# My gerbil is sick??? PLEASE HELP



## jetandscampxxx (Sep 9, 2013)

I said hello to my almost 3-yr old gerbil yesterday and he had what looked like wet chinchilla sand all around his mouth and a tiny bit on his nose, and I tried to dislodge it but it wouldn't move, around his mouth is also wet, so is this actually chinchilla dust?
His eyes and nose are a little red which could be him digging in the corner of the cage which he gets quite often,
He's doing this little sneezing thing once a minute or so, which is quite loud, and sometimes does a little silent one and just does the movement.
He seems rather lethargic and I thought he was falling asleep but then I realised he had a red sort of stringy thing is his eye, which I managed to take out most of.
And when he was in his cage I listened closely and sounded like he was wheezing but then I took him out a little later to have a closer look and I couldn't here any wheezing!

I love my gerbils so much so please answer as I will find it hard to go to sleep if I am worrying and I should be asleep now but hi well.

Today I looked at him again and he was on the top platform of his cage in the chinchilla sand with his eyes closed, when I picked him up he was making some kind of clicking sound whenever he breathes 
My other gerbil jet, is fine.
I've moved the chinchilla sand, his food and some water onto the floor with his bedding in, but know he's just standing in the corner of his cage with his head facing the wall, eyes closed.

WHAT COULD IT BE!!! Plz help

The next day I looked again and was about to phone the vet but then realized he wasn't doing the clicky thing anymore and deemed better! Not sure if I should still go to the vets...

So I waited in the end but he got weaker and weaker and the day after that my parents where out the whole night and couldn't take me the next day either. So we booked an appointment for the day after that, on Saturday.

Unfortunetely, but that time he wouldn't move and would shake whenever put down on a surface. He wouldn't walk, or react to any of his surroundings. The vet said he'd had an organ failure of some kind and was preparing to die. There was nothing we could do. So they put him down.

*Scamp Milligan Sloboda-Bolton, you have been an amazing pet for 3 years and it seems like only yesterday I was working so hard doing an hour a day of violin practise to get you when I was 10. You've always been there for me and I salute you.

May you R.I.P*


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## Fluffydd (Jul 28, 2013)

He may have a respiratory infection as that will cause of clicking when a gerbil breathes, and the wheezing and sneezing would fit in with that too. When gerbils are feeling unwell they often sit/stand hunched up with their eyes closed. If he was my gerbil I would take him to the vet as soon as possible, as antibiotics may help.


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## HazelandDan (Apr 22, 2012)

i'm not an expert, but agree with fluffy, the clicking sounds a lot like a respiratory infection. make sure your gerbil is warm enough, give them a heat pad or warm hot water bottle by the tank, some shredded loo roll to bed in and get the gerbil to the vets, they'll be able to give antibiotics and help diagnose the problem. hope things get better xxx


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