Pear shaped

[crissid]

My daughters gerbil, who was 3 years 4 months old was her normal healthy self one day, and within a week dead. She was a loner since her mom died a year earlier and our 3 attempts to introduce a new friend failed miserably, but other than that a seemingly happy and healthy little girl. She ate primarily pellets, with seed mix here and there and a once a week fruit or vegetable treat. Her tank was filled with 1/2 aspen 1/4 hay 1/4 paper bedding with toilet paper rolls and tissue for a nest. She loved to build a network of tunnels and chew her rolls. One day when changing her water I noticed the paper rolls from the night before hadn’t been touched, and she was sleeping on top of her shavings instead of in a hold somewhere underneath the surface. She looked peaceful and happy so I left her to her nap. That night when I visited her to take her out I noticed she was a little bonier than she usually felt, which was a little more solid than her father and brother in the tank on the other side of the room.
The next afternoon I get home from work and the rolls are still there, her water is empty, and she’s laying on the top of the shavings again but sorta awake. I picked her up and she’s very pear shaped! Having gone through two gerbil pregnancies I immediately questioned my daughter, I thought she had let the boys near her for playing:s. She swore she didn’t. By the next day the gerbil is looking pretty uncomfortable and having trouble walking so I moved her to a small cage I use for tank cleaning day since I was worried she wouldn’t be able to use the ladder to get up top for water. Next day her eyes are shutting and she is bony yet large around the bottom, looking very pregnant. She couldn’t get the hang of the new water system so I started holding her old bottle for her 4-6 times a day. There is no vet that will care for a rodent here, would have to drive 10 hours for one so I prepare my daughter for what I knew was coming. By the bext day the gerbils eyes were shut tightly with a yellow goo on them and she couldn’t walk or sit up and eat. I was hand feeding her shelled peanut and sunflower seeds since those were her favourites and I just wanted her to be as happy as I could make her. By night 7 she had passed.
I just wanted to know what could have possibly happened to such a seemingly healthy pet? Are the boys at risk of some illness now too?

[londongerbils]

I’m so sorry to hear about your gerbil. She lived to a good age and it sounds like she was well cared for. I hope your daughter is ok.

Do you think it could have been an ovarian cyst?
www.omlet.co.uk/guide/gerbils/gerbil_health/illness/

Or could it possibly have been tyzzers?
gerbils.co.uk/gerbil-help/gerbil-ailments/tyzzers-disease-gerbils/

[fysha]

Sounds like she had an ovarian cyst. I've had a few girls with them and they become pear shape very fast.

[LilyandDaisy]

I had a gerbil with an ovarian cyst. She got so big so quickly, and by the time the swelling was even noticeable the vet said it was taking up most of her abdomen. The cysts can burst or press on organs causing illness, which might be what happened to your gerbil. My gerbil had the cyst for a couple of weeks, then went downhill very fast over a couple of days and had to be put to sleep.

[crissid]

After reading up in the two, it seems like it was ovarian cysts. It was so sad to watch her deteriorate like that 😭.

[catnut]

I adopted a rescue gerbil afew years ago and soon after I got her, noticed her growing belly so didn't have her for too long, had to have her put down 4 1/2 months after I got her, poor Zena. It affected her breathing/energy, couldn't have her suffer). soo sorry to hear about your girl.