Gerbil how long do they live

Share this Health and welfare. Print Gerbils. Did you find this useful? Last but not least, individual genes are extremely important and greatly affect how long a gerbil will live, just like with us humans. First of all, you can make sure that your gerbil always has organic high-quality food and snacks available, even though they may cost you a little more than regular, dime-a-dozen food.

Constant access to freshwater is a must as they are extremely active pets that need to be able to drink as soon as they feel the need to. Since exercise is so important, providing your pet with an exercise wheel and a few toys to befriend is a thing that you should consider doing from Day 1 to offer it the best quality-of-life available.

You have also got to make sure the cage is safe, without danger of falling and place it in a quiet room as stress and lack of sleep will be extremely detrimental to your little pal. Furthermore, keep being a good owner and clean the cage thoroughly and regularly because gerbils can get sick very easily if they live in a dirty environment.

One final piece of advice would be to contact a veterinarian as soon as you feel your friend may be sick because its situation can become serious in a very short time. Tania is a full-time writer and pet lover. She is on a mission to help pet owners find the best products for their companion animals. She is committed to using her writing and research skills to create informative posts that will help pet parents look after their beloved companions and keep them healthy and happy. How Long Do Gerbils Live?

Last Updated: In particular they tend to get skin cancer, cancer of the scent glands, and ovarian cancer females only. In most cases the best chance of survival is to remove the cancer surgically, as early as possible. So far we have focused on the Mongolian Gerbil, or Meriones unguiculatus — the most common species of pet gerbil.

But what other types of gerbil do people keep as pets, and how long do they live? Fat tailed gerbils, also known as Duprasi gerbils, are a rarer pet alternative to the Mongolian gerbil. Their owners report that they live longer than common gerbils, at years. However it is hard to find any scientific evidence to support this lifespan.

For example, Fat Tailed Gerbils are not as sociable as Mongolian gerbils. Another alternative species of pet gerbil is the Libyan gerbil. They look a lot like Mongolian gerbils, although they have a slightly narrower head. According to the book of Guinness World Records , the oldest ever gerbil lived to be 8 years and 4 months old. Gerbils typically live around 3 years, though there are a number of factors that can contribute to a particular gerbil living longer, or shorter, lives.

Certain diseases can greatly decrease the lifespan of a gerbil, as can neglect and physical injury. By buying your pet from a good breeder, and taking care of their diet, lifestyle and teeth, you can maximise their chance of living a long and happy life.

Our son played with him a lot, let him out of his cage daily. We have a pet gerbil, Brownie. He is almost 4 now. He has outlived his other 2 little buddies. Very low stress for him. We have male gerbil almost over 8 yrs old. He was completely healthy until this evening. But suddenly getting worth tonight. He is showing astasia, lose couciousness. You will find that your gerbils tend to go to the bathroom in one location, so this should make cleaning your cage easier.

To clean you gerbil's cage, scoop out the old bedding and replace it with fresh bedding. You should always make sure to leave some of the old bedding behind so your gerbils will continue going to the bathroom in the same location.

Twice a month, you will want to wash your gerbil cage completely. This involves removing everything from the cage and throwing out the old litter remember to keep some of the old litter. Then, use warm soapy water to wash the interior of the cage and rinse it thoroughly with clean water.

You want to be sure there is no lingering scent of soap remaining, or the soap can be harmful to your pet. If you still smell soap after rinsing, use towels soaked in vinegar water to wipe it out.

Make sure everything is completely dry before putting everything back in. Don't give your gerbils any toys made from plastic because they love to chew, and plastic could cause a wide range of problems for your pet. Instead, stick with natural wood products like wooden chew toys, cardboard tubes, and wood planks. Gerbils don't stick to routine sleeping schedules. They often sleep for an hour or two at a time, and then they're up for an hour or two.

This cycle occurs throughout the day and night. However, gerbils who are raised in captivity do tend to adapt to human sleeping schedules much easier. Just like any other pet, gerbils must be seen by a veterinarian on a regular schedule.

These routine veterinary checks are important for keeping your pet healthy and happy. Evan Ware is a veterinary practitioner in Phoenix, Arizona.

His areas of expertise include orthopedic medicine and surgery, veterinary oncology and chemotherapy, and general and advanced soft-tissue surgery.