Red stuff in eye?

Question
my gerbil is about three years and six months old. Her sister died in September last year (I'll ask about that later).
she hasn't been well the past few weeks. She's been less active than usual and I always get terrified that she's dead when my brother checks up on her.
about a week ago, my brother noticed something red stuck in her eye. I managed to get it out the next morning but yesterday I noticed some more in there. Also, when my brother got her out today, her eyes were closed and wouldn't open (they opened about half-an-hour later)
She was all shakey and fell over a few times and sometimes she lay down flat and didn't move unless we gave her a little nudge. Plus, all she's been eating lately is sunflower seeds. We found her bowl literally tipped over and loads of shells all over the place and she's been getting really thin.

Do you know what the matter with her is?

about my deceased gerbil now. shortly before she died we noticed her growing larger. When viewed from above she looked huge.
can you identify how she died?

Answer
Hello Adam,
it sounds like your hamster has an eye infection or respiratory problem and is also in her old age and the weight loss is something that happens to old animals and is sometimes called "wasting away". :( Your gerbils health may be failing because she is very old. A trip to the vet might help with her eye problem and give her more time to live.
The deceased gerbil probably died because of a combination of old age and an intestinal or stomach problem. Sometimes a strawberry can help move whatever is in the digestive tract along, but if the bloating keeps coming back then there's an issue with the digestive system. :(
I hope this helps.