I want to thank you for your channel here as it is so very helpful to a new gerbil owner like me. This video on types of bedding is very helpful. I am in the US and use the paper pulp bedding and I don't find it dusty at all. I am now going to add hay to the mix. I am learning so much from you videos and appreciate them very much. Thank you!
Thank you for this! I got everything at pets at home and I quickly learned that it was all wrong. Lol. I have upgraded their Savic Metro to a topper, and I'm slowly changing their bedding, switching out a few handfuls from the top to that absorbent paper pulp stuff and meadow hay, plus some of that white shredded paper. I don't want to change everything at once or destroy their burrows with a full clean until my girls have settled in a bit, so there's still a lot of that pine shaving in there. I'm not seeing irritation and I have decided that I'll avoid stressing them with yet another huge change so soon.
No problem! I started out with p@h stuff too, it happens to the best of us! It sounds like you've got the right plan 🙂 if they've just been changed there's no use causing major stress atm, but next time you do a full clean you could just keep a couple of handfuls and throw away most of it to switch to less irritating bedding, that's how I switched mine over ☺️
I found using shavings was a bit cheaper. To avoid the amount of dust they sometimes come with, I take a plastic bag and puncture a bunch of small holes in the bottom, fill the bag and take it outside. I shake it gently until there is no more dust present. All that nice bedding here in Canada, is expensive. I'd love to have hemp bedding for my boys. I make do with what I have for now though. :) Love these videos too.
@@honeymew9221 ah fair enough 😊 I haven't found a decent aspen bedding in the UK yet, most are super dusty or some have come with bits of plastic in it 😬
Although the paper shreds are definitely a good addition, especially if you can’t really afford hey, I would honestly just make your own shredded paper since I can probably be cheaper especially since you get free packaging paper half the time you order Amazon stuff and also you know if there’s dust or what not and it can be good, I know my gerbils favorite thing is tissue paper and packaging paper but I definitely will recommend just getting hey for your gerbils, which is what I plan on doing. I just need to save up.❤
It could, and if you add high quality paper bedding to your cage, it should be good! Don't used Kaytee or Carefresh bedding. Those don't lasted longer.😮
Never heard hemp being used... I'll consider it. I used a mixture of a tissue, aspen bedding and hay but I think the ultimate combination would probably be: Hay+ hemp+ teabag bedding.
Is there a particular hemp bedding you would recommend? Quite overwhelmed at the options! I haven't got gerbils yet, still setting up. Ive bought kayce paper bedding thinking that was the best option, so will now buy hemp and hay to add in. Would that be a good mix? Thank you for a clear informative video!
another lovely video!!!!! i was wondering...is it okay if I only use a paper based bedding with no wood shavings? i use the 'all living things' brand now. its a bit ion the expensive side as far as beddings go but the carefresh in was using was so hard and i felt like it wasn't making sturdy burrows (but that was just my experience) i get extremely anxious about using wood shavings because I get worried of it causing them respiratory problems...but maybe this isn't true for all wood based beddings? i was just curious your opinion on it because you are very knowledgeable! i am always trying to learn more about gerbils since i got my girls in 2019 and your channel has been really great!! thank you again!!!
Thanks, I'm glad you liked the video and have found some of my information useful with your gerbils 😊 If you find a paper bedding that isn't too dusty and you find it works well for your gerbils then you don't need to include another bedding, I just personally think it's best to use a mix of different beddings for extra enrichment I believe I explained in the video about the potential problems with VOC's in particular types of wood (namely pine & cedar, but also applies to some other woods such as spruce) - this isn't a problem with other types of wood though such as aspen or beech, there are timestamps in the description so you can jump to the wood section where I talk about it 🙂 The list I generally refer to as a starting point for safe and unsafe woods is this one: exoticanimalsupplies.com/safe-wood-gerbils/ But I would remove kiln-dried pine from the "safe" list (for the reasons explained in the video) and include beech as this is also safe to use according to the UFAW, but like every other kind of bedding some brands or batches of wood-based bedding may be dusty, so you'll need to use a bit of trial and error if you decide to include some 🙂
This helped a lot in my research into the various choices for aspen and hay beddings. I was starting to go wonky trying to compare the different brands/types even with a checklist of pro's and cons. lol. Some of the choices you have in the UK are not in available in the US (and visa versa, I'm sure) but this gives me a better overall idea of what I do, and do not, want to expose my pair to so thank you very much. I like third cut timothy hay because it's soft. The other cuts I didn't like because they were sharp and stiff. QUESTION: all hay purchases should be frozen before giving to your gerbil in case of pests correct? If so, for how long and won't the thawing cause mildew?
I'm glad I was able to help in your research, it's definitely a headache and a half trying to compare all the beddings 😅 out of curiosity, which types of bedding aren't available in the US? There's so many different options for hay it can be kind of overwhelming! It's good that you've found one you like and is nice and soft ☺️ For freezing it, I think it'll depend on how trustworthy the source is, if it's grown and sealed correctly there shouldn't be any need to freeze the hay, but this will largely depend on how good the producer is and the laws and regulations on things like that in your state/country - there may be regulations for hygiene, growing conditions, packaging procedures etc. And also if you get anything pre-opened that would be a definite freeze to be sure there's nothing alive that shouldn't be 🙂 For thawing, I would think if you keep the package open to allow the moisture to escape as it defrosts that should help with preventing too much moisture build up, and if it was something you were needing to do regularly you could consider sticking it near a dehumidifier while it thaws 🙂
@@PetConnectionInternational TY for the advice. Having been raised on a farm, I know how easy it is for hay to harbor wee little stowaway's. That knowledge gives me trust issues for any hay I purchase, lol.
Ah that's fair enough ☺️ I think if there are proper extraction & checking procedures in place they should be fine, so you'll just need to check what laws/regulations there are and that no one else has experienced problems with mites or anything else with the specific brand and product. But if you're really worried you can always freeze it anyway to put your mind at rest 🙂
I can't thank you enough for making this video! I'm so allergic to hay but want gerbils so bad! yay hemp! Do you think that stringy coco noir/ coconut stuff would be good to add structure? I've never really handled it before?
I wouldn't use Coco fibres for small pets at all, because it's so strong and tough to break it could easily wrap around limbs and cut off circulation. For adding structure to hemp without hay you can try mixing it with paper bedding, that should help it hold burrows 🙂
As long as the aspen isn't too dusty it should be fine, aspen is one of the only common woods that never got flagged up as having potential issues in my research, even with dust specifically. But too much dust in general can irritate their respiratory systems, so best to try a few different brands and use the least dusty one 🙂
I'd try just shredded kitchen roll and/or teabag bedding to start to see how they go with it, if they're okay you could try hemp and orchard grass hay one at a time and see if they have any issues 🙂
Is the meadow and Timothy hay bale from pets at home ok for bedding, or the compressed hay bale from there? Also is it ok if I use hay, the paper based bedding and the cardboard bedding? And also do I need to layer them in any specific way or do I just mix it all together? I’ve heard that u can sprinkle some dry food inbetween layers aswell for foraging so is that also ok?
As long as it's meadow or Timothy hay it should be fine, I personally get my meadow hay from b&m as it's much cheaper. You could use that mix, but it's likely to get smelly very quickly, I'd recommend using hemp instead of paper 🙂
If you want some ideas of how to use some of these beddings in your own enclosure setup, then check out my recent enclosure setup video here: 🎬 ruclips.net/video/BIFUjRPwftA/видео.html What do you think of the different gerbil beddings? Would you rank any of them differently? 😊 Also, apologies for the green face, I'm still figuring out the new studio setup 😅 For bonus content, check out the blooper reel for this video: 🎬 ruclips.net/video/x-UrgWFgDJE/видео.html
I've been really ill since 2020 and my operation was all done this week and I came home and my face has swelled up unrecognisable due to my surgery and problem I had. My gerbils are freaking out i honestly thought they know my voice , but they run out , then jumping in the air like they are scared and running off where they normally nose bump me top tank or climb my arm to my shoulder they just running in n out the bottom of tank and they keep literally jumping straight up in the air ..I've not seen them do this jumping thing is it because my face isn't recovered or i smell like blood or hospital? That honestly made me more emotional than my children seeing me saying I look funny cos I cant explain to my gerbils it's still me :( sorry I'm always bugging you just I'm not sure should I just back off and ask my family to feed them until my face swelling down? Can gerbils get that frightened by a face looking different I think I've confused the poor things they run out to my voice and then look terrified when they look at me they just run down wont even smell me or meerkat at me :(
@@felixandralph9290 oh no I'm sorry you've been having such a hard time! And please don't ever feel like you need to apologise for asking questions, that's what I'm here for! So it probably is that you look a little different at the moment that's throwing them off, they do use their sight a lot to identify threats, but it could also be related to smell, so make sure you're using your regular soap as much as you're able to, so you smell as similar as possible to how you normally do. And I know it's difficult, but try not to stress out too much about it, they could also be picking up on your nerves, so it's important to try to stay as calm as possible. But it's good that they're still running out to the sound of your voice, so I would use this and keep talking to them as they see you, so they learn that it's still you even though you may look a little different right now. I wouldn't suggest getting someone else to feed them as it's probably a good idea that you keep offering them food so they can maintain that positive association between you and food. I hope this is able to help and that you get well soon ❤️
Thank you for this i got my bedding from pets at home and thought i would be fine i even got wood shavings that didnt say what wood it was😬 but now i am going to switch to the aspen shavings for snakes instead of wood shavings and probably also switch from carefresh to kaytee clean and cozy since it is more affordable. i will probably do about half and half with some added hay and paper. Thank you for making me realize😊 i will change next time i do a clean.
You're welcome, I'm glad it could help ☺️ Something I heard recently is that the multicoloured versions are less dusty than the plain or white, and after trying a bag, it definitely seems that way! So it may be worth trying yourself and seeing what it's like 🙂 I'm still playing around trying to find a suitable hemp alternative now that we can't get hemparade, got my eye on one called "eco shiv" that I'm going to try next week, it's just as cheap as hemparade at around £1/kg with shipping, so fingers crossed it's not too dusty🤞
Hi, is spruce bedding safe for gerbils? My local pet store sells it and i bought some today, i use it together with hemparade, hay and a bit of shredded paper. I haven’t found much information about it but what’s your opinion on spruce bedding?
Unfortunately not, it contains abietic acid just like pine does (something I've learned more about since researching for this video), this compound is highly irritating even to humans and it's stable even at very high temperatures, meaning it won't be removed by kiln drying, it will remain embedded in the wood and can cause irritation from the dust when inhaled (something there'll be loads of in shredded bedding, especially with tiny animals that live *in* it 24/7) Aspen, birch, beech are all safe, I know you can get Aspen wood shavings as a bedding, but I think the others only come in chip form, great for an extra dig box, not so great for holding burrows
@@PetConnectionInternational oh no! thank you for answering, i added some of it yesterday and went to celebrate Christmas at my grandparents house and won’t be able to come home before Monday/ Tuesday. Do you think they will be okay until I come back and remove it? I’m so scared that something will happen to them since I just got them:( what do I do if it has already caused irritation?
Oh don't worry, it's not bad enough that they'll suffer any major consequences in a short time, the issue would be if it irritates their noses for a prolonged period of time they could end up scratching at it and causing infection. And there may also be some long term health effects with an increased risk of certain health issues developing later down the line. But if they're only on it for a short time it's unlikely to cause any lasting issues, I wouldn't worry too much just leave them be for now and switch it out when you next do an enclosure clean ☺️ But if you notice their noses are red and/or inflamed in the meantime, switch out the bedding when you spot it and see if it clears up, and get a vet consult for any inflammation (this indicates infection), if it's just porphyrin build up (red snot), it's just at the minor irritation stage and shouldn't need a vet visit unless it doesn't clear up by itself, but there could also be household humidity or dust issues causing red noses too, I made a community tab post about it a few weeks ago with a bit more information if you need it 🙂
@@PetConnectionInternational Alright, thank you! I was staring to worry since I can’t really do anything with it right now. I’m glad that they’re going to be okay for now and thank you for all the information:) i’ll probably change it when I come home, I’m thinking of buying the white clean and cozy bedding, is that a good option? I’ll also just switch out that new toxic bedding I bought and leave the hemparade bedding and hay there, and later on add the clean and cozy bedding + some homemade shredded paper:)
@@alinamarvik-johansen5623 no problem ☺️ the white clean and cosy I find to be really dusty, the coloured ones seem to be better than either the white or natural versions, I think the extra processing helps to remove more of the dust, bonus, they make the enclosure look super fun 😁 and hemparade is amazing! It's hands down my favourite bedding I've used so far, but we can't get it in the UK anymore since Brexit 😞
I couldn't understand why there were several "cotton wool" balls in my gerbil's tank when I cleaned them out. They were little balls of dust from Clean and Cozy! I read Spruce wood shavings like Chipsi, Allspan or Great and Small are supposed to have phenol levels as low as Aspen but I'm not sure if that's correct. I tried a 1kg bag of Chipsi which had virtually no smell but was very fine and I found it a bit dusty. I prefer Allspan which has a very slight smell but nothing like as overpowering as Pine shavings. I always mix it with Fitch paper bedding and Timothy hay so it's not the main substrate.
Oh no! That's kind of what I experienced when I used paper pulp in their whole tank, it doesn't really happen so much when I just use it in their hides that I've noticed 🙂 For spruce it's also a conifer which can emit the same kind of potentially toxic compounds as pine and cedar unfortunately 😕
@@PetConnectionInternational I think they use Spruce a lot in Germany, especially Chipsi, but I wasn't keen on it at all. Maybe their version is different somehow. I only bought a fairly small amount of Allspan shavings and won't risk it again.
Unfortunately the evidence is very mixed, it's not entirely clear whether kiln-drying is enough to reduce the problematic compounds, maybe there's more research on spruce specifically, I would need to look into it some more to see if I can find anything, but it is suggested that the problem may be similar with all coniferous woods, even when it comes to using them for us humans! So I'd be wary of using it for tiny lungs that have to live in a home completely made from it, I'm even weary of the wood in my own furniture now! 😅
@@PetConnectionInternational I used kiln dried Pine over 10 years ago when that was still thought to be okay. Even the kiln dried Pine had a very strong smell so I used to break it up, empty it into several bags, then air it for a week. I'm not sure if that made it any safer though! There are now so many substrates to choose from, I agree it's not worth risking any softwoods without further evidence, even if Spruce isn't quite as dangerous as Pine.
Yep I totally agree, if there's a suggestion that something could be problematic, I'd rather not risk it, there's lots of other options that we can use instead ☺️
From what I can tell it seems like it should be safe, although I haven't tried it myself so I don't know how well the "low dust" claim holds up in practice. Have you tried it? 🙂
@@PetConnectionInternational I'm planning on using it when I next get gerbils. I've seen good reviews so hopefully it works well as it's an affordable option
That sounds good ☺️ you'll have to let me know how you get on, I'm certainly curious to know if it holds up to the "low dust" claim, but I'm fairly confident it'll make some great tunnels 🙂
In the minimum size tank (100x50x50cm+) with 25-40cm+ of good absorbent bedding like hemp, every 2-3 months, keeping around a third of the old cleanest bedding to put back in 🙂
I would be hesitant to use anything damp like coco peat as it goes mouldy really easily, I had some in a dig box that went mouldy even though it was exposed to the open air, so it may be best to stick to dry substrates for the tank. Hemp mixed with loads of hay is my favourite 🙂
Nah, it's fine in my experience. I do about a 50/50 mix in terms of volume to make sure the hemp is able to hold up burrows. So I'll do a layer of hemp, then an equal layer of meadow hay, then alternate all the way up until the tank is full 🙂
I see these bags of hay from a pet store and I'm thinking, "I live in rural Kansas. I could just go down to the feed store and buy a small hay bale for next to nothing. We use them as fall decor out here." XD Honestly, back when I had gerbils, I never thought of giving them fresh hay. Goodness, I could literally have walked out past my garage at my old house and picked them some fresh sprigs of wheat!
Just make sure to freeze it for around 2 weeks first just in case there's any tiny bitey hitchhikers living in it! And make sure it's dust extracted, large amounts of dust can irritate their little noses
Cotton is the same as bedding fluff, very dangerous as it could wrap around limbs and cut off circulation or cause intestinal impaction if accidentally swallowed
@@piotrnowogrodzki9183 it's a serious risk, hamsters have literally died from impaction from these kinds of things, but the companies don't care and keep selling them - there's been necropsies on hamsters that have found kapok fibres (also natural like cotton) were stuck in their intestines and that's what caused them to die, please don't give cotton to your gerbils, it's a life threatening risk
Unfortunately not, the woodshavings are made from pine, as confirmed over email, although they are kiln-dried, this may still cause irritation as I explained in the video, my two seemed to respond badly when I used them 😕 You're better off using something like Aspen or hemp instead 🙂
Why don't you try suggesting switching to hemp? It works out much cheaper than pine per kilogram, so that may help convince him if his concern is cost 😊 just make sure you can get hay too for structure - meadow hay is the cheapest in the UK, it costs about the same as the hemp per kg 🙂 One bag of hemparade fills my 133 litre (30 gallon) tank 3-4 times, so although it's around £15 to buy a bag of 15kg, this should last around 3-6 months, depending on how often you clean your enclosure and the size of the tank 🙂
@@PetConnectionInternational his concern isn’t cost. But I’ll try to convince him. Thank you for the help I love ur channel ❤️ Love from Oreo and cookie
In terms of bedding yes it'd be much the same, for general care I believe there are similarities, but they're solitary and some people do suggest slightly different care, although I haven't done much research on them myself yet, so I can't give a definite answer for how similar their care should be
It depends on what kind of paper, printer paper would be too firm and sharp to use as nesting material, it'd have to be soft plain paper, like soft brown packing paper maybe. You can also use shredded kitchen roll as nesting material, it's very soft and warm for them 🙂 none of them would be suitable as main substrates though as they're not very good at odour control
My gerbils tanks cost me close to 50 pound a month now to bedding change but I had 2 accidental litters and I refused to rehome so I'm now managing alot of gerbils and will be adding another 2 tanks after Christmas to split mine up more . More tanks more bedding 😂 if I find nice people who want gerbil pairs I'd rehome some but I'm not just advertising to strangers. I don't trust online selling my fluff buddy's. I've tried that Wood shaving when I started my gerbil journey and my poor white gerbil nose went goopy it sneezed loads and I had to change to hemp and that care fresh . I add haye every day and I found they love shreddy paper and the sand pit ...sand pit cost me 20 pound a month because I have so many they pee n poop in there I change it daily. I get chinchillas fine sand and I tried this gerbil dust stuff it was horrible like grit and my gerbils hated it..it was cheaper than chinchilla sand .... but I saw why straight away. Thanks for uploading ❤
Oh wow! No wonder it's expensive with your menagerie of gerbils, although in all honesty, if I had the space and money I'd probably have more too 😅 I had the same experience as you, tried kiln-dried pine woodshavings and they didn't respond well, so I switched to hemp, hay & paper For sand have you tried children's play sand? It's made from quartz/silica so it doesn't have the same issues with sticking to their airways and causing respiratory problems as dust, clay or calcium sand, and it's MUCH cheaper than any of the other options! Just boil & bake first to sterilise and sieve to remove any larger pieces, it's what I've switched to using now and I find it's almost indistinguishable from reptile desert sand for a fraction of the cost 😊
I want to thank you for your channel here as it is so very helpful to a new gerbil owner like me. This video on types of bedding is very helpful. I am in the US and use the paper pulp bedding and I don't find it dusty at all. I am now going to add hay to the mix. I am learning so much from you videos and appreciate them very much. Thank you!
You're very welcome, I'm glad it can help you and your gerbabies 🥰☺️
Thank you for this! I got everything at pets at home and I quickly learned that it was all wrong. Lol. I have upgraded their Savic Metro to a topper, and I'm slowly changing their bedding, switching out a few handfuls from the top to that absorbent paper pulp stuff and meadow hay, plus some of that white shredded paper. I don't want to change everything at once or destroy their burrows with a full clean until my girls have settled in a bit, so there's still a lot of that pine shaving in there. I'm not seeing irritation and I have decided that I'll avoid stressing them with yet another huge change so soon.
No problem! I started out with p@h stuff too, it happens to the best of us!
It sounds like you've got the right plan 🙂 if they've just been changed there's no use causing major stress atm, but next time you do a full clean you could just keep a couple of handfuls and throw away most of it to switch to less irritating bedding, that's how I switched mine over ☺️
Awesome stuff. Really liked the intro to the video. Keep up the good work.
Thanks, I worked really hard on the intro, so I'm glad you liked it ☺️
@@PetConnectionInternational I did :) I'll keep an eye out for your next upload.
Thanks ☺️ I appreciate it 🙂
I’m switching so much. Thanks,
No problem, glad I could help ☺️
Thanks for helping now I know what to do for bedding for my babies sushi and Bueno ✨✨
You're welcome, glad I could help 💚
I found using shavings was a bit cheaper. To avoid the amount of dust they sometimes come with, I take a plastic bag and puncture a bunch of small holes in the bottom, fill the bag and take it outside. I shake it gently until there is no more dust present. All that nice bedding here in Canada, is expensive. I'd love to have hemp bedding for my boys. I make do with what I have for now though. :) Love these videos too.
What kind of shavings are you using?
@@PetConnectionInternational Full Cheeks Aspen bedding for small animals. Some batches are dusty, but I always try and shake it out.
@@honeymew9221 ah fair enough 😊 I haven't found a decent aspen bedding in the UK yet, most are super dusty or some have come with bits of plastic in it 😬
Although the paper shreds are definitely a good addition, especially if you can’t really afford hey, I would honestly just make your own shredded paper since I can probably be cheaper especially since you get free packaging paper half the time you order Amazon stuff and also you know if there’s dust or what not and it can be good, I know my gerbils favorite thing is tissue paper and packaging paper but I definitely will recommend just getting hey for your gerbils, which is what I plan on doing. I just need to save up.❤
Great video! I really love hemp, I would say it's the healthiest option for rodents. If only it could hold burrows.
Yeah that is the only issue! But mixing it with loads of shredded paper and/or hay helps it do a pretty decent job ☺️
It could, and if you add high quality paper bedding to your cage, it should be good! Don't used Kaytee or Carefresh bedding. Those don't lasted longer.😮
Never heard hemp being used... I'll consider it.
I used a mixture of a tissue, aspen bedding and hay but I think the ultimate combination would probably be:
Hay+ hemp+ teabag bedding.
That's basically what I use, but I use the paper pulp instead of teabag ☺️
Is there a particular hemp bedding you would recommend? Quite overwhelmed at the options! I haven't got gerbils yet, still setting up. Ive bought kayce paper bedding thinking that was the best option, so will now buy hemp and hay to add in. Would that be a good mix? Thank you for a clear informative video!
My favourite is pro-rep hemp (I hadn't tried it yet when I made this video), it's about the same quality as hemparade I'd say ☺️
another lovely video!!!!!
i was wondering...is it okay if I only use a paper based bedding with no wood shavings? i use the 'all living things' brand now. its a bit ion the expensive side as far as beddings go but the carefresh in was using was so hard and i felt like it wasn't making sturdy burrows (but that was just my experience)
i get extremely anxious about using wood shavings because I get worried of it causing them respiratory problems...but maybe this isn't true for all wood based beddings? i was just curious your opinion on it because you are very knowledgeable! i am always trying to learn more about gerbils since i got my girls in 2019 and your channel has been really great!! thank you again!!!
Thanks, I'm glad you liked the video and have found some of my information useful with your gerbils 😊
If you find a paper bedding that isn't too dusty and you find it works well for your gerbils then you don't need to include another bedding, I just personally think it's best to use a mix of different beddings for extra enrichment
I believe I explained in the video about the potential problems with VOC's in particular types of wood (namely pine & cedar, but also applies to some other woods such as spruce) - this isn't a problem with other types of wood though such as aspen or beech, there are timestamps in the description so you can jump to the wood section where I talk about it 🙂
The list I generally refer to as a starting point for safe and unsafe woods is this one: exoticanimalsupplies.com/safe-wood-gerbils/
But I would remove kiln-dried pine from the "safe" list (for the reasons explained in the video) and include beech as this is also safe to use according to the UFAW, but like every other kind of bedding some brands or batches of wood-based bedding may be dusty, so you'll need to use a bit of trial and error if you decide to include some 🙂
This helped a lot in my research into the various choices for aspen and hay beddings. I was starting to go wonky trying to compare the different brands/types even with a checklist of pro's and cons. lol. Some of the choices you have in the UK are not in available in the US (and visa versa, I'm sure) but this gives me a better overall idea of what I do, and do not, want to expose my pair to so thank you very much.
I like third cut timothy hay because it's soft. The other cuts I didn't like because they were sharp and stiff.
QUESTION: all hay purchases should be frozen before giving to your gerbil in case of pests correct? If so, for how long and won't the thawing cause mildew?
I'm glad I was able to help in your research, it's definitely a headache and a half trying to compare all the beddings 😅 out of curiosity, which types of bedding aren't available in the US?
There's so many different options for hay it can be kind of overwhelming! It's good that you've found one you like and is nice and soft ☺️
For freezing it, I think it'll depend on how trustworthy the source is, if it's grown and sealed correctly there shouldn't be any need to freeze the hay, but this will largely depend on how good the producer is and the laws and regulations on things like that in your state/country - there may be regulations for hygiene, growing conditions, packaging procedures etc.
And also if you get anything pre-opened that would be a definite freeze to be sure there's nothing alive that shouldn't be 🙂
For thawing, I would think if you keep the package open to allow the moisture to escape as it defrosts that should help with preventing too much moisture build up, and if it was something you were needing to do regularly you could consider sticking it near a dehumidifier while it thaws 🙂
@@PetConnectionInternational TY for the advice. Having been raised on a farm, I know how easy it is for hay to harbor wee little stowaway's. That knowledge gives me trust issues for any hay I purchase, lol.
Ah that's fair enough ☺️ I think if there are proper extraction & checking procedures in place they should be fine, so you'll just need to check what laws/regulations there are and that no one else has experienced problems with mites or anything else with the specific brand and product. But if you're really worried you can always freeze it anyway to put your mind at rest 🙂
I can't thank you enough for making this video! I'm so allergic to hay but want gerbils so bad! yay hemp! Do you think that stringy coco noir/ coconut stuff would be good to add structure? I've never really handled it before?
I wouldn't use Coco fibres for small pets at all, because it's so strong and tough to break it could easily wrap around limbs and cut off circulation. For adding structure to hemp without hay you can try mixing it with paper bedding, that should help it hold burrows 🙂
I also love several types of hemp
Hemparade is definitely my favourite ☺️ but I suppose I haven't tried the small pet versions to compare, do you have a favourite? 🙂
I love your videos. ❤Is it ok to use aspen but thoroughly sieve it first or is it the structure of the wood itself that always creates dust? Thanks 🥰
As long as the aspen isn't too dusty it should be fine, aspen is one of the only common woods that never got flagged up as having potential issues in my research, even with dust specifically. But too much dust in general can irritate their respiratory systems, so best to try a few different brands and use the least dusty one 🙂
@@PetConnectionInternational Thanks very much for the reply ❤️
amazing video!
What would you recommend for a gerbil with respiratory issues??
I'd try just shredded kitchen roll and/or teabag bedding to start to see how they go with it, if they're okay you could try hemp and orchard grass hay one at a time and see if they have any issues 🙂
Is the meadow and Timothy hay bale from pets at home ok for bedding, or the compressed hay bale from there? Also is it ok if I use hay, the paper based bedding and the cardboard bedding? And also do I need to layer them in any specific way or do I just mix it all together? I’ve heard that u can sprinkle some dry food inbetween layers aswell for foraging so is that also ok?
As long as it's meadow or Timothy hay it should be fine, I personally get my meadow hay from b&m as it's much cheaper. You could use that mix, but it's likely to get smelly very quickly, I'd recommend using hemp instead of paper 🙂
@@PetConnectionInternational thank you! Also when I said paper I meant care-fresh because I couldn’t remember what it was called, is that still fine?
Yes it's fine, but I do find it gets smelly very quickly, and is also super dusty, especially when they shred it
@@PetConnectionInternational thanks, I’ll probably switch it for hemp when I clean out the cage then
I used to use odor control bedding then I realized it was turning his belly fur blue I haven’t took him to a vet should I?
Has it faded since you switched the bedding?
If yes, then it may just be dyes in the bedding rubbing off on him 🙂
@@PetConnectionInternational I think it has faded a little bit but I can’t really tell
If you want some ideas of how to use some of these beddings in your own enclosure setup, then check out my recent enclosure setup video here:
🎬 ruclips.net/video/BIFUjRPwftA/видео.html
What do you think of the different gerbil beddings? Would you rank any of them differently? 😊
Also, apologies for the green face, I'm still figuring out the new studio setup 😅
For bonus content, check out the blooper reel for this video:
🎬 ruclips.net/video/x-UrgWFgDJE/видео.html
I've been really ill since 2020 and my operation was all done this week and I came home and my face has swelled up unrecognisable due to my surgery and problem I had. My gerbils are freaking out i honestly thought they know my voice , but they run out , then jumping in the air like they are scared and running off where they normally nose bump me top tank or climb my arm to my shoulder they just running in n out the bottom of tank and they keep literally jumping straight up in the air ..I've not seen them do this jumping thing is it because my face isn't recovered or i smell like blood or hospital? That honestly made me more emotional than my children seeing me saying I look funny cos I cant explain to my gerbils it's still me :( sorry I'm always bugging you just I'm not sure should I just back off and ask my family to feed them until my face swelling down? Can gerbils get that frightened by a face looking different I think I've confused the poor things they run out to my voice and then look terrified when they look at me they just run down wont even smell me or meerkat at me :(
@@felixandralph9290 oh no I'm sorry you've been having such a hard time! And please don't ever feel like you need to apologise for asking questions, that's what I'm here for!
So it probably is that you look a little different at the moment that's throwing them off, they do use their sight a lot to identify threats, but it could also be related to smell, so make sure you're using your regular soap as much as you're able to, so you smell as similar as possible to how you normally do. And I know it's difficult, but try not to stress out too much about it, they could also be picking up on your nerves, so it's important to try to stay as calm as possible. But it's good that they're still running out to the sound of your voice, so I would use this and keep talking to them as they see you, so they learn that it's still you even though you may look a little different right now. I wouldn't suggest getting someone else to feed them as it's probably a good idea that you keep offering them food so they can maintain that positive association between you and food. I hope this is able to help and that you get well soon ❤️
Thank you for this i got my bedding from pets at home and thought i would be fine i even got wood shavings that didnt say what wood it was😬 but now i am going to switch to the aspen shavings for snakes instead of wood shavings and probably also switch from carefresh to kaytee clean and cozy since it is more affordable. i will probably do about half and half with some added hay and paper. Thank you for making me realize😊 i will change next time i do a clean.
You're welcome, I'm glad it could help ☺️
Something I heard recently is that the multicoloured versions are less dusty than the plain or white, and after trying a bag, it definitely seems that way! So it may be worth trying yourself and seeing what it's like 🙂
I'm still playing around trying to find a suitable hemp alternative now that we can't get hemparade, got my eye on one called "eco shiv" that I'm going to try next week, it's just as cheap as hemparade at around £1/kg with shipping, so fingers crossed it's not too dusty🤞
@@PetConnectionInternational thank you i will try to get a coloured version if i can😊 good luck with the eco shiv
No problem ☺️ and good luck with your new bedding mix too!
@@PetConnectionInternational thank you (unfortunately the coloured bedding was not availale but i am sure the white will be fine☺️)
Hi, is spruce bedding safe for gerbils? My local pet store sells it and i bought some today, i use it together with hemparade, hay and a bit of shredded paper. I haven’t found much information about it but what’s your opinion on spruce bedding?
Unfortunately not, it contains abietic acid just like pine does (something I've learned more about since researching for this video), this compound is highly irritating even to humans and it's stable even at very high temperatures, meaning it won't be removed by kiln drying, it will remain embedded in the wood and can cause irritation from the dust when inhaled (something there'll be loads of in shredded bedding, especially with tiny animals that live *in* it 24/7)
Aspen, birch, beech are all safe, I know you can get Aspen wood shavings as a bedding, but I think the others only come in chip form, great for an extra dig box, not so great for holding burrows
@@PetConnectionInternational oh no! thank you for answering, i added some of it yesterday and went to celebrate Christmas at my grandparents house and won’t be able to come home before Monday/ Tuesday. Do you think they will be okay until I come back and remove it? I’m so scared that something will happen to them since I just got them:( what do I do if it has already caused irritation?
Oh don't worry, it's not bad enough that they'll suffer any major consequences in a short time, the issue would be if it irritates their noses for a prolonged period of time they could end up scratching at it and causing infection. And there may also be some long term health effects with an increased risk of certain health issues developing later down the line. But if they're only on it for a short time it's unlikely to cause any lasting issues, I wouldn't worry too much just leave them be for now and switch it out when you next do an enclosure clean ☺️
But if you notice their noses are red and/or inflamed in the meantime, switch out the bedding when you spot it and see if it clears up, and get a vet consult for any inflammation (this indicates infection), if it's just porphyrin build up (red snot), it's just at the minor irritation stage and shouldn't need a vet visit unless it doesn't clear up by itself, but there could also be household humidity or dust issues causing red noses too, I made a community tab post about it a few weeks ago with a bit more information if you need it 🙂
@@PetConnectionInternational Alright, thank you! I was staring to worry since I can’t really do anything with it right now. I’m glad that they’re going to be okay for now and thank you for all the information:) i’ll probably change it when I come home, I’m thinking of buying the white clean and cozy bedding, is that a good option? I’ll also just switch out that new toxic bedding I bought and leave the hemparade bedding and hay there, and later on add the clean and cozy bedding + some homemade shredded paper:)
@@alinamarvik-johansen5623 no problem ☺️ the white clean and cosy I find to be really dusty, the coloured ones seem to be better than either the white or natural versions, I think the extra processing helps to remove more of the dust, bonus, they make the enclosure look super fun 😁 and hemparade is amazing! It's hands down my favourite bedding I've used so far, but we can't get it in the UK anymore since Brexit 😞
I couldn't understand why there were several "cotton wool" balls in my gerbil's tank when I cleaned them out. They were little balls of dust from Clean and Cozy! I read Spruce wood shavings like Chipsi, Allspan or Great and Small are supposed to have phenol levels as low as Aspen but I'm not sure if that's correct. I tried a 1kg bag of Chipsi which had virtually no smell but was very fine and I found it a bit dusty. I prefer Allspan which has a very slight smell but nothing like as overpowering as Pine shavings. I always mix it with Fitch paper bedding and Timothy hay so it's not the main substrate.
Oh no! That's kind of what I experienced when I used paper pulp in their whole tank, it doesn't really happen so much when I just use it in their hides that I've noticed 🙂
For spruce it's also a conifer which can emit the same kind of potentially toxic compounds as pine and cedar unfortunately 😕
@@PetConnectionInternational I think they use Spruce a lot in Germany, especially Chipsi, but I wasn't keen on it at all. Maybe their version is different somehow. I only bought a fairly small amount of Allspan shavings and won't risk it again.
Unfortunately the evidence is very mixed, it's not entirely clear whether kiln-drying is enough to reduce the problematic compounds, maybe there's more research on spruce specifically, I would need to look into it some more to see if I can find anything, but it is suggested that the problem may be similar with all coniferous woods, even when it comes to using them for us humans! So I'd be wary of using it for tiny lungs that have to live in a home completely made from it, I'm even weary of the wood in my own furniture now! 😅
@@PetConnectionInternational I used kiln dried Pine over 10 years ago when that was still thought to be okay. Even the kiln dried Pine had a very strong smell so I used to break it up, empty it into several bags, then air it for a week. I'm not sure if that made it any safer though! There are now so many substrates to choose from, I agree it's not worth risking any softwoods without further evidence, even if Spruce isn't quite as dangerous as Pine.
Yep I totally agree, if there's a suggestion that something could be problematic, I'd rather not risk it, there's lots of other options that we can use instead ☺️
What's your opinion on teabag bedding? :)
From what I can tell it seems like it should be safe, although I haven't tried it myself so I don't know how well the "low dust" claim holds up in practice. Have you tried it? 🙂
@@PetConnectionInternational I'm planning on using it when I next get gerbils. I've seen good reviews so hopefully it works well as it's an affordable option
That sounds good ☺️ you'll have to let me know how you get on, I'm certainly curious to know if it holds up to the "low dust" claim, but I'm fairly confident it'll make some great tunnels 🙂
When do I have to change the bedding ?
In the minimum size tank (100x50x50cm+) with 25-40cm+ of good absorbent bedding like hemp, every 2-3 months, keeping around a third of the old cleanest bedding to put back in 🙂
@@PetConnectionInternational 😊
A mix with hay and aspen, would be the best for me.
I’m going to try a combination of coco peat as a base layer then add care fresh and hay on top of that.
I would be hesitant to use anything damp like coco peat as it goes mouldy really easily, I had some in a dig box that went mouldy even though it was exposed to the open air, so it may be best to stick to dry substrates for the tank. Hemp mixed with loads of hay is my favourite 🙂
@@PetConnectionInternational how much hay would you advise? I’ve heard too much can cause them issues
Nah, it's fine in my experience. I do about a 50/50 mix in terms of volume to make sure the hemp is able to hold up burrows. So I'll do a layer of hemp, then an equal layer of meadow hay, then alternate all the way up until the tank is full 🙂
I see these bags of hay from a pet store and I'm thinking, "I live in rural Kansas. I could just go down to the feed store and buy a small hay bale for next to nothing. We use them as fall decor out here." XD Honestly, back when I had gerbils, I never thought of giving them fresh hay. Goodness, I could literally have walked out past my garage at my old house and picked them some fresh sprigs of wheat!
Just make sure to freeze it for around 2 weeks first just in case there's any tiny bitey hitchhikers living in it! And make sure it's dust extracted, large amounts of dust can irritate their little noses
hi,and what is about cotton bedding?
Cotton is the same as bedding fluff, very dangerous as it could wrap around limbs and cut off circulation or cause intestinal impaction if accidentally swallowed
I use something like cotton seeds
@@piotrnowogrodzki9183 it's a serious risk, hamsters have literally died from impaction from these kinds of things, but the companies don't care and keep selling them - there's been necropsies on hamsters that have found kapok fibres (also natural like cotton) were stuck in their intestines and that's what caused them to die, please don't give cotton to your gerbils, it's a life threatening risk
Oh ok,thank you,they in pet shop recommended this cotton seeds like the best for gerbils 😓
@@piotrnowogrodzki9183 definitely not, very very dangerous. Pet stores are terrible for advice in most countries unfortunately
I’ve got wood shavings from pets at home. I’m not sure if it’s safe tho
Unfortunately not, the woodshavings are made from pine, as confirmed over email, although they are kiln-dried, this may still cause irritation as I explained in the video, my two seemed to respond badly when I used them 😕
You're better off using something like Aspen or hemp instead 🙂
@@PetConnectionInternational I’ve had my gerbils for almost a year using the same bedding :/ should I switch to carefresh or something like that?
@@PetConnectionInternational my dad won’t let me
Why don't you try suggesting switching to hemp? It works out much cheaper than pine per kilogram, so that may help convince him if his concern is cost 😊 just make sure you can get hay too for structure - meadow hay is the cheapest in the UK, it costs about the same as the hemp per kg 🙂
One bag of hemparade fills my 133 litre (30 gallon) tank 3-4 times, so although it's around £15 to buy a bag of 15kg, this should last around 3-6 months, depending on how often you clean your enclosure and the size of the tank 🙂
@@PetConnectionInternational his concern isn’t cost. But I’ll try to convince him. Thank you for the help I love ur channel ❤️ Love from Oreo and cookie
is the care for fat tailed gerbils same?
In terms of bedding yes it'd be much the same, for general care I believe there are similarities, but they're solitary and some people do suggest slightly different care, although I haven't done much research on them myself yet, so I can't give a definite answer for how similar their care should be
Can I shred my own paper?
It depends on what kind of paper, printer paper would be too firm and sharp to use as nesting material, it'd have to be soft plain paper, like soft brown packing paper maybe. You can also use shredded kitchen roll as nesting material, it's very soft and warm for them 🙂 none of them would be suitable as main substrates though as they're not very good at odour control
@@PetConnectionInternational THANK YOU!!!
No problem ☺️
I use hay and shredded paper and some sort of wood shavings
But I'm going to change soon
That's good, always best to double check the woodshavings ☺️
The shredded paper I use is just paper my dad gets at work so it's free lol
Nice! Is it just plain printer paper?
My gerbils tanks cost me close to 50 pound a month now to bedding change but I had 2 accidental litters and I refused to rehome so I'm now managing alot of gerbils and will be adding another 2 tanks after Christmas to split mine up more . More tanks more bedding 😂 if I find nice people who want gerbil pairs I'd rehome some but I'm not just advertising to strangers. I don't trust online selling my fluff buddy's.
I've tried that Wood shaving when I started my gerbil journey and my poor white gerbil nose went goopy it sneezed loads and I had to change to hemp and that care fresh .
I add haye every day and I found they love shreddy paper and the sand pit ...sand pit cost me 20 pound a month because I have so many they pee n poop in there I change it daily. I get chinchillas fine sand and I tried this gerbil dust stuff it was horrible like grit and my gerbils hated it..it was cheaper than chinchilla sand .... but I saw why straight away. Thanks for uploading ❤
Oh wow! No wonder it's expensive with your menagerie of gerbils, although in all honesty, if I had the space and money I'd probably have more too 😅
I had the same experience as you, tried kiln-dried pine woodshavings and they didn't respond well, so I switched to hemp, hay & paper
For sand have you tried children's play sand? It's made from quartz/silica so it doesn't have the same issues with sticking to their airways and causing respiratory problems as dust, clay or calcium sand, and it's MUCH cheaper than any of the other options! Just boil & bake first to sterilise and sieve to remove any larger pieces, it's what I've switched to using now and I find it's almost indistinguishable from reptile desert sand for a fraction of the cost 😊