2 separate pups die Help!

[sweetie]

Hello,

I need help. I know of some one who had 2 gerbils. They were both bought together at the same age. The female pup died. Then they got an older pup and after the successful intro the older female pup died.

The gerbil was hunching over and her eyes were half closed. She was eating, drinking and sleeping normally but would mostly stay in the nest. She did have a bit of diarreah but that was most likely from the fresh fruit given.

The original male gerbil does not have any medical issues and is alive. Could he be a carrier of Ecoli and passing it on? Do the symptoms of a hunch and half closed eyes indicate an RI? There was no clicking?

I am baffled and am not sure what to say.

[Ritzie/Admin]

I'm not sure what hunching is....is it a bend back?

If so, combined with the half closed eyes, a sign of somekind of illness. That both died soon after meeting each other, and that they are not related, seems to suggest that it might indeed be an contagious disease. If it is e. coli or something else has to be tested in order to be sure!

Is the male gerbil still doing OK? If so it might indeed be a carrier of something. Maybe you can contact an experienced vet. He might know more.

I would anyway wait with introducing an another gerbil.

[doomgerbiluk]

yes it does sound as if the gerbil may be a carrier, quite possibly an e-coli strain
You should discuss this with your vet...the two courses of action are : get his faeces tested and treat accordingly or get a course of antibiotics and treat all your furries.
Your vet can best advise which is the best action to take. Gerbils rarely get diarrhea from over-indulgence and therefore it should always be considered serious.
Good luck

For those who do not know, E-coli is a type of bacteria with many different forms , most relatively harmless but some very dangerous (including the notifiable strain that causes extreme food poisoning).
It is possible for a gerbil to be immune itself or very resistant and to carry the disease. The disease will be present in it's faeces and can be passed to humans as well as other gerbils. It usually manifests itself in gerbils with weak immune systems (just weaned pups, stressed or elderly) or if transmitted to a gerbil without resistance (ie gerbils from another breeder, petshop etc).
It should be taken seriously and it is recommended to wash your hands before handling gerbils (remember we can carry e-coli or pick it up) and between your colonys or species.
Having said this please do not let fear of this ruin enjoyment of your animals.

To understand more about gerbil health and disease please read the articles at
www.gerbils.co.uk and www.gerbilshowsuk.org

There has also been much debate on the subject on the GSUK forum
gerbilsuk.proboards15.com/index.cgi

[sweetie]

Thank you for the info. I am not sure why the male is fine and 2 separate pups that were introduced to him at different times are dead.

The 2nd female pup was 8 weeks old. She was healthy and vibrant.

Yes, the hunch is how she was described as in a hunched back or a raised back. I have never before seen this or heardof this such thing happening.

[lydia]

Unfortunately,a hunched back is indicative of something wrong,a lot of animals display this behaviour when unwell or cold.
Obviously,it can be caused by a physical reason,i.e. damage to the back or spine,but,all animals with a healthy back/spine will hunch up when ill or cold,often their coat will also stare(not look right) and they can be lethargic.
with a gerbil that displayed this behaviour I would check it for dehydration,cold/hypothermia,infection.

Hope this helps a bit,

Lyd

[sweetie]

Thanks Lydia,

She did say that she kept that room cooler than the rest of the house since she had to keep the door closed due to her cat. If it was hypothermia, would the gerbil die after exhibiting symptoms in a few days? How is it that the male did not die?
Wouldn't the female have exhibited the symptoms prior to being introduced? Perhaps the temp changed after wards.

Please responses are welcomed. After hearing about other gerbils passing it seems odd,

[lydia]

Unfortunately,gerbils with hypothermia do need veterinary assistance very quickly if it is severe,if it is mild,just increasing the warmth works wonder's.Most gerbils can survive really cold temp's,as long as their nest area is warm enough with plenty of bedding,what they can't cope with is damp,or emptying their water bottles on themselves etc.
I wouldn't expect gerbils to die from hypothermia just because the room they were in is cooler than the rest of the house.I think your friend will never know for sure what caused her gerbil's death,and,she will just have to hope for better luck with her next gerbil/s.
Sorry I can't tell you for sure,what happened or went wrong.

Lyd

[sweetie]

Hey Lyd,

I guess some things are not meant to be solved but learned from. Thank you again for all of your feedback.

[sweetie]

Hello,

I thought I would update you on the most recent information I have recieved regarding this issue.

I called the vet who nuetered my males. I explained the symptoms. She said that it definitely sound like a pain response. The hunched back and the heavy eyes are similar to what I saw when my girls where in labor. I also saw heavier breathing.

She said that she can not be definite about this unless there is an autopsy. She did say that this is the exact same sypmtoms exhibited which caused a woman to bring in her sons pet gerbil. She said it had a broken pelvis.

Hope this information is a help to you all. If you see this behavior please be sure to bring the gerbil to the vet immediately. It is horrible to keep them in that pain for any length of time.