Gerbils And Raisins?

Gerbils are creatures that love and enjoy eating all kinds of foods, veggies, and fruits, though their digestive system does not allow them to stomach most of the foods. The sensitivity of gerbils' digestion makes them unable to eat several juicy and sweet things; however, that does not mean they cannot eat others.

In feeding these gerbils, you are also to ensure whatever you give them is nutritious and not detrimental to their health. This has brought about the debate that pet owners make need to make sure treats and fruits if they can be fed to gerbils or not. Some of these foods include strawberries, pumpkin, raisins, etc. 

Today's review will be based on raisins, their nutritional benefits, and is they can be fed to your gerbils. Raisins, for one, is a particular food that is always found in your kitchen, but it is not used frequently. Like we said earlier, not all foods are healthy for gerbils, so you can consider giving them raisins.

This is because they are more nutritious than other snacks. Raisins are rich in minerals and vitamins, but fortunately, they do not have a high-fat content. They are also very rich in calories, making them better than staple food. Well, gerbils tend to enjoy raisins because they are chewy and sweet, and if there's one thing gerbils are known for, it is how well they enjoy chewing on something. 

What are Raisins?

Raisins are dried grapes that are locally gotten by drying fresh grapes in the sun. Raisins are sweeter than grapes because they are concentrated, but they taste like it.

These Raisins are made from Sultanas, dried white grapes. There's also Currant, which is another variant of dark grape, and it is dried the same way.

Raisins have certain macronutrients that are great for their consumers. It is the macronutrients in food that determines the quantity you can eat. They are healthier than candies since the level of processing is low. 

Why Eat Raisins

Fortunately, if your gerbils are given a chance, they can eat all kinds. Gerbils are known to eat any dried edibles like fruits and vegetables in food mixes, but you cannot give them a lot. This is because many dried fruits are very high in sugar, which is not healthy for gerbils.

The intake of a large quantity of sugar means too much energy, resulting in more weight, also, so as a pet owner, you have to watch what you feed your pets carefully. Water 16.57g, Fiber 6.8g, Fat 0.5g, Carbohydrate 78g, putting everything to a total of 296 calories.

Raisins are nutritious

This indicates that raisins are very nutritious, and they provide lots of energy, thus the reason your gerbils enjoy them so much. The only issue with these raisins is that the ratio of carbohydrate to protein is incorrect for your pet.

Gerbils need about 80% of carbohydrates to 15% protein and 5% of fat, but that is not the case with raisins and grapes.

This does not change the fact that you can feed them as treats and snacks but make sure they are in minimal amounts. Raisins also contain a lot of copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, Manganese, and others.   

Gerbils and Raisins

Gerbils love dried fruits with raisins and can joyfully eat through several of them in a single day if not monitored. They can be easily overfed with raisins if care is not taken. Most animals would kill to enjoy sweet and sugary foods though it is not always healthy.

This is because sugary food has fats and sugars that produce many calories that might be harmful when there's excess intake of it. Raisins are tough to chewy, that's why it serves as a nice treat for gerbils since they love chewing on things. Gerbils love and enjoy foods they gnaw and chew on as it keeps their teeth in check and stops them from going too long. 

With all that has been said above, you can see that raisins are not exactly bad for raisins, but they are not the best treatment. There is a lot of question as to if gerbils are allergic to raisins or grapes. Although some rodents like the mice are allergic to raisins, other ones like hamsters and gerbils are not allergic.

Gerbils and food poisoning

It is a well-known fact that raisins and grapes are poisonous to some animals as their intake can cause polydipsia, excess urine, abdominal pain, lethargy, and in worst cases, death. The confusion regarding these fruits is how exactly they can be so passive. Several owners have also fed these fruits to their pets, and there was no side effect or aftermath of eating them.

However, it may be a particular species of grapes and raisins that are toxic to individual animals. Perhaps the difference between seedless and seeded variety is the issue, and so you have to be careful and know the exact kind of raisins you intend to feed your gerbils. If you decide to feed your gerbils raisins, give them about half a tablespoon of food each day.

However, you cannot be feeding raisins to your gerbils every day, so it would not result in a nasty end. Even for humans, snacks are not supposed to be eaten daily as they are not healthy, which also applies to gerbils. Feeding it to them seldomly will not affect your pet’s nutrition significantly.

Weigh your Gerbils

You can weigh your gerbils once in a while so you can know when your gerbils are losing weight or gaining weight. If they are losing weight, raisins would be great for adding weight. Still, they are overweight, then reduce the number of raisins you give them. it is okay for gerbils to eat raisins occasionally, but they can cause digestive problems if eaten too often. 

Other Questions

What is Poisonous to Gerbils? 

Several things that can be poisonous to your gerbils are you do not learn to feed them the right diets or know the kind of items and toys to keep with them. Gerbils' meals are of a different variety, but certain ones are toxic. For instance, Apple seeds should never be given to gerbils because they contain some amounts of cyanide, a poison.

Also, gerbils love and enjoy hoarding all sorts, including food items. Therefore, if they are not checked and monitored closely, they can collect food that will end up rotting, and once such is consumed, it will be hazardous to them. This is one factor you have to look out for constantly.

Can Gerbils Eat Grapes? 

Gerbils eat all kind kinds of fruits and grapes is undoubtedly one of them. They can eat the green, black, yellow, white, and red grapes like any other fruit that they eat. Raisins themselves are gotten from grapes, they are dried grapes, and they are more concentrated than fresh grapes.

Two or three grapes are perfect as a treat for one gerbil. Some owners choose to give their gerbils grapes as a traditional food; they should be supervised in any case. Grapes are famous for the amounts of antioxidants they offer and vitamin K and C. They are also perfect for your gerbils as they do not have cholesterol, sodium, or fat.  

What is the Best Food for Gerbils?

 Gerbils make beautiful pets that need all the care one can give, and in caring for them, their food is vital. The best food for your gerbils can be in different forms; however, you have to ensure the foods have the major nutrients needed for their growth and development.

Vegetables, fruits, pellets and lab blocks, seed mixes, a minimal amount of cheese, currants, mealworms once in a while. You can also feed them whole grain bread, scrambled or boiled eggs in small bits, dog biscuits without meta, and some other foods that are perfect for your gerbils.