Gerbil struggling to eat, old age

[jodihaley]

Hi, my gerbil is 3 1/2 and has lives happily without her sister companion who died a year and a half ago, always has been so full of life. I’ve noticed her slowing down over the last month, still eating and drinking and having her treats etc.. just not jumping as high and getting clumsy, losing energy and feels like she’s lost weight! She’s never enjoyed being held but has been cuddled up to me all day and seems like she’s deteriorating.. she seemed interested in her fave a pumpkin seed but doesn’t have the energy to hold it or bite down on it.. just wondering how can I feed her if she’s like this ( I know it’s her probably her time this means but I just don’t want her to feel hungry or starve because she seemed interested in food but just can’t manage it) could j crush up some seeds? I’m just worried about her choking.. any advice would be much appreciated thank you

[Pim]

You could syringe feed or use mush of her food or babyfood.

[catnut]

i'd crush up the pumpkin seeds and any of her food that is too large for her with knife or rolling pin in a bag and see if she can eat that, also dried or oats mixed with water may tempt her to eat more. Put her food right near where she sleeps, or sits so she knows she has food, may be easier than a bowl and some gerbils prefer to eat it in the shavings. hopefully she will eat more when they are easier for her.

[beachbumgerbils]

3 and 1/2 is pretty senior for a gerbil. Because they are a prey species, gerbils are really good at hiding signs of pain and illness until they can't any more. If your girl is too tired to eat, something pretty bad is going on :/

I would recommend checking her teeth to make sure they look normal. Broken or overgrown teeth are a common reason for having trouble eating.

I've had pretty good luck offering fruit flavored baby food to sick gerbils. Be very careful if you decide to try and feed with a syringe. It can be very easy to give too much and cause aspiration pneumonia.

Offering heat support might help too. Like a heat lamp or a heating pad. Just make sure she can get away from it if she gets too hot.

If it's feasible, it sounds like your girl really needs to go see a vet to assess quality of life.

[PipSqueak]

I’m a bit late but for senior gerbils like that you can try to find some baby food/ fruit and veggie purée that doesn’t have anything extra like salt, sugar, or any other seasonings. Since it doesn’t require chewing it’s easy to eat for old gerbils and they also don’t have to or really can hold it in their paws so it’s super easy for them to eat.