Scientists say that it can also occur because of boredom, frustration, social isolation, and other negative stressors. Gerbil Welfare is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. You can spot excitement when your gerbil hops up and down, sprints quickly, and makes loud yips. Most owners learn to spot this ‘language’ when they keep gerbils for a while. Males also use drumming as a mating tactic, so keep that in mind if you own more than one gerbil. Pooping a lot can also be a sign of excitement. I hope that you find this resource helpful! Signs that your gerbil … It stands to reason, then, that gerbils can also communicate when they’re unhappy. It can be the result either of sadness or stress. But often, a seizure or a stroke is a death sentence for a gerbil. Body going limp or rigid (your gerbil may fall over), Injury (e.g. Putting your gerbil in a stress-free environment can help speed their recovery. Plane, TX 75075 - Diagnosing diseases in pet rodents (rats, mice, guinea pigs, hamsters, and gerbils) is essentially the same as in dogs and cats. There are several signs that a gerbil is unhappy. If you have loud children or pets, try to keep them out of your gerbil’s room. Stereotypy is a sign of a negative mood. According to Phys.org, wild animals will even run on wheels. Captive gerbils find it difficult to exercise as much. A few signs of stress that can also be a sign of illness are hiding or sleeping noticeably more than normal, poor appetite, hair loss, etc. You may notice: Disturbed sleep indicates that your gerbil’s mood or health have changed. Every gerbil is different. Brush her gently to help remove any loosened fur. Your gerbil rubbing its face against the glass of its enclosure. Gerbils have tiny hearts that work hard. So, keep your gerbil’s enclosure away from any items in the home which generate ultrasound. If you take it from its cage, rather than running around exploring, it may sit doing nothing. The idea is that the gerbils can get used to each other, but can’t fight. I’ve always found gerbils to be adorable pets, and am fascinated by their behavior. They may constantly try to escape from their gerbilarium or run around in circles. If you follow our above advice, you should be able to figure out what’s causing your gerbil stress. Another sign is when you see one of your pets cowering in a corner, with obvious signs of stress, like shivering or catatonia. Just keep treating it with kindness, and giving it everything it needs. Get regular veterinary care for your gerbil. This is an indication your gerbil is feeling threatened and stressed; the drumming is a warning sign to other animals nearby. The guinea pig is showing signs of stress that may also point to an illness. Your gerbil digging in the corner of its cage, where there may be no substrate. Stress in Small Pets: Causes, Signs and How You Can Help Small, adorable critters, affectionately known as pocket pets, might appear to live a carefree existence. This generally occurs along one side. Some gerbils bite or dig at their cage walls out of habit. When the body is under stress, a hormone called cortisol runs rampant in the body. ... Fight signs. If your gerbil is healthy, and its environment isn’t causing stress, it may just have an anxious personality. Something else you can try is encouraging your gerbil to exercise. Most gerbils have it better when they have another gerbil to socialize with, but they can tell you when they are unhappy as well with their mannerisms. The positive effects of exercise are backed up by neuroscience. In this article, you learned about 10 signs of stress in fish, as well as several causes of stress. When a gerbil lives alone, it gets lonely. So, exercise is an easy fix. So, in captivity, gerbils get lonely if they’re housed on their own. A healthy gerbil will be much happier than an unhealthy gerbil. Unfortunately, even with a wonderful home and excellent diet a gerbil may become ill or injured. Sometimes, you might hear your gerbils squeaking…, Gerbils that are the same age, and live together, are usually the same size. The thumping is produced by pounding both hind legs on the ground. https://www.petco.com/shop/PetcoPingUserType?requesttype=ajax&catalogId=10051&storeId=10151&langId=-1 Gerbils run on wheels because it rewards them with positive-feeling neurochemicals. You can easily tell when a gerbil is happy, sad, or excited, for example. One of the major signs of a gerbil declanning is when you notice blood on your pets. All of these things will make your gerbil feel less alone. Lack of Interest in Exploring or Exercise, How to Tell If a Gerbil is Male or Female (Sexing Gerbils), How to Tell if Gerbils Are Fighting or Playing, Gerbil Health Monitoring: How to Check for Problems + Illnesses. That alone can fix most problems. However, in captivity, these patterns can change. Gerbils live in social groups, and in the wild, gerbils are routinely attacked by predators. https://pocketpetcentral.com › how-do-i-know-if-my-gerbil-is-happy Your gerbil should get through about 10 to 15 grams of food per day (roughly one tablespoon). Don’t let your gerbil spend more than 15 minutes in the hamster ball or it could become stressed. Continue using the partitions in the cage for at least 7-10 days, until the adjacent gerbils show no signs of aggression. Like humans, gerbils’ digestive systems don’t function as well when they are in fight-or-flight mode. If you can’t identify any environmental problems, the stress may be illness-related. 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