Is my gerbil sick?

Question
I've had my gerbil Sam for maybe 2 weeks, and I don't think
he was at the pet store for very long. Just today he has
become a little lethargic. He hasn't moved very much but
hasn't really slept either, just sort of sat in the cage
with his eyes half closed. He hasn't really gone in the nest
area or really acknowledged our other gerbil.

There's no other things wrong that we can see, we put in a
bit of a grape and his water bottle is full in case he's
constipated. And our other gerbil is perfectly healthy and
running around right now, if that helps any.

We were told they are both males but is it possible Sam is
pregnant? Or simply tired or something?

Answer
Hi Jordan

Sorry to hear about your gerbil.

Are the two gerbils living together?  Have they always lived together or did you introduce them?  Is there any sign of fighting/squabbling?

It would be a good idea to double check their sex - if you can hold them both at the same time (you probably need to get someone to help you with this) then it is best to compare them.  Pet shops do often make mistakes and it is quite common to get unexpected litters so it is always worth starting by doing this.

If they are different sexes then the important thing is to separate them otherwise you will end up with more than one litter  as they usually mate the day a litter is born.  Be absolutely sure before separating them however as once you have separated them if you have a made a mistake it is hard to reintroduce them.  If you think they are different sexes then unless you wanted two cages I would be tempted to go back to the pet shop and tell them - they may take one back from you.

If they are opposite sexes and you do end up with a litter, any girls from the litter can stay with mum, but at 4 weeks the boys would need to be separated out and kept in a separate tank - again, if the pet shop has made a mistake then they may offer to re-home any unwanted babies.

If they are the same sex, then the next thing is to check each of them for bites.  Sometimes they can fight or bully.  Often one will want to be more dominant than the other one and sometimes they will bully - in which case one can become withdrawn, or even get bitten.  In these cases they need separating, but again this is a decision that needs to be taken very carefully.

Gerbils are generally active and quite hyper, and whilst they will settle down a bit when they are in their own home and perhaps sleep a bit more than they did initially, they should be still come out of their nest and see what is going on if you put any cardboard in the cage for them to shred.  Having said this, I have two gerbils at the moment (sisters) and one is very hyper and is always out and about climbing up platforms and shredding, and the other one isn't - there are some days when I hardly see her as she is much lazier than the other one.  I think this is just her character and there is nothing wrong as such.

In terms of the lethargy with yours - is he lethargic all the time, or does he just like to sleep a bit more than the other one?  When he is out and about, will he shred cardboard (are you giving them plenty to do to stop them getting bored?  I get all my friends and family to save their toilet rolls so that mine can shred all day long if they want to!), take an interest in food?  Does he look bright and move around the tank normally or is he slow and dull? Can you check his teeth?  It is worth making sure they are OK, I had a gerbil once who lost is front teeth and he suddenly couldn't shred any more and struggled to eat - once I realised there was a problem I just modified his food a bit (gave him food that was small - seeds, chopped nuts, etc.) so that he could eat well and included a few things in his tank to occupy him and he was fine again.

If you feel there is something wrong then it would definitely be worth getting a vet to check him out (but you might want to let the pet shop know first of all as they may be able to advise you on this).  If you think that he is just quieter than the other one and apart from wanting to sleep a bit more is OK in himself, then it is worth just monitoring him to see if there are any changes. This could just be his personality in that he is a bit more laid back.  If however his behaviour gets worse and you are worried then I would definitely advise getting a vet to look at him.

I hope this helps and that he is OK.

Regards
Sheila