Grapes And Gerbils

As pet owners, we sometimes wonder whether our pets can eat the same food that we do. Grapes are a favourite snack throughout the world because of their juicy nature and can be used in many ways. So can gerbils eat grapes? Read on to find out. 

Most owners give fruits and vegetables to gerbils as a treat. Not only because of their rich flavour, but also because they are easy to feed. Since they are available individually and you don’t need a chopping board to cut up small slices. 

Just pinch one grape off the stalk and give it to the gerbil, because each grape is ideal for single sized portion. To understand more about how beneficial grapes are, let's look at the nutritional value of grapes.

Grapes Nutritional Value

Grapes actually are a fruit that grows on vines and can mostly be found on a bunch with large clusters of 20 to 100 grapes. With its lovely leaves, the grape plant is exquisite and climbs up the garden with the support of runners. The grapes that we usually find in the stores belong to the Vitaceae family. These grapes can be found all over the world because they can be grown in both tropical and temperate climates.

Along with containing healthy antioxidants, they also contain vitamin C and K. However, they do not carry any fat, cholesterol, and sodium. Furthermore, they have a lot of sugar and acidic content in them along with a little phosphorous.

Store-bought grapes are ideal for gerbils because they taste nice, so your gerbil will happily eat them, which is not like some fruit.

Therefore, “Yes”, gerbils can eat grapes. However, because of being quite acidic and sweet, do not give them grapes all the time. If you give them too much, it can cause digestive problems for them. Just one or two grapes, twice a week, are more than enough for them.

Which Grapes Can You Feed Your Gerbils

Below are types of grape that are most commonly fed to gerbils.

• Fresh Grapes: They are the easiest to feed because this is also how we eat grapes. All you have to do is pluck a single grape off a bunch and give it to the gerbil. To make it easier for the gerbil to swallow, you can also cut it in half. This will also prevent your gerbil from choking.
• Dried grapes: This includes different species of dried grapes such as currants, raisins, and sultanas. Currants are a dark seedless red grape and are often dried Corinth grapes or similar, while raisins are called a Moscatel and are usually white dried grapes. These can be given to gerbils and rodents, but in small quantities only.
• Frozen grapes: Many people swear that frozen grapes are a perfect treat for gerbils in warm weather. When you are trying to freeze them, cover them before putting them in the freezer otherwise there will be a lot of mess.

How To Feed Grapes To Your Gerbils

Although gerbils can eat grapes, it is always a good idea to start feeding them any food in small quantities first. You should also remove any fresh food from their gerbilarium as soon as they lose interest in it. Leaving the food in it will cause it to decay, creating a smell and other potential health risks.

Gerbils also like to hoard food, so it is better to check their cage daily and remove any stale food to avoid stomach issues.  

They prefer holding their food and gnawing on it, therefore it can get buried in their bedding and will start decaying without you even noticing it. The best way to prevent that is to buy a heavy dish with low sides. This way the gerbils will take the food out one by one and cannot knock it over completely. 

Once you know how much food your gerbils like to eat, try to only feed them the amount you think they can finish in 24 hours. This way there will be less uneaten food, meaning less food getting buried in the bedding.

You should also monitor your gerbil's eating and drinking habits. If you notice any changes in food consumption or water intake, go see a vet. 

Is Grape Juice Good For Gerbils

If you like to consume grapes in liquid form i.e through juices or wine and are also thinking of giving it to your gerbil, DON’T! 

Juices contain way too much sugar, and sugar is not only bad for their teeth but also for their overall health, because they cannot process it well. 

Wine is even more dangerous for them because they cannot handle even a small amount of alcohol, and it can prove fatal for them.

What Other Fruits Can Gerbils Eat

There are several fruits that are safe for gerbils such as a slice of apple, a few blueberries, a slice of banana, a slice of pear, and a strawberry. 

However, as gerbils are desert animals, they are not accustomed to fruits and vegetables rich in water. Their digestive system is not well suited to process foods that are high in moisture, so only a small quantity of fruits should be given to them at a time. If you give any more than that, it will end up upsetting their stomach.

Which fruits should not be given to gerbils

Although the fruits mentioned above are safe for your gerbils, it is best not to give them citrus fruits. These fruits are very acidic and cause problems for your gerbils specifically, they can damage the skin in and around their mouths. If you give citrusy food to gerbils, they can develop soft sores in their mouth. 

Fruits such as avocados are also very dangerous for gerbils, and can lead to fatality because of the high amount of fat, calcium, and acid present in them.

Now that you know which fruits should, and should not be given to gerbils, choose wisely so your gerbils can live a long and healthy life. 

Other Questions

What Is Poisonous To Gerbils? 

Gerbils are omnivores so they can eat a variety of food items such as fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts. Even so, certain types of food are poisonous to them, for example salted, cooked, or flavored nuts are poisonous for gerbils. Similarly, gerbils can eat apples, but apple seeds are poisonous and should not be given.

When giving vegetables to your gerbils, make sure not to add zucchini, rhubarb, cucumber, and baby marrow because they are poisonous to them.

Among fruits, avocados are also not suitable for gerbils. Just as nuts, seeds that are salted, cooked, or flavored are poisonous for gerbils and shouldn’t be given to them.

Can Gerbils Eat Strawberries?

Yes, gerbils can eat strawberries. However, since essential nutrients such as fat, protein, sodium chloride, vitamin B, and magnesium are not present in strawberries, they should be given as a treat only. Strawberries contain a high amount of water and sugar, both of which are not good for them, because their body cannot process a large quantity of water and sugar.

So just give them half a teaspoon of chopped strawberries once or twice a week. If you feed them any more than that, it can cause digestive issues for your gerbil.

Strawberry jam and juice should also be not given to gerbils because of their high sugar content. 

Can Gerbils Eat Apples?

Yes, gerbils can eat apples. Apples are rich in vitamin A and C, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium so all varieties of apples can be given to them.

However, be careful about the number of apples you give to them. As apples contain a high amount of water and sugar, they should only be given in moderation. Foods that contain a lot of sugar can cause your gerbils to gain excessive weight, which is dangerous for their health.

The seeds of apples are toxic and should be removed before giving them. Cut the apples into small pieces so gerbils can easily swallow them without choking.