Gerbil Eye Problems

Question
My gerbil's left eye has been shut for the past week. When she first wakes up, it is fully closed, but as she is awake longer it opens slowly. I have tried sand baths and a shallow dish of water in the cage. She seems fine other than the eye, and still behaves normally when her eye is closed. What is wrong with her?

Answer
Hello Carolyn,

This is a harder question to answer, as the eye seems fine other than the fact that is closed? There is no discharge of any sort around it?

It maybe that she has something like a particle of her bedding/sand lodged behing her eyeball. This is quite common, especially as gerbils love to dig.

Have you just got her? Sometimes when you first get an animal the stress of moving can cause there eyes to close, and they normally re-open again within a few days.

The fact that it is not opening and closing normally suggests that there is not something 100% there and so i would recommend that you just pop her down to the vets just to check up on it and make sure it is nothing serious.

I am sorry i can't help you further or tell you exactly what it is, but i hope this helps.!!

If you need anything else just ask!!

Thank you,
Charlie.