sick gerbil

[bella]

Poor Mint is sick.  Our vet said that by the time gerbils start to show symptoms, they are very ill (hide it well because they are prey animals), so I'm not sure at this point if it is too late to take Mint to the vet.  A couple of weeks ago, as we were cleaning the cage, I noticed that Mint had been storing food downstairs.  We've had Berry for a while and Mint just joined us about 3 weeks ago.  Berry never stored food.  After that cleaning, I noticed that the large pellets (which is what Mint was used to eating at the pet store) were disappearing far more rapidly than usual.  I put in another handful, which disappeared almost immediately, so I figured Mint was storing them downstairs and they would find them there.  There was still a fair bit of other types of food in the bowl, so I didn't put in any more large pellets for a couple of days.  When we cleaned the cage a day or two later, I was surprised to find that there was no food stored -- they had just eaten an enormous amount of food!  So, we filled up the bowl again, and Mint pretty well sat in the bowl for 2 days straight.  I was left wondering if he, perhaps, doesn't recognize the other things in the bowl as food and starved for a couple of days  .  He was about 4 months old when he arrived at our house, so maybe he just got used to the pellets??  

Anyhow, after a couple of days in the food bowl, I didn't see a lot of him.  I wasn't worried because the gerbils often sleep a lot during the day.  He seemed fine otherwise.  Saturday night, I found him sitting upstairs with his eyes closed.  I thought it was strange that he was sleeping up there, but since he looked fine otherwise, I didn't worry.  Sunday, when the vet was not in, he began walking around with his eyes closed -- just walking once in a while between his bed and the wheel, where he just sits.  He won't eat (we crushed his food and offered it to him as powder on our finger), and I've been giving him water from an eye dropper.  He is very weak and lethargic, and his fur is all dishevelled.  He also looks like he lost about half of his weight overnight.  

I know gerbils generally don't overeat, but could he have?  And harmed his digestive system or something?  Do you think it's to late for the vet?  Any ideas?

[betty]

It all sounds very odd indeed. Have you done all the basics - checked teeth, bum and generally felt all around the body for lumps, bumps or hot spots. Have you also weighed him if possible to see if he IS actually losing weight rather than just looking different.

Changing a diet too rapidly can cause loose stools or many more stools (both are forms of diarrhea) and therefore weight loss, but changes in the diet added to the 'stress' of moving and making new friends (you didn't say how they have been introduced to each other and for how long). Mind you if he wasn't eating the new food at all even though he was hungry sounds very odd as food is food to a normal hungry gerbil.

Your vet was right that they don't show it until it has gotten really bad, but it could be something simple and until you check him at the vets you won't know either way. Basically it is 50/50 without veterinary treatment; you won't know whats wrong or if it can be helped; but with a quick once over from a vet if anything can be done - it will. Just waiting to see what happens won't 'fix' anything. It's not like he's an old gerbil whose time has come.

Good luck whatever you decide.