So, what fruits can a gerbil have?

With taking care of your pet Gerbil, their nutrition is something to watch out for, as it helps them live a healthy, long, and happy life.

The diet of gerbils is might seem a complicated. Though they eat lots of grains and cereals, gerbils are not true vegetarians; thus, they need a combination of different food to keep them strong and healthy.

Fruits, for instance, are a significant component of gerbils' diet.

vitamins and minerals

Certain fruits provide minerals and vitamins to your gerbils when they eat them. However, not all fruits are fed to them, as some are detrimental to their health, poisonous, and can even lead to death.

So, utmost significance should be given to the exact fruits you are to feed to your gerbils.

Gerbils need variety, and fruits are one of them. Fruits are perfect as supplements for nutrition of your gerbils. Fruits like melon, oranges, pear are great for them.

Gerbils and Berries 

Berries are tasty and sweet, so gerbils love them, but that does not mean they should be fed them often. Pet gerbils eat berries, so do wild gerbils too.

Berries are natural, and they grow on bushes, so it is not uncommon to eat them. Gerbils can eat any berry you buy from a store.

These berries include blackberries, goji berries, blueberries, strawberries, and several others. One thing that can cause your gerbil' issues, is the berries and is the bacteria that they harbor. Therefore, before you feed it to them, wash thoroughly so any bacteria will be washed off.

Also, in feeding berries to your gerbils, know the exact type you are giving them, know where it grows, and find out if it has been sprayed with pesticides. Gerbils love berries because they are sugary snacks, but too much isn't right and can cause them.

They experience loose stool because the berries have lots of water, and the gerbils have consumed many of them. Diarrhea in your gerbils is usually a mess, and it spreads parasites and bacteria. When they eat excess pure sugar, it stresses the pancreas resulting in diabetes in animals.

More dried food

Give your gerbils more dried and fiber foods to avoid issues like this. Berries especially should be fed as a snack for your gerbils, not a standard meal. Half a tablespoon of berries at once is perfect. This is in order to avoid any complications that could be caused by too much berries.

Fresh vegetables

Fresh Vegetables like Carrot, Fennel, Cucumber, Pumpkin, Peppers, Courgette, Lettuce, Pea, Zucchini, Green Bean, and Corn are also great another set of supplements for your gerbils.

But fruits like Grapes, Avocados, Apple seeds, and some other fruit seeds. Garlic, Raw potato, and Rhubarb are deadly for your gerbils.

In feeding your gerbils vegetables, provide them in small amounts, not too much. Vegetables help to keep your gerbils' teeth clean from disease and rot. 

Nuts!

Your gerbils can also eat nuts and seeds like Sesame, Pumpkin, Sunflower, seeds of herbs, almonds, Pecans, Peanuts, Brazil nuts, Macadamia nuts, etc.

In feeding them nuts and seeds, please do not provide them with salted nuts and seeds, Flavored seeds and nuts, and cooked nuts and seeds.

When you want to want to buy nuts and seeds for your gerbils, it is advised that you read the ingredient list and packaging to ensure the nuts free, direct, and raw from flavoring, cooking, and salt. Also, every seed, nut, and store-bought food mixture is kept in the freezer for at least 5 hours before feeding them to your gerbils.

Put Nuts in the Freezer

When you put them in the freezer, any bugs, insects, bug eggs, insect eggs that might be attached to them would freeze to them. Be as cautious as possible, taking all the precautions to use. Store-bought mixes are perfect for gerbils as they are composed of your gerbils' needed dietary needs.

You can buy those that come with a mixture of vegetables, fruits, seeds, and nuts.  

Fresh drinking water

Your gerbils' basic needs should always include fresh and clean drinking water in a drinking bottle with a metal sipper tube. Make sure to check the bottle daily for blockages or any leaks. Water is essential in keeping your gerbils alive and well.

Change the water and the bottles frequently to prevent contamination of any sort. Scattering their food on the surface of their beddings to avoid squabbling. Letting your gerbils forage around enriches them as they love bulbs, a range of leaves, herbs, and seeds of grasses.

Not to many grains - obesity

Try as much as possible to avoid giving them many grains, especially sunflower seeds, because they are fatty and can cause obesity. You can provide them with pumpkin seeds, as they are healthier than most other grains. In whatever you give your gerbils, ensure it's a balanced diet.

Nutrients and minerals are vital to the growth and development of your gerbils. You can do a mixture of various seeds, a pelleted compound ration, or, more preferably, the commercial rations. The commercial rations have been prepared to meet their biological needs, but you can follow the manufacturer's guidance for how much feed to give them.

Gerbilarium to prevent dietary change

Do well to check their Gerbilarium and remove any stale food item they have hoarded as it's expected of them.

Gerbils like to sit upright and hold pieces of food to gnaw, and they also enjoy collecting food in large stores. In the natural habitat, gerbils can hoard up to 1.5kg of grain in a single store.

Keep checking their Gerbilarium to prevent any sudden dietary changes. If they keep eating what’s stale, they are at the risk of an upset stomach. Monitor their daily intake and know how much they eat and drink, such that if it becomes too much or too little, you can notice instantly from their faeces. Once you see an abnormality, visit your vets as soon as possible. 

Other Questions

What is Gerbils Favorite Food?

Gerbils do not exactly have a favorite food, although they enjoy foods. Gerbils love foods like berries and fruits in general, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. However, not every food they love and want is healthy and nutritious.

It is left to you as the pet owner to know what is proper to avoid health issues. Some Gerbils also enjoy chewing on dog biscuits, and so you can give them to keep their mouth busy. But make sure it is in a minimal amount. The biscuits also keep their teeth filed.  

Which Human Food Can Gerbils Eat?

Gerbils differ greatly from humans, as they are desert species that have evolved in totally different conditions to humans. For instance, their digestive system has adapted to the desert life and climate, so they cannot eat as much as we humans do.

They cannot eat every kind of food we eat without having to deal with a non-palatable after effect. For processed foods, gerbils have a worst digestive system.

The human foods that are recommended for gerbils are veggies and fruits only. Also, note that some fruits and vegetables are to be given as treats only, not main meals, to prevent an upset stomach for your gerbils. 

Can Gerbils Eat Hamster Food?

Gerbils are not the same as hamsters, as they may look alike, but they are very different. Yes, they are both rodents and should be treated the same way, but that should not be the case. They share a similar taste in fruits and vegetables, but gerbils should not eat any pellet mix meant for hamsters under normal circumstances.

This is because a hamster's feed does not fully meet gerbils' nutritional requirements. If you cannot get the combination specific to them, try out some of the foods listed above, and be sure to hold your gerbils' health in high esteem.