help!!! is gerbil dying?

hello everyone, i was wondering if anyone could help me. my gerbil chandler is normally extremely lively. as soon as i go into the kitchen, he is out of his house to see who it is and taking in everything that is going on around him.

tonight at 11.00pm i went into the kitchen, the piggies where squeaking happily, the hamster doogle was exploring around his pen but chandler was no where to be seen.

i shook his house slightly to see if he would come out but he didnt. so then i pulled out some of his bedding and he came out of it then. but his eyes where closed and he was struggling to walk, so i just thought he was half sleeping still. i called his name but he was acting odly 20 mins later. still wouldnt open his eyes and is having trouble moving the back part of his body. he is nawing everything. so i gave him some gerbil food which he is picking through.

his friend joey died last month. joey and chandler where bought as babies on the same day. chandler is just over 2 years now. im worried that he is dying. i think that he was maybe in the process of giving up and if i hadnt bothered him he would of been dead by now. it is 12.00am. what should i do.

i took him out of his house and set him in the sick bay which is a little pen with a blanket in it so i can see him better. im so worried, does this mean chandler is giving up?

Unfortunately, small rodents have pretty short life spans.

If you do not have a qualified exotics vet to call, I would simply try and make him as comfortable as you can.
Perhaps even your normal vet may have some small exotics experience, it's worth a phone call.

I dont' know much about gerbils but I do know hamsters. I raised them for abou 5 years......But from the sounds of it He's not doing to well. Gerbils don't have that long of a life span....not sure how long exactly. Just keep an eye on him.....see if he eats and drinks anything because we all know that as long as they are doing that they are doing somewhat ok.....I'll send lots of get well vibes for the lil guy!!

Poor guy!
It may just be his time, I'm sorry to say.
Gerbils lifespans are only around 2 - 3 years.

I am not sure I can help you, but I am sending healing prayers.

thankyou so much folks for the helpful and thoughtful replies. unfortuantely it is 12.48am here now and the vets doesn't open until 10.00am. the only out of hours calls they do is for farm animals or horses.

chandler is eating, i put in some of his fave gerbil food and he's nibbling at it. it is just such a drastic turn around from how he was yesterday. joey like i say died last month but he died while i wasn't at home and when i went to check on him he had past on.

As long as chandler is eating it is a good sign and since i woke him he has not went back to sleep which could be good too. he is warm in his sick bay tank. i think his eyes may be open a little now.

will keep you all posted.

Originally Posted by memories

thankyou so much folks for the helpful and thoughtful replies. unfortuantely it is 12.48am here now and the vets doesn't open until 10.00am. the only out of hours calls they do is for farm animals or horses.

chandler is eating, i put in some of his fave gerbil food and he's nibbling at it. it is just such a drastic turn around from how he was yesterday. joey like i say died last month but he died while i wasn't at home and when i went to check on him he had past on.

As long as chandler is eating it is a good sign and since i woke him he has not went back to sleep which could be good too. he is warm in his sick bay tank. i think his eyes may be open a little now.

will keep you all posted.

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I will still send good vibes. Also if you take him to the vet please update us.

I hope 'lil chandler is ok. It does sound as if hes giving up though. Any recent updates on him? I will be thinking of you! *hugs*

Wouldn't him be willing and he is trying to eat be a sign he wants to hang on longer. Maybe he just has a tummy ache.

hello all,


great news, at 2.00am chandler was his old self, he was jumping around looking inquisitive and eyes where fully open. my partner thinks that me waking him up and plus him being so old meant he was feeling groggy and just like an old fogey and thats probably why it took him a while to come around. he's drank and ate like a champion so i cleaned out his cage (just incase) and he's been sleeping softly for the past 3 hours, so fingers crossed it was nothing but an geratric gerbil going a bit awall. thankyou so much, seems that our prayers paid off.

Originally Posted by memories

hello all,

great news, at 2.00am chandler was his old self, he was jumping around looking inquisitive and eyes where fully open. my partner thinks that me waking him up and plus him being so old meant he was feeling groggy and just like an old fogey and thats probably why it took him a while to come around. he's drank and ate like a champion so i cleaned out his cage (just incase) and he's been sleeping softly for the past 3 hours, so fingers crossed it was nothing but an geratric gerbil going a bit awall. thankyou so much, seems that our prayers paid off.

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That is great news am happy. Way to go Chandler...

Originally Posted by memories

hello all,

great news, at 2.00am chandler was his old self, he was jumping around looking inquisitive and eyes where fully open. my partner thinks that me waking him up and plus him being so old meant he was feeling groggy and just like an old fogey and thats probably why it took him a while to come around. he's drank and ate like a champion so i cleaned out his cage (just incase) and he's been sleeping softly for the past 3 hours, so fingers crossed it was nothing but an geratric gerbil going a bit awall. thankyou so much, seems that our prayers paid off.

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Thats is great!! Poor 'lil fellow was just a bit sleepy then......

chandler was fine all day to day. hubby seems to think he may possibly of had some sort of seizure which is common in older gerbils and thats why he was all loppsided and couldnt open his eyes and such.


he has been drinking and eating well today and jumping around. im so happy for the little fighter.

Yay! I'm glad he has made such an improvement He had me very scared!

How is Chandler today. BTW chandler is my sons name