Hay as main gerbil substrate?? Advice needed please

[rosi]

Hi all,

I rescued two older gerbils from pets at home a few months ago. I haven't had gerbils before but have had experience with other rodents- so far I'm loving them!
When I went to get them the lady serving me said they needed hay, shredded paper and wood-shavings (looked like sawdust).
I didn't buy the wood as I had read that it can be dusty and harmful to gerbils so have just been using hay and the paper as the substrate. I have had no issues with this and they seem to enjoy tunnelling in it and chewing it, but they do sleep in a next box on a separate level to the main tank that is filled with toilet roll that they shred.
However, I started doing some further research as one of my boys had very squinty eyes and wasn't as active today and I can tell most people don't use hay as their main substrate and I was wondering if this is something that is affecting my gerbil? Only one of the boys is like this.
I assumed using hay as the bedding was ok as this is what the pet shop told me! I would appreciate any advice.

Thank you x

[LilyandDaisy]

Hello,

Congratulations on your first gerbils! It would be lovely to see photos of them if you're willing to share.

Hay is okay for most gerbils, though I wouldn't use it as the main substrate because it can be a bit dusty and might not produce the best tunnel structures. Generally the best substrate is a mix of a loose substrate such as wood shavings, paper beddings or hemp and a long-stranded substrate such as hay or shredded paper. I tend to fill the tank in alternating layers of different substrates, though it all gets mixed up when the gerbils burrow. Some gerbils can be sensitive to hay so it might be worth not using for a while to see if your gerbil's eye clears up.

Many people do have concerns about how healthy softwood shavings are for rodents. It is a grey area, and much of the ambiguity is due to the fact that softwood is a very broad category, ranging from cedar (which is certainly unsafe) to spruce (which is almost certainly safe), with stuff like pine and fir in the middle. Most wood shavings from pet shops are unspecified softwood, so people often avoid them. You can buy 100% spruce shavings online such as Vida.

Another very popular option is hemp bedding, such as Aubiose.

Finally, there are the paper beddings, such as Kaytee, Fitch or Megazorb.

Hopefully you can find one that works for you out of these options

[catnut]

I use Aspen bedding for my girl and have used it for many gerbils in the past with no issues, i freeze it and thaw it to prevent mite issues. Hay isn't good for bedding, gerbils really don't need it but you can give them some for building their nest but make sure to freeze it for a few days and then thaw it. I would guess one of your boys is having an allergy to the hay so i'd switch it to a paper or wood shavings as soon as possible.

[rosi]

Amazing! Thank you both so much, I will do some shopping!!
I got them out for a run around and his eyes are completely open at the moment and he is tunnelling away which is amazing but will definitely still change the bedding.
I will work out how to add photos and put some up tomorrow! x