AHHH is my gerbil DYING?!!?

Question

My gerbil is just laying there motionless! It's one of them. These past few days, it's been feeling a bit lighter than the other one, but we didn't think it was something important or anything. What if it's sick???!
I know it's alive because its eyes are open and it's occasionally shivering. Also, when I scooped it up in my hands, it flinched but barely moved. Usually it leaps away from my hand in the cage, but it didn't, it was too weak! It's laying there, body stretched out on its belly, and it's occasionally shivering. My brother says it's a stroke, but I'm not sure if it's really a stroke. Is it only sick? What should we do? Will my gerbil die???? :-(

Also, there's red stuff under its chin.

I think they're about 1 and a half months or two months old. I've had them for threew eeks . I didn't do anything wrong to it.
Actually, now that I think of it, from the very start when we bought the two gerbils, the one that is currently weak was actually a bit lighter!

And I've been trying to give them a healthy diet. Cheese, treats, and OCCASIONALLY -- like once, MAYBE twice a week -- a mealworm. (they love it. the internet said they can occasionally eat a spider or a mealworm)
I hope the mealworm didn't do the harm??

SHE DIED :-(
I can't believe it. I didn't do anything wrong. Now I only have one gerbil, and I should get another one so it won't be alone. But how do I do that -- they'll fight, and my

sry i entered on accident. CONTINUED

two gerbils were best friends. I feel bad for having to replace Tammie, the now dead gerbil.

Answer 1

I'm so sorry about your lil friend. Exotics and lil rodents are so sensitive and difficult to diagnose. More than likely, he had a pre-existing ailment. Though his life was short, he was cared for & love, which makes his life full and with purpose.

If your gerbels were together, I would first clean EVERYthing thoroughly, replacing ground cover and food with fresh, just to be safe. If you get a companion for your existing lil firend, I'd keep them close, but separate to start.

Each pet offers us something, so no matter how limited their life might be, they offer and teach us something. If anything, to deal with the unpleasantness of life. Sencere Regards...

Answer 2

I'm so sorry about your gerbil! On rare occasions a gerbil will suffer from severe epilepsy--it's just bad genetics and there's nothing you can do. I don't believe it was the meal worm (although I personally, would not recommend feeding this to a gerbil--I work in a pet store and have kept several sets of gerbils as pets over the years) nor do I recommend cheese meant for human consumption as too much of this can cause one of two polar opposite problems: constipation or the runs. A cheese treat packaged for small animals is fine, however. The red stuff you noticed? That would be gerbil mucus; it is a reddish/pinkish color.
If you would like to introduce a new gerbil, here's how:
You will need a 20 gallon glass aquarium with a screen top, an aquarium divider, and all of your usual gerbil care products including a second food dish and water bottle.
1. Split the cage in half with the divider and set up two separate habitats on either side.
2. Double check to make sure both the divider and screen top are secure.
3. Purchase a gerbil of the same sex and approximately the same age as the one you already have.
4. Place one gerbil on either side of the divider.
5. For the next 7-10 days switch the gerbils to the opposite side several times a day. Do not put them together. Simply keep one on one side and one on the other. This gets them used to one another's scent.
6. On the final day, set up a neutral space (I've used a high walled cardboard box, which is fine b/c you will be supervising them the entire time they are in there) and place both gerbils in together.
7. Observe them closely. Do they seem to be fighting or just checking each other out? A sure sign of fighting would be if you noticed one biting the other near its tail or backside.
8. When you are sure they are not fighting, remove the divider from the habitat and place them back in. (If they do fight, you need to repeat steps 1-7).
9. Observe their behavior for the next 24 hours. Put the divider back up and start over if they begin to fight.
10. If they do not fight during this time, congratulations, you have successfully "introduced" them to each other!

This is called the "split cage" technique and I've done it successfully many times. To be sure that you're getting a gerbil without disease or genetic defects I would highly recommend purchasing it at Petsmart. They have a good reputation for being knowledgeable and taking very good care of their pets. Hope this helps! And do let me know how it works out.

Beeba :-)

Answer 3

I wonder if the water bottle was broken and the gerbil became dehydrated? Of if she had a chipped tooth and couldn't eat.

If you do get another friend for you gerbil, make sure to wait a few weeks to make sure the other isn't sick. Wash out everything very well with hot, hot water and a drop of bleach.

Introduce the two gerbils gradually and carefully using a split cage:
http://www.agsgerbils.org/Gerbil_Care_Handbook/adopt.html#split

www.AGSgerbils.org also has a breeder listing were you can get a gerbil.

Answer 4

Sorry to read that your gerbil died.

I would not recommend getting another gerbil for the one that is still alive. I had a gerbil once and after a few weeks decided to buy a second as a companion. The second one immediately attacked the first one and bit her.

We tried the trick of keeping them in separate habitrails with the connector tube blocked. After a few weeks we reintroduced them and #2 was still very aggressive. We ended up keeping them apart forever.

Cinnamon (#1) was a very nice gerbil, surprisingly VERY sociable. He'd greet us constantly and even greet the cats and chase them in his ball. #2 was just an a$$hole and wanted nothing to do with anyone or anything.

We had them a few years and after they passed we got two new ones together. They got along just fine, although they had a litter. (The pet shop told us they were both female when we bought them so we were surprised.) We gave daddy back to the store. But they had gotten along fine.

Anyway, sorry to reminisce about my gerbils. It was a long time ago. Unless you buy them together, I wouldn't introduce a new one - they'd fight. As long as you spend quality time everyday with your gerbil he/she won't need a companion. Give him TP rolls and a ball to run in that's all she needs!

Answer 5

AWWW I THINK HE IS DYING, OR HE PROBABLY DIED BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS. HOW OLD IS HE? THEY ONLY LIVE ABOUT 3 YEARS. I HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF GERBIL'S, MINE DID THE SAME THING WHEN THEY DIED. THEY GOT WEAK, TRIED TO WALK, BUT FELL OVER TRYING, AND LAY THERE MOTIONLESS. IT IS SOOOOOO SAD, BUT 3 YEARS TO THEM IS A LIFETIME. IF YOU FEEL BETTER TAKING HIME TO THE VET, YOU SHOULD, GOOD LUCK, I HOPE I AM WRONG, AND MABEY HE'S JUST OVER TIRED. I HOPE I'M WRONG.

Answer 6

I'm so sorry! It does sound like it may be in the final stages of life ... my daughters hamster recently died and what you have described sounds EXACTLY like her last few days of life. Is the gerbil eating? Our hamster would not eat ... even her favorite treats!

Again, I am so sorry.

Answer 7

Oh, that doesn't sound good. If he didn't gain weight properly, it could be he was born with a problem and he wasn't strong enough to survive any longer. I don't think there is much you can do for him other than bring him to an emergency vet to try.

Answer 8

Gerbils have short life spans. You didn't do anything wrong, and you couldn't do anything to change nature. You loved it, and that's ALL you can or could have done.

Answer 9

You should see an animal doctor immediately! This could be a serious injury.

Answer 10

I'm very sorry .He will die.Mine did the same thing.Let's hope the Lord will bless him.