loose, smelly bowel movements in gerbils

Question
What do I do for a gerbil that has loose, smellier than normal bowel movements? The gerbils are not ours, we are just caring for them. Help!

Answer
Hi Donna

Have you changed the gerbils' food whilst they have been with you.  This is probably the most likely cause for this - don't feed lettuce as this can cause diarrhoea. Is the cage with you or with your friend - i.e. has the location changed of it?  If it has been moved is it possible that something in its new location has caused the problem - i.e. air freshners, perfume, plants closeby etc.

Diarrhoea can be caused by stress, incorrect diet or illness.  It would be worth checking the other gerbils to see if they are OK.  If you can't easily identify what might have caused it then it is important to treat it as an illness.  Can you handle the gerbils at all?  The key thing with diarrhoea/loose stools is to ensure that the animal doesn't dehydrate.  You can sort this by giving them a rehydration powder and also a probiotic.  

Do you have a local vet that you know?  If so it might be worth phoning them an explaining the situation. You don't really want your friends returning to a vet bill but you also don't want them returning to find their gerbils have died.  If you do decide to consult a vet, take all the gerbils as they would need to be treated as a colony rather than individuals.  If they are in a glass tank then you would need to get another container to put them in (one that they can't chew their way out of!)

If you can't get them to a vet then you can buy oral rehydration powders - these are the ones that humans take.  Mix a sachet according to the instructions then put this mixture in their water bottle.  Also, you need a probiotic - you might be able to get this from a pet shop, such as Avipro, but if you can't get this you could give acidophillus which is sold for humans in health shops.  If you buy a bottle of capsules and empty one capsule in the water bottle.  

If you can handle the gerbils and have identified the one that is ill then it is worth trying to feed some of this solution via a dropper.  If you sit down to do this and perhaps if two people are present it might make it easier.  Also, make sure the food you give is bland - just a dry hamster/gerbil mix, raw porridge oats, pieces of bread.  Cut out all vegetables and treats.  Vegetables can be reintroduced once there has been some improvement.  Also, I suggest you give the cage a good clean - don't use household disinfectant - you should only use the one sold specially for pets.  It is also adviseable to wash your hands thoroughly after handling the sick gerbil before handling any others. Change the solution in the bottle daily - once you've mixed up the rehydration powder this usually keeps for a day or two in the fridge.

If this mixture works then you should notice an improvement in a day or two - continue the medicine until the stools look normal.  If the gerbil starts to look really unwell (quiet, hunched, shivering) or the diarrhoea gets really bad, or if any of the others are clearly affected by this too, then you need to get them all to a vet urgently.

I hope this helps you and that this situation sorts itself out.

Regards
Sheila