•  Introduction
• Diet
• Housing
• Reproduction
• Restraint
• Common clinical conditions in gerbils
•  Rule out chart for gerbils based on clinical signs

Gerbil
Order Rodentia
Family Gerbillidae 
Common species and variations
• Mongolian gerbil or jirds
• Meriones unguiculatus
• Libyan gerbil
• Merionus libycus
            Mongolian gerbils are ratlike in appearance except for their longer and more powerful hindlegs , which aid in jumping or hopping.
            Unlike true rats , whose principal means of locomotion is rinning , gerbils tend to hop or jump and has a tuff of fur on the tip of the tail. Like some lizards , a gerbil can lose part of its tail and survive; however , it will not regenerate.
            Advantage to using gerbils in research
• Docile and curious nature
• Low water consumption and low urine output , which make them easy to maintain
• High tolerance to temperature fluctuation
• Ability to adjust to various diet
• Low incidence of naturally occuring disease Advantage to using gerbils in research
• Quick , jerky movement which make them difficult to catch
• Susceptibility to epileptiform convulsions

            Behavior
            Gerbils are friendly and rarely bite.
            Most gerbils are diurnal in activity , although some are nocturnal.
            They are diggers and burrowers and emit a faint cheep vocalization.
            Adults placed in a cage together for the first time will fight , often until death.
            Females may be more aggressive fighters than males.
            Gerbils are territorial; both genders produce a yellow-brown musty smelling secretion ( scent marking ) from a gland located on the stomach near the umbilicus. They also mark territory with urine , feces.
            20 % of gerbils exhibit brief ( few second to minute ) epileptiform seizures following handling or other stressful experience. No treatment is necessary.
            Food-druming is general communication/altering/excitement action.

            Diet
            Commercial rodent pellets with 18-22 % protein are recommended.
            Because gerbils selectively eat only sunflower seeds , seed-based feed mixed do not provide adequate nutrition ( fractures , growth , bone development problem result )
            Gerbils conserve water by concentrating their urine and drink very little ,especially if they receive leafy greens. But fresh water in a sipper tube should always be provided.
Young gerbils may begin sampling solid food at 15 days of age. Provide soft , small-sized pellets within reach and small sipper tube with water.

; Housing
Use wire and steel , aluminium or plastic enclosures.
Avoid sand , corncob , catlitter as bedding - attempt to burrow and dig will cause abrasion to the face.
Avoid artificial fiber bedding material sold for birds and hamster - small fibers may wrap around legd , feet ; GI impaction may occur if eaten.
Use bedding that will not cause nose ulceration when the gerbil burrows.

Reproduction
Gerbils will breed all year in captivity with controlled 12 - 14 hour daylight.
Best to maintain as monogamous pairs.
Polygamous harems can be sucessful if formed before the gerbils are 8 weeks of age , but they may fight.
Young are born naked , hair begins at 6 days , with a good coat at 10 days. Eyes open at 16 - 20 days.
Male can be kept with dam and ppups.
The female may destroy a litter if it’s very small or if she stop lactating. This may be a wild , survival behavior.
A dam may desert her litter or cannibalize it if she is disturbed , overcrowed or ill.
Most females are fairly reliable mothers. Fostering abandoned pups is possible if host dam has a litter of similar age.

  Restraint
Gerbils jump and wiggle so they are best supported on palm of hand and restrained by holding the base of the tail to prevent leaping away.
Gerbils should not be picked up by the end of the tail - the skin may be slip off.
Extra restraint can be used by holding the scruff over the shoulder / area or by restraining in a small cloth

Common clinical conditions in gerbils
• Rough hair coat
• Sore nose
• Epileptiform seizures
• Diarrhea
• Sudden death
            Zoonotic potential
            A few potential health hazards to humans keeping gerbils as pets: rare incidence of Salmonella bacteria or Hymenolepis tapeworm in colonies of gerbils.

            Rule out chart for gerbils based on clinical signs

Clinical signs	Differential diagnosis
Alopecia	Neonatal runt syndrome Hair chewing with crowding
Conjunctivitis	Idiopathic in older gerbils Bacterial Foreign body Trauma
Dermatitis	Trauma ( Sore nose ) Rubbing on feeder Stap and Strep are secondary Dermatophytosis Bite wounds Bacterial dermatitis Ectoparasitism
Diarrhea	Clostridium piliformes Salmonella enteritidis Hymenolepis nana
Incoordination or convulsions	Epileptiform seizures Encephalitis Poisoning ( including lead ) Trauma
Infertility	Incompatible pair Immaturity or senescene Overcrowding Environmental disturbance Cystic ovaries Neoplasia Nutritional deficiency
Litter desertion or cannibalism	Small litter Exposed nest Lack of material Environmental disturbance Overcrowding Agalactia Mastitis
Malocclusion	Tooth root abscess Trauma Genetics
Nasal discharge +/- dyspnea	Rhinitis and URI Pneumonia Heat stress
Orenatal mortality	Nutritional deficiency Environmental stress
Rough hair coat	Humidity > 50% Improper/insufficient bedding Leaky water bottle
Sudden death	Stravation or dehydration Septicemia or toxemia Chilling or overheating Neoplasia Litter abandoned Acute gastritis Overeating Bloat ( gorging )
Swelling	Neoplasia Abscess Sebaceous gland
Torticollis	Otitis interna and /or medias Encephalitis
Weight loss	Nutritional deficiency Malocclusion Neroplasia Clostridium piliformes

 

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