MY Gerbil Seems Very Inactive

[fluffyfluff1]

Hi i found your site through a link on PetsHub I have a female gerbil, named Peanut Butter. We've had her about six weeks now. She was very active when we got her, running on her wheel, eating up everything in site. Chewing through a toilet tissue roll in no time flat.
In the last week, she rarely plays on her wheel, hasn't touched the two rolls in her cage for almost a week and hasn't been eating as much. Her fur looks good, smooth and glossy Her eyes are clear and bright, teeth seem fine. Her droppings still look like sesame seeds Any ideas what's wrong with her?

[adara]

I usually find that only very young gerbils enjoy wheels [there are exceptions of course ], so perhaps she has just grown out of it.

Also, gerbils are very social animals and should be kept at least in pairs, 2 gerbils aren't much more trouble than 1 and I think for the sake of her not being lonely it'd be good if you might consider getting another for company .

Also, you say her droppings look like sesame seeds.. maybe you meant a different seed but sesame seeds are very pale creamy colour - if her droppings are this colour then I would suggest taking her to a vet -this is not normal, they are usually a very dark brown.

[bigfatmommarat]

perhaps you meant poppy seeds... those are the black ones....

[Die Fledermaus]

fluffyfluff1 said:

Hi i found your site through a link on PetsHub I have a female gerbil, named Peanut Butter. We've had her about six weeks now. She was very active when we got her, running on her wheel, eating up everything in site. Chewing through a toilet tissue roll in no time flat.
In the last week, she rarely plays on her wheel, hasn't touched the two rolls in her cage for almost a week and hasn't been eating as much. Her fur looks good, smooth and glossy Her eyes are clear and bright, teeth seem fine. Her droppings still look like sesame seeds Any ideas what's wrong with her?

Hi. And welcome.

You need to tell us more. I don't know how old she is. But if she is being kept alone (a BIG no no) she may just be sad and lonely as gerbils should never be kept alone. The single exception to that rule is an elderly female whose tankmate has died and who repeatedly rejects younger females despite all the standard introduction techniques.

That being said, be sure the wheel is solid and not runged. Be sure it is clean; mine sometimes use it as a potty and then seem less interested in it.

Not touching two toilet or paper towel rolls is a concern to me. I have 12 gerbils in five tanks and a single pair would demolish it quickly. Lethargy can indicate some sickness that might end up being deadly unless treated by a vet. I have had a lethargic gerbil (Ted) who was that way for less than a day, and then I found him dead. His tankmate and brother, Sam, remains highly active and gregarious, and very healthy, so it was not a contagious condition. (Perhaps a cancer issue).

[rasputin]

Previous posters seem to have covered the bases, as it were -- still, can't help chipping in.

A tankmate may really brighten her up -- be careful that you don't jump the gun in introducing them, though -- there are safe ways to introduce gerbils without fighting breaking out -- and girlgerbs are more prone to fighting during introductions than boygerbs. You can't just plonk them together and let them be themselves.

Maybe someone can describe the split-tank introduction in another thread that can be made "sticky" by our admin friends -- it's widely regarded as a gerbil "best practice," and you'd want to always have that information available.

[fluffyfluff1]

Thanks for the fast replies :)When we bought her the store was not able to tell us her age. I told my husband when we bought her she needed a friend. In fact, I wanted to buy a pair that were quite obviously attached to each other. Another Gerbie would be wonderful! I'll do more research on introduction of another little baby As to her droppings I should have been more clear, they are dark brown but they just remind me of sesame seeds. She did get on her wheel last night and she was a bit more active than she has been. My husband brought her home one of those large commercial Toilet paper rolls and she thoroughly investigated it.The other TP rolls are still untouched. She ate all the peas(6) and lima beans(3) I put in her dish, so i know she ate I moved her cage to a sunnier location too. Where it was, is a shadier area of home.

[Die Fledermaus]

Rasputin said:

Maybe someone can describe the split-tank introduction in another thread that can be made "sticky" by our admin friends -- it's widely regarded as a gerbil "best practice," and you'd want to always have that information available.

Yep. We need some Sticky threads on care issues. Will work on it. . .

[fluffyfluff1]

Peanut Butter and her new friend Jelly are doing great together They are sleeping next to each near the partition. I am going to take partition away and see how they do PB is acting more like her hyper self; Running on her wheel, gnawing again, eating everything in sight and redecorating her side of the habitat.

[rasputin]

You definitely want to observe them and be ready with gloved hands to break anything up if it starts.

Bare hands can break up fights but as I have found out, at such a painful bloody cost.

[rasputin]

I'd say you want to be on hand for the next day or so after letting them meet, to be sure they are getting along and that nothing sparks a fight.

And just give them some extra watching -- for a few days, they might be more agitated.

It's a good sign when they are sleeping in the same nest without quibbling.

[fluffyfluff1]

They boxed each other and did some rolling each other but other than that they seems to be doing pretty good. I replaced the partition last night before bed, as I would not have been able to keep an eye them.....I sleep the sleep of the dead

[rasputin]

Prob a smart thing -- hope they get along easier with time.

[Die Fledermaus]

I just realized. . . none of my 12 have "boxed" in over a year. I guess they are all happily ensconsed into their hierarchies.

[fluffyfluff1]

PB & J are doing absolutely wonderful together. I find them sleeping on each others heads or bellies often
The other night PB was going wild in her wheel as usual ( I wish I had a bit of her energy)....well J was up in the nest area, busy fluffing it all up perfectly because they had totally flattened out the bedding. PB comes up sees what J has done. I think the little goof got pissed because she removed every single bit of bedding. Jelly puts it all back as pretty as can be and PB removes it as soon as J is done. Is this some kind of power struggle?

[Die Fledermaus]

I doubt it. Maybe each has their own preferences as to how they like the bedding, or they just want something to do!

I have long ago given up trying to figure out what they do with bedding. Often the bottom of the tank at the middle ends up bare with all the bedding in huge heaps at the corners. Chrissie, one of the two girls, is the only one of my twelve with the vexing habit of "hiding" her food: she keeps dumping hunks of vardboard, and bedding, in the food dish; I am afraid they won't be able to get at it afterwards.