My name is Heather, I have a BSc degree in Animal Science and my mission is to help improve the lives of pets around the world by sharing evidence backed pet care information.
An animal does not have different care needs depending on which country they live in, so our care of them shouldn't be affected by borders. With research backed care information my hope is that one day we can create a global standard for pet care. If you want to join the fight for better pet care, then show your support by sharing the videos with anyone who needs them, thank you 💚
For 1-1 consultations, or to join the forum, head over to
🌐www.PetConnection.International🌐
🛒 ETSY STORE: PetConnectionIntl
Current pet focus: Mongolian Gerbils
More pets coming soon!
DISCLAIMERS:
1. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases
2. The videos are intended for educational purposes only, they are not intended as a substitute for professional veterinary advice
Pet Connection International
Please don't ignore these symptoms!
I noticed my Sandy having these brief episodes where she seemed to be breathing quite heavily, which got me concerned. I'd also been recently noticing her getting a runny nose periodically, although it seemed more common closer to cleaning time, so I initially put it down to the bedding being too dusty. After noticing the heavy breathing, I started to second guess that, and took her to the vet, who didn't notice anything untoward on physical examination, so we were prescribed a course of antibiotics in case it was a respiratory infection
These antibiotics didn't change anything, I was still seeing her have a runny nose, if anything I was noticing it more. I also noticed her drinking more than usual. This is the same cluster of symptoms I noticed in my old girl Moo last year, but I'd put the breathing & occasional runny nose down old age & dusty bedding, and as she was sharing water with Sandy at the time, I convinced myself I could just be imagining the extra drinking, especially as she her behaviour hadn't changed in the slightest, so I decided to monitor for any decline. Her symptoms never got any worse, but a couple of months later she suddenly got seriously ill and sadly had to be PTS. So when I saw the same things appear in Sandy, I knew to get her properly checked ASAP
We got her an ultrasound, checking all of her organs (as believe it or not, most of them can cause respiratory issues when not functioning properly). The vet found that her left kidney is enlarged, and after a urine test, we found she also has protein in her urine, a sign of kidney disease. So we're currently giving her a short course of steroids to try and get on top of the inflammation, and I'm making a variety of diet adjustments to reduce the stress on her kidneys. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this, but fingers crossed with these adjustments we can reduce her symptoms and extend her healthy lifespan 🤞
The reason I'm sharing this, is to share one really important message: TRUST YOUR GUT!
You know your gerbabies better than anyone else, if your gut is telling you something might be wrong, don't hesitate, get them checked out. If you still feel like something is off despite nothing obvious on physical exam and a course of meds, get more tests done, urine test strips can be bought and done at home, and could give some indication as to what's going on, ultrasounds & x-rays aren't as dangerous and expensive as many people fear and could tell you how to best help your fur baby. It's better to get them checked and find out nothing is wrong, than to assume they're fine and have it turn out to be something serious
Please learn from my mistakes, and don't talk yourself out of concerns because the symptoms seem so minor. Gerbils are prey animals and hide signs of illness until it's too late, even the most minor symptoms could indicate something serious. Sandy presented with a runny nose, occasional heavy breathing and drinking more, but was still acting just like normal Sandy pants, and it turned out that her kidneys are really struggling. We just never know what's really going on until we get them properly checked out
5 days ago (edited) | [YT] | 30
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Pet Connection International
Zelda has repurposed her branch as a convenient snack seat! 😂
1 week ago | [YT] | 43
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Pet Connection International
Zelda and Sandy pants love their new toy from WilbursWhiskers 🥰 excellent quality and all safe materials, check out their Etsy store to get one for your fur babies! www.etsy.com/uk/shop/WilbursWhiskers
They're based on the ones I was selling before, unfortunately my health has meant I'm not able to make them anymore, I may make one more batch at some point to use the last of my stock, but then I'll be stopping for good. So these new toys make a perfect alternative! 10/10 would recommend 😁
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 44
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Pet Connection International
As it's getting warmer, I thought it would be worth sharing this video again with some tips on keeping your gerbils cool: https://youtu.be/KeJegxST4yU
As an update to the window advice: I've learned that if the air temperature is hotter outside than in, then it may be beneficial to keep windows closed during the day, and open them again at night when the air cools 🙂
And adding cardboard to your windows as well as foil can help to block out even more heat ☺️
And one more additional tip: you could put a wrapped ice bottle or ice pack in front of a fan to provide cooler air to the room, make sure it's not blowing directly on them though, just into the room
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 5
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Pet Connection International
"mummy, you're embarrassing me in front of my friends!"
In all seriousness, the fact that she doesn't even flinch when I kiss her, even though I'm large enough to eat her if I wanted (I don't btw 😅), shows the immense level of trust she has in me, and it makes my heart incredibly happy to know she feels so safe with me ❤️
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 56
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Pet Connection International
Excuse me, I did not order this tub of gerbil
1 month ago | [YT] | 78
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Pet Connection International
New merch design & giveaway!
Sandy pants and Zelda would like to show off our new merch design, based on a gerbil classic: orb mode! Their mummy decided to draw this one herself, who knew snack lady could draw?! It came as a surprise to her too! We hope you like it as much as we do, it's available on t-shirts, hoodies, mugs & more on our merch store: pet-connection-international.myspreadshop.com/
We got a couple of t-shirts & stickers as test prints that we're going to giveaway, we have 2 orb mode t-shirts (size ladies small), an orb mode sticker, and a gerbils gotta gerb sticker. If you're interested in winning one of these, head over to our Instagram and follow the instructions on the post there: www.instagram.com/p/DZFLRZxit1b/?igsh=d3F3OTBpeDdt…
1 month ago | [YT] | 33
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Pet Connection International
An update on Zelda:
We recently went back to the vet for another ultrasound on her heart and found out that the fluid that was around her heart is now completely gone!! 🥳 And on top of that, her heart is now beating at normal gerbil speed 🥰 she likely still has whatever underlying condition was causing it, so we're keeping her on meds to make sure things don't go downhill again, but we're going to be trying to lower the dose to more of a maintenance level so she's not having more than absolutely necessary. But all in all it's amazing news and I'm so happy for her!
As a joint celebration for her improved health and her recent 1st birthday, she got a very yummy gerbil safe "cake" that she absolutely devoured! 😂 Happy birthday sweet baby girl, may you have many more healthy and happy birthdays ❤️
1 month ago | [YT] | 41
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Pet Connection International
Love how Zelda & Sandy pants joined up their tunnels 🥹🥰
(Just to note, I normally don't recommend a permanent split setup, but due to Zelda's heart issues, it's the best compromise in this situation)
1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 35
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Pet Connection International
"my favourite climbing frame is the human kind"
2 months ago | [YT] | 75
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