Bloated gerbil

Question
I fed our gerbil some egg plant.  He is now really bloated in the stomach. Could that have caused it and what do I do?
Also what is a gerbil life span?
Thanks for your help
Gina Evans

Answer
Hi Gina

I've never given my pets egg plant before, so I honestly don't know what reaction they have.  The problem with gerbils is that if they like a particular food (especially things like sunflower seeds) they eat loads. Hamsters, on the other hand, seem to pace themselves and store some of the food for later.  I would suggest you just feed your gerbil with the hamster/gerbil dry mix and a small amount of fresh vegetables daily - ideally the vegetables should be alternated to give variety.  In terms of what to do right now - how is he apart from this?  Is he OK, or are there some other 'symptoms'.  If he is bloated just through over-eating then this will probably pass, however, if you notice that there are clearly other things going on with him then it might be a good idea to get someone to see him.

The life span for a gerbil is around 3 years.

Hope you get on OK.
Regards