pet gerbils

Question
Thank you again.
I went in to the pet shop again and asked if their own vet would take a look at him, I think they thought I was being neurotic.  Then I went home to collect him to find he had died :(  I have now taken his body back to the store and demand that a vet takes a look to find out how he died.  I am worried about the other small animals in their store.  I will let you know the outcome.  Thank you so much for your help and support.  kind regards, Jackie
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-----Question-----
Hi again,
Thanks for such a quick response.  I have placed a large food bowl in the cage so that even if the black one is eating a lot, there's still plenty for the small brown one.  I have also placed a water bowl in the bottom of the cage just incase he is having problems using the water bottle.  He appears to be eating but only one seed or piece of food at the time, then he goes back to sleep.  I haven't seen him drink yet.  I placed some water in the bottom of my hand and put him beside it but he just had a wash in it.  His bottom is dry and clean but we noticed yesterday (same day we got him) that they are very light in colour, although they are solid and not diarrhoea.  I will speak to the pet shop again today.  His coat is dull and tatty whereas the black one is smooth and shiny.  How can I encourage him to eat and drink?  Whenever a hand goes into the cage he jumps straight into the palm to be lifted out, then goes straight into a deep sleep with eyes closed, then wakes up with a startled jump after a couple of minutes, then the cycle happens again.
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-----Question-----
hi,
we bought 2 small gerbils (male, approx 6 weeks old and from the same litter), one black and one sandy in colour.  The black one thrived but the sandy one was losing a lot of weight even though he appeared to be eating.  he started biting nastily and squeaking.  I took him to the vets and they couldn't flind anything wrong but prescribed vitamins.  He died 48 hours later.  I went back to the pet store and was given another pair of gerbils from the same litter, they are identical to the first pair in colouring.  however we have only had the one day and I can already see that again the brown one is a lot smaller (almost half the size), quieter and more timid.  He cries when we put him back in the cage, yet when we let him out he just falls straight to sleep in our hands.  Could it be that in this litter the sandy coloured ones are submissive to the black ones?  What should we do?  I don't want to see this poor little fellow die, and the pet shop and vet have no suggestions.   Thanks
-----Answer-----
Hi Jackie,

This sounds an awful situation, and an unusual one. For me it is really difficult to even suggest what it is without seeing the gerbils, so i can't give a definitive answer. I can do my best to help though!! Is this one definitely eating and drinking? If he is not it is essential that you encourage him,if you need more help with doing this then feel free to ask!! Or is he drinking excessively? Are his droppings normal, and is his bottom clear and clean? Have you asked the vet if they could offer you a course of general antibiotics such as baytril, as this clears up general problems and does no harm!!!

Let me know the answers to these questions and i will do all i can to help!!
Charlie.
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Hello Again,

Well Done! You seem to be doing well! You say his coat is scruffy? This is often a sign of illness, as a normal coat should be sleek, soft and shiny (in a clean way, not greasy). I think if you can you should definitely ask the vet to look at him, i don't know if i mentioned before, but if you only just got him the pet shop should be inclined to pay the fee, especially if you explain that the incident with your lsat gerbil begun in this way!!
If you haven't seen him drink you should try now and get him to by using a little dropper, or syringe and very carefully droppering small amounts into his mouth so he has to drink. If you can do this a few times a day, until he won't take any more each time, you will be doing great. Dehydration can be dangerous too, which is why you must get him to drink!!!

Also, gerbils love human baby food. (Cow and Gate Sunshine Bananna is best, the powder form which you mix to make a paste) I use this all the time with mine and they love it, not only this it contains vital nutrients and moisture which will help the gerbil get energy and all that needs. If you make it runny enough you can syringe feed this a few times a day also instead of water!!!

I hope this helps!!
Let me know what happens!!
Thanks,Charlie


Answer
Hi Jackie!!

I am so sorry for your loss, and i hope you are ok!

The vet could look but i will just warn you the chances of them being able to honestly tell you what happened without sending it off for a post mortem is slim. They probably will not offer this as it is very expensive for them to pay for. I know this as i may have previously mentioned i worked in a store/vets and so know the proceedures.

You are right though to demand to know what is happening to their gerbils and why the keep dying, particularly as gerbils are very hardy animals and things such as stress do not kill them easily like they do in hamsters!!

The most the store will most likely do is offer you new ones again, or a refund. You do what you think is right though, and maybe if you take more insist that they get a healthcheck before you buy them, and make sure they agree for you to see a vet (them paying) if you start to experience a similiar problem again. If you are just keeping the one you have i again would insist they get it thoroughly checked over, as there is no way of knowing if it is contagious unless you know what the other one died of!!!

I really hope this helps you a bit,
Again please keep me posted and i hope you are ok!!

Charlie.