How To Keep A Sick Gerbil Warm During A Winter Trip To The Vet

Sometimes a gerbil gets sick and has to go to the vet when the weather outside is cold. This makes your decision difficult: It is better to keep your sick gerbil home where it's warm, or is it better to take your gerbil to the vet for treatment? With a little bit of planning, you can safely take your gerbil to the vet, even when it's quite cold outside.

1. First, make sure that you warm your car up before you take your gerbil outside. This way, it will be nice and toasty inside the car before your sick gerbil is in the car.

To keep a sick gerbil warm during a winter trip to the vet, place the gerbil's plastic carrier inside either a pet bag or a cardboard box. Then wrap towels around the outside of the carrier to keep it warm.2. While your car is warming up, you can prepare your gerbil for the trip. First, get either a cardboard box or a pet carrier bag. The photos in this tip show a pet carrier bag, but you can also use a cardboard box. Banker's boxes work particularly well.

3. Place your gerbil's plastic carrier inside the box or bag, and then wrap a bath towel or several smaller hand towels around the outside of the carrier as shown in the photo to the right.

4. Place a small piece of washed carrot, a grape, or a slice of apple inside the carrier. This will give your gerbil something with some moisture if he or she gets thirsty during the trip to the vet.

Before you take your gerbil out to your car, place a hand towel or two over the top of the carrier to keep cold drafts from getting inside.5. Right before you take your gerbil outside, you should place one or two hand towels over the top of the plastic carrier. This will keep a cold draft from getting inside the plastic carrier. If you're carrying your gerbil in a cardboard box that has a lid, gently place the lid on top of the box when you go outside.

6. Once you are in the car, take the lid off the box (if you used a box), and remove the towels from the top of the carrier. This way, your gerbil will get enough air inside the plastic carrier while you drive to the vet''s office.

7. When you carry your gerbil from your car into the vet's office, take the same precautions that you did when you carried your gerbil from your house to your car.

When It Is Especially Cold Outside

If it is especially cold outside, you might place a warm water bottle on the bottom of the pet carrier or cardboard box. You can then set your gerbil's plastic carrier on top of the water bottle.Sometimes, it might be very, very cold outside. If you think that wrapping your gerbil's carrier with towels is not enough to keep him or her warm and safe, you can take an extra step to keep your gerbil warm.

You can fill a water bottle with hot water. Make sure the lid is on tight, and then place the water bottle on the bottom of your pet carrier bag or cardboard box, as shown in the photo to the right.

Then just place your gerbil's plastic carrier on top of the water bottle.

Twin Squeaks Gerbils

Safely Take A Gerbil to The Vet When It's Cold Outside

When It Is Especially Cold Outside