Gerbil Health Check

This will be useful for if you are choosing gerbils from the pet store or just doing a routine health check on the gerbils you already own. Firstly I will cover the physical condition of the gerbil and later the behavior.

Check the coat. The coat should be even, with no patches of missing fur. If there are patches of fur loss and scabs, this could be down to mites so seek vet help. Remember that weekly baths in chinchilla sand help maintain a healthy coat!

Check the eyes. The eyes should be bright and shiny without discharge. Red colored discharge could indicate an eye infection, so visit a vet if you notice any discharge.

Check the nose. There shouldn't be any fur loss or discharge. This could be a nose infection or just an allergy so vet help would be needed here to get a proper diagnosis and treatment.

Check the teeth. How? You don't need to be opening your gerbil's mouth (that could cause injury if not done properly) but you can observe them when eating or gnawing to see if there's any discomfort. Because gerbils are rodents there teeth constantly grow so it is essential to have plenty of wooden gnaw toys (and bridges etc) for your gerbil to wear it's teeth down on. If you suspect your gerbil has overgrown teeth, you can give it  a lot more gnaw toys. If you think it is really bad, then you can contact a vet because sometimes their teeth will have to be worn down professionally if it is left too long for your gerbil to wear them down naturally.

Check the ears. There shouldn't be obvious blockage. This, spinning in circles, cuts around the ears (from scratching)  and  the 'head tilt' could be signs of an ear infection so once again if you suspect this, contact a vet.

Check the nails. These will most likely be fine, wooden and rock gnaw toys help to stop nails becoming over grown. If you do however feel that your gerbils nails are overgrown you should not cut them yourself, it is hard to cut them right without causing injury, so again if you are really worried contact a vet, but plenty of rock and wooden toys should keep them down.

Behavior - Gerbils are naturally very alert animals (you will probably noticed). They are inquisitive and will come to your hand when you put it in the cage. Gerbils often get scared and dart for there nest if there is a loud noise or someone runs past them. If your gerbil is not behaving like this and appears to have very little reactions, you must contact a vet as it is probably ill.

Please bear in mind that this is a general health check and so does not over everything that could go wrong with your gerbil. None the less I hope I have helped.

Video on Gerbil Health:

Video on Gerbil Behavior: