a little over a week ago and after a mild introduction struggle (see my last question), they were getting along fine. I've had them just over a week now and up until today they seemed to be extremely healthy. This morning I found the tiny male (about 3 inches not including tail) laying outside the wooden house he sleeps in, I thought this was strange, and when I picked him up he was completely limp and barely breathing. There is a tiny bit of what might be dry diarrhea at the base of his tail, but I've had a hamster with wet tail and half her belly was covered was covered. Also, his eyes and ears aren't as dehydrated as her's and he is declining much more rapidly. There's almost no chance he got it from the infected hamster, she and her cage were gone before he arrived. I know it might be stress because he is so young, but what all could be wrong and what should I do for him and to save the female?

Answer 1

From the symptoms you have described, it sounds like a bacterial infection. Gerbils tend to be resistant to Hamster "wet tail", so that isn't the problem. A broad spectrum oral antibiotic added to the water source should clear it up.

Answer 2

That is really small for a gerbil. I wonder if he was removed from his mother too early. Try feeding weaning foods like kitten milk replacement, baby oatmeal cereal, fresh banana, real yogurt, and baby food fruit and vegtable.

He really needs to go to the vet if you want him to survive to get the right kind and strength of meds. If that is impossible Ornacycline (regular not PLUS) from the bird section is safe for gerbils. Mix up the dose for a small bird and put in the water bottle - you have to mix it up fresh and throw away the old medicated water every day because it goes bad. I hope he makes it.

Also, keep him warm by warming up only one corner of the tank with a clamp lamp or just a goose neck desk lamp.

If you want to get gerbils in the future try the breeder listing off www.AGSgerbils.org