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If a Gerbil is huddled in a corner all by itself, its fur is all bedraggled and it looks miserable, then something is definitely wrong and you should see a vet immediatly. Try offering a sunflower seed. If the Gerbil does not immediately seize on it and eat it, then you should be very worried. A healthy gerbil should be bright-eyed and alert, and very curious. It's coat should be shiny and smooth. If you think your gerbil is sick, keep reading. Sore noses are one of the most common Gerbil health problems. They can be caused by allergy to bedding (especially cedar), over burrowing with the nose, or stress. The problem is that the sore nose becomes infected with bacteria and needs treating with an antibiotic ointment. A vet should do it. A gerbil with a tooth problem will look healthy but will lose weight rapidly. It could have lost one or more of its front teeth. Usually the tooth grows back again within a week. Meanwhile, the Gerbil cannot gnaw and the remaining teeth may grow too long and require trimming. A vet can do this. An excellent test for teeth problems is to offer your vet.your Gerbil a piece of paper. It will immediately try to chew it. It's instinctive. The gerbil should be able to chew up paper. If not, you have a problem. A scab probably indicates fighting between gerbils. This may have been an argument over food. But it may also be a warning of external parasites, which are rare on gerbils. However, if your Gerbil has an inflamed, scabby, bald round patch on its coat, then it could possibly be ringworm. This is highly contagious. Take no chances and and see a vet. |
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