Skinny gerbil

Question
Hello.  We bought 3 baby male gerbils (we were told they were from the same litter) in May and they lived happily together until a couple of weeks ago when 2 of them started bullying Tom and didn't allow him into the nest.  He was sitting alone at the top of the cage although he could get to food and water.  After a few days we discovered he had a nasty scratch and has lost a lot of weight (he weighs 55 grams while his brothers weigh 80 and 84 grams.  The vet said his cut wasn't infected and it has now healed nicely but we've put him in a separate cage albeit a temporary hamster cage which I know isn't ideal.  The vet didn't know if his weight loss was stress or some other problem #he was also drinking a lot but that seems to have settled a bit now# and maybe that's why his brothers rejected him.  He's a great character, very lively, extremely friendly and is really happy to be handled and come out to play.  

I have a few questions - have you ever heard of weight loss caused by stress in a gerbil?  What food should we give him that would be fatten him back up assuming he hasn't got some other disease?

Also, if he has got some sort of liver or kidney disease, is there anything we (or the vet) can do to help him and what would his life expectancy be?

Is it possible for a healthy gerbil to be so light - could he just be naturally skinny?

Just one other thing - as I say he is in a temporary hamster cage with wood shavings and a house for him to hide.  Obviously the shavings can't be too deep or he would burrow and make a terrible mess!!  He seems extremely happy in this cage - would he be happy to live there permanently or should we invest in another aquarium type cage once we know he's gained weight and has a good chance of survival.

Sorry for the long message but I would be very grateful for your comments.  I'm not sure our vet (although brilliant with the cat) seems very knowledgeable when it comes to gerbils!!

Thank you for your assistance.

Janet

Answer
Hi Janet

thanks for your question.

When I used to keep gerbils I had a similar thing happen.  Initially you don't notice bullying, but it can escalate quite quickly into fighting.  You were right to separate them, and now Tom will need to live on his own.  He will be fine alone, but will need plenty of things to occupy him.

As you have discovered, the problem with gerbils in hamster cages is the mess. Gerbils love shredding cardboard and it is great fun watching them do this and burrow in deep bedding - however, you would be forever clearing up the mess.  If he is happy for now I would leave him, but in the future you may well be better off putting him in a tank so that he can burrow.  The soft tanks can be chewed through so you either need one of the hard plastic gerbilariums that you can buy in pets at home, or a glass tank. I know it is a long shot, but if you or know of someone who is driving down to Kent at any time in the future, I have a glass gerbil tank you are welcome to have.  It's currently sitting in my garage awaiting a new home. If you are heading down this way by car and are interested let me know and I'll send you a photo of it.

In terms of him losing weight and drinking a lot - this bullying might have gone on for longer than you realise which could have caused the weight loss.  Of course there is no way for me to know if this is the reason, but I suspect it could be.  Regarding the excessive drinking, he may have been bitten, which would have meant loss of fluids.  When my gerbil was attacked, he lost a lot of fluids through bites all over his body, and also the shock he went through and he became very dehydrated and needed a lot of fluids.  If his drinking is slowing down a bit now, that is good - but if you feel he is dehydrated you could put a little oral rehydration powder in his water to try and rebalance his electrolytes for a few days.  You buy this in Boots - their own oral rehydration - follow the instructions on the packet with regard to dilution.

Foodwise - I suggest you give him seeds - especially sunflower as they love these and these definitely fatten them up!  In addition to his usual dry mix you could try a little baby food in a dish - creamy porridge oats is a favourite - if you buy the powdered type and mix a little with water.  This is full of nutrients and will help him gain weight.  Also, you could try a little cheese or scrambled egg. Make sure you give plenty of hard food too so that his teeth don't overgrow.

He might just be slightly lightweight for a gerbil - not all gerbils are large - I've had some who were round balls, others who were quite wiry.

Providing he is active, bright, is often busy shredding etc. and is eating well, then there is probably nothing to worry about.  He will forget his brothers pretty quickly, and soon get into his own routine.  

I hope this helps you.

Regards
Sheila