How to Care for Eye Discharge in a Gerbil

In gerbils, an eye infection may be a sign of irritation of the delicate tissues around the eyes or it might be a sign of a bacterial infection. Gerbils produce reddish tears to rinse out their eyes, but if your gerbil is producing excessive eye discharge you need to take action. Knowing what to do about eye discharge in a gerbil is an important part of maintaining your gerbil's health.

Things You'll Need

  • Water
  • Towels
  • Sand or clay bedding
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Instructions

    • 1

      Inspect the gerbil closely. Try to determine the cause of the discharge. In some cases, you can see a small cut or abrasion that is the cause of the discharge. In many cases a cut will heal if it is kept clean.

    • 2

      Dampen a small towel with warm water.

    • 3

      Hold your gerbil carefully but firmly. You can do this by holding the gerbil's shoulders with your forefinger and thumb and using your remaining three fingers to steady your gerbil's body and hind legs.

    • 4

      Wipe away the discharge with a damp towel. This should loosen the dried discharge around your gerbil's eyes and allow it to be cleared away.

    • 5

      Repeat steps 2 through 4 once a day for a week. In many cases, gentle cleaning will remove any minor irritant and your gerbil's eye will be fine. If the problem is still not fixed, continue to step 6.

    • 6

      Switch out your gerbil's bedding. In some cases, the bedding you have provided your gerbil might be irritating to his eyes. Try switching your gerbil to sand or to clay, both of which are good substances on which he can live. A switch in bedding can help improve eye irritation in a week or less.

    • 7

      Call your veterinarian. He likely will want to see your gerbil and can give you further information on what might be the cause of persistent eye discharge. The veterinarian likely will prescribe a course of antibiotics in the form of eye drops or ointment.

    • 8

      Apply the antibiotics to your gerbil according to the instructions given by your veterinarian. To hold your gerbil still while you apply the medication, wrap him in a towel.

    • 9

      Apply the antibiotics for the prescribed time period. If your gerbil's eye issues clear up, but there is still medication, finish the run of antibiotics. This will ensure that any bacterial infection is truly killed off.