You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Epileptiform seizures (fits) are common in gerbil colonies

Gerbils seem to be predisposed to develop epileptiform seizures and it has been reported that about 1 in 5 gerbils in a colony will develop them.

Environmental stimulation of some sort (including handling and loud noises) usually triggers the fits which last for 0.5-2 minutes and vary greatly in severity :

• Very mild - inactivity, twitching of the whiskers and ears
• Severe - collapse, unconciousness, jerky limb movements, coma, death.

Gerbils develop fits once they are over 1.5 months old and regular handling as youngsters may help to prevent them.

Unfortunately, there is no recognised treatment apart from keeping the gerbil in a quiet, dark, warm environment until it has fully recovered. Anticonvulsive drugs that are used to treat epileptiform fits in other species may cause death in gerbils.

Updated October 2013