>Eating is not (or better doesn�t have to be) a question of how the
gerbil�s
>health status is, but it�s a question of instinct, I�d say.
Eating is an instinct when the animal is well. A gerbil who stops eating or
has a decreased appetite is not well at all. Appetite changes are often the
first indications owners get that the animal is sick. Eating behavior is
very closely related to health.
>I don�t know whether my Hannibal really had caught a cold, but the vet
said so
Unless your vet is simply using the term "cold" to make it more
understandable to clients, I would find a new vet. It has nothing to do
with geography- it's a scientific fact throughout the species that there
are no know viruses that affect them. Also, if the gerbil truly had a cold,
medicine would have made no difference - viruses must just be allowed to
run their course and are unaffected by antibiotic therapy. If the vet gave
you meds for the gerbil and he improved and recovered, you were dealing
with a bacterial problem.
I'm glad to know he's feeling better.
Jill
