I doubt the gerbil is in pain unless he hurt himself secondary to the
stroke. If there is no evidence he is injured, I don't think I would
medicate him with anything that would sedate him or impair his remaining
coordination, like a narcotic (I don't know what's in the medication you
mentioned). Brain tissue does not have nerves for pain or pressure like we
have in skin, muscle, and bone coverings so I really think he is OK there.
Strokes can be a bleed in the brain from a ruptured blood vessel or can be
from a blockage in the circulation of the brain, most commonly from a blood
clot that breaks off somewhere in the body and travels to the brain
circulation. Sometimes a vessel in the brain spasms, causing stroke
symptoms that go away when the vessel relaxes, but I'm afraid I don't think
that's the case here as the signs of stroke have lasted awhile.
I'm not sure what a vet would do. What an MD or DO would do is order tests
to find the cause of the stroke and then treat or prevent further whatever
was the cause. That might involve clot-dissolving medications given within
hours of the stroke, clot preventing medications, medications to relax the
blood vessels, or surgery to tie off a bleeding vessel. The patient would
be sent to rehabilitation, once stable, to maximize her/his remaining
function and try to regain as much function as possible.
Maybe give your vet a call to see if you need to bring the gerbil in. If
not, try to think of ways to help him function the best he can--adjusting
what you need to (like the food placement and water bottle height, etc.). I
like that he had a little safe place to go. It must be very scary to not be
able to move well and he needed that safe place. I think, though, for me I
would think about euthanizing him if he hangs out in there all the time
(Well, I would try his own tank first, actually). That would indicate to me
he is very anxious, depressed and lacking a will to live. But that is just
my opinion, you would have to see what sense you have of the gerbil and his
condition and response to it. Good luck!
