Why Do Gerbils Stop Eating? (7 Interesting Facts)

Gerbil is a good pet, and many pet lovers want to own them. They are very much common in USA. Before owning a new pet, you must be familiar with all behavior of that pet. There are different behaviors, metabolism, and edibles, etc. You must know all of these things before keeping a new pet.

Why do gerbils stop eating? Gerbil stops eating much, the reason can be there. When gerbil gets sick, then they may stop eating. Dental issues can also hinder food intake. If dogs are suffering from gums and tooth pain, then it may result in gerbil stopping eating.

In this article, we will cover topics like why gerbils stop eating, What I can do if gerbils are not eating, whether you can forcefully feed gerbils, and many other things. Let’s dive into the details of why do gerbils stop eating.

Why Has My Gerbil Stopped Eating?

Many reasons can be there if gerbil is not eating. You should carefully check whether gerbils can open or close their mouths or not. If they can’t do so, then there is some internal problem in the mouth of gerbils. You need to solve the problem of your gerbils.

They may also stop drinking. In this condition, if they don’t drink water, you need to give water with food by giving them vet food. There might be some illness that is why gerbils are not drinking and eating. You need to consult with your vet for diagnosis and treatment of issues.

What Do I Do If a Gerbil Is Not Eating?

Why do gerbils stop eating? First of all, you should diagnose the cause that is behind not eating. In many cases, gerbils stop eating because of the sickness. If a gerbil is sick and doesn’t eat food, then you need to consult with your vet immediately. Vets give antibiotics and other medicine to solve the problems of gerbils.

There might be some issue in teeth or gums that is why they stop eating food. You need to consult with a dentist for safe and proper medication. Early diagnosis is key in the treatment of specific diseases. Chewing is the habit of gerbils. That is why you check the teeth maintenance.

What Can I Do If Gerbil Stop Eating

Many gerbils are there that turn their nose up to speak while feeding. This type of behavior can be seen in specific food types. You can solve the problem of gerbils not eating by giving them their favorite food at this time. Giving favorite food or treats can minimize this problem. It would help if you had enough of an idea of which thing is favorite for your gerbil and what are the things that they want to eat.

If you are giving your favorite food to your gerbils and he is not taking it, then there is some problem with gerbils. It also means that due to sickness, the gerbil stopped eating.

You should immediately consult with a vet if you see and sickness or illness signs in them. You can also change the food type and change your diet plan and check whether they are taking new food. If they don’t, then it might be some internal problem.

You must give them food that contains all essential nutrients, which is essential for the maintenance and proper functioning of a gerbil. A balanced diet is very important for gerbils, like other living things. You can also take diet advice from your vet or other diet experts. 

The trickiest part for the owner is feeding. If you know how to feed gerbils, then you see very few health problems in them. You must ensure that the food you are buying for your gerbil must be of good quality and balanced.

Why Does Gerbil Lose Weight?

Like other living things, when gerbil stops eating, they lose their weight. When there is no calorie gain, it results in a low energy level, and your gerbil feels lethargic.

Many reasons are there behind the refusing of food by gerbils like

• Why do gerbils stop eating? When you buy the wrong food types, then this food is not recognized by your gerbils, and in this way, they stop eating food.
• Suppose you feed your gerbil with the help of a food bowl, then any restriction in reaching the food bowl results in stopping eating. The food bowl should be easily accessible. They are not at a height that gerbils are not able to eat food.
• Illness and other health issues result in the stoppage of eating.
• If you are not feeding your gerbil regularly and there will be no frequent feeding, it may result in weight loss.
• Food lack may result in weight loss in gerbils. You should not keep them in one place because stress and boring behavior may stop eating, which ultimately leads to weight loss in gerbils.

What To Feed Gerbils That Is Stop Eating And Losing Weight

It is the best method to feed your pet with something favorite or special when they stop eating. Why do gerbils stop eating? In the case of gerbils, if they don’t eat edibles, you should change the diet of a gerbil to know the cause of stopping eating. Gerbils want to eat that thing that has rich protein and fat content. In wildlife, the gerbils get these nutrients from grains and roots. They eat this thing as much as they can because it is a favorite food of gerbils.

They can eat anything that you give to them. So, you can give many things to check which thing is your favorite food.  Berries, seeds, and nuts are okay for them. But you should not give those grapes, onion, and garlic as well.

One of the most important things for a thin gerbil is sunflower seed. They have a very high-fat content, and it also has a lot of calories. You can give them sunflower seeds in high amounts for weight gaining. Pumpkin is also a good thing for weight gain. It contains calories and fats. Pumpkin also contains fibers in a rich amount that is the best thing for proper functioning and digestion.

Can You Forcefully Feed Gerbil?

No, it would help if you did not forcefully feed your gerbils. But the last method to feed your gerbil is feeding by hand. If they are not eating, you can feed them by hand, but they should not be forcefully fed. It can also result in the worsening of the situation. Following are the steps that you can follow if you want to feed gerbils by hand.

• Take baby food and check whether the nutrients present in it are okay for gerbils or not. You should choose that food that has a lot of vegetables as compared to meat.
• Remove the needle from the syringe, then suck the baby food with the help of a syringe. Then you can give the baby food with the help of that injection like the vet gives antibiotics to them.
• Grasp gerbils with your left hand; you should not pick them strongly and don’t panic at gerbils; it is not good for them.
• Place the syringe at the opening of the gerbil’s mouth. Don’t inject it inside the mouth. Let your gerbils eat it.

Only give a moderate amount to your gerbil at one time. Split the mealtime into two to three times. It is because gerbils can easily consume, eat and digest food effectively. You will see that gerbil again gaining weight. In one week, if gerbils gain weight in grams, then it means that they have started eating and gaining their body weight. You need not worry now.

How Long Can Gerbils Go Without Eating?

It is very important for every living thing that they eat or drink regularly. If they don’t do it, then it may result in serious complications. Same here for gerbils. You need to give them water and food for proper body functioning and development. 

They can live for two to three days without eating food, but drinking water regularly is necessary for life. It would be best if you did not leave them alone for weeks and days. It will spoil the health of your gerbils. You should feed them regularly. Keep in mind that one-time feeding s not good.

You can split the feeding time into two or three times. Give them those foods that are rich in protein and fat content. You can also give them vegetables like pumpkin, seed, and other fruits, but grapes are not good for them.

Why Do Gerbils Stop Eating?

Some gerbils stop eating when they get sick. In this condition, you should know the cause of sickness and then give them medication accordingly. Why do gerbils stop eating?  Followings are the detailed cause that is behind gerbils stopping eating.

Sickness

In extreme sickness, gerbils can’t eat. That is why they stop eating food. Why do gerbils stop eating? One of the most important cases of gerbil stop eating is sickness. It would help if you diagnosed the cause of sickness and then gave them treatment accordingly by consulting with your vet.

It would be best if you kept your eye on gerbils and carefully observed their behavior. If you see any change, then it means that something is wrong with them. You can give them their favorite diet to check whether the food you are offering to them is okay or not.

Why do gerbils stop eating? If they eat food, it means that there is some problem with previous food. If they don’t eat changed food, then it may be because of illness. Vet consultation is very much important. In many cases, they get back to normal life when you take them to the vet because the only moderate infection is causing trouble to them. 

If there is a severe problem, then it needs many days and weeks to normal life. Early treatment and diagnosis are very important because they will not result in chronic damage or chronic disorder. You can give them feed like sunflower seed for weight gain and give them a diet with high proteins and fat content. The diet that has both of these contents is a favorite for them.

Dental Issues

Why do gerbils stop eating? When there is some internal mouth problem in gerbils, then it may result in the stop eating. Gerbils are not able to eat because of mouth pain. In many cases, gerbils stop eating when there is severe pain in the gums and teeth. Vet consultation can help you and your gerbils in this case.

You should check the teeth of your gerbils by hand and see if there is any gap between the bottom and top teeth and see if there is any bleeding or other sign is there or not. Why do gerbils stop eating? If you see any bleeding or don’t see any proper gap, then it means that the gerbil is suffering from tooth pain.

You need to consult with your vet as soon as possible to figure out the cause of the pain. The vet prescribes the medication after knowing the cause of the pain and tells you the treatment accordingly.

Final Verdict On Why Do Gerbils Stop Eating

Sickness is one of the most common reasons if a gerbil stops eating. If there is some teeth issue or gum pain, then it also results in stopping to eat. You need to consult with your vet for early diagnosis and treatment.

As a pet lover, make sure to learn about pet more and give your pet gerbil a good and comfortable life!

Rajkumar Ravichandran

Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️