Gerbil owners love giving their pets fresh veggies to munch on. And since carrots are such a popular vegetable. It’s crunchy, sweet, and it looks like candy. So are carrots safe for gerbils? Can gerbils eat carrots?
It’s important to find out if what you’re feeding your gerbil is healthy and digestive-friendly. When your gerbil eats something he is not supposed to, it can cause lots of health problems. Including stomach indigestion, cardiovascular diseases, weight gain, and deficiencies.
In this article, you will get to know all about feeding gerbils carrots. And how you can not only feed your gerbil orange carrots which is what most people usually go for. But you can also feed your gerbil purple and yellow variants of the root.
Table of Contents
Are Carrots Healthy for Gerbils?
YES, your pet gerbil can eat all types of carrots. It is rich in antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and carotene and carotenoids. They’re delicious and crunchy which gerbils love. And since it’s a root vegetable, you’ll also be interested to know this.
Gerbils, as a species, eat a variety of foods in the wild. And carrots are one of the commonly-found foods that gerbils eat when naturally in the wild. Along with a mixture of other foods such as nuts and other plant matter.
Since gerbils are omnivores, they are close-cousins to the herbivore species. So they derive most of their nutrition from fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains.
Domesticated gerbils can digest a variety of foods. Wild gerbils can digest veggies, nuts, roots, grasses, seeds, insects, and bird eggs. Basically, all that is readily found or can be scavenged in the wild.
This is one of the reasons why carrots are nutritious for gerbils. And why you should start feeding your pet gerbil carrots right away.
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How to Feed Carrots to Gerbils?
There are different ways you can feed carrots to gerbils…
In whatever form you decide to feed carrots to gerbils, stick to 2 to 3 times per week. And each time you can give your gerbil 1 to 2 teaspoons of carrots. This is the ideal amount.
Anything more may cause a sugar increase which is not good for your gerbil’s digestive and cardiovascular health. It can lead to weight gain, slow metabolism, and other internal issues.
#1. Carrot Flesh
The simplest way you can do this is to cut small pieces of the carrot flesh. You can either cut the carrot into slices or small bite-sized pieces that your gerbil can easily chew down on.
Never serve your gerbil a big or whole piece of carrot. Even though gerbils love to chew on crunchy foods. The carrot if kept for a long period of time will go bad and turn a moldy black color.
#2. Dehydrated Carrots
A yummy way to introduce carrots into your gerbil’s life is this. You can make dehydrated carrots at home. Carrots contain 60% of water and depleting this vegetable of that water increases the nutritional value of the vegetable.
So your gerbil is absorbing more nutrients from the vegetable than simply water.
You can offer dehydrated carrots 1-2 times per week. Because carrots contain sugar, it can lead to excess sugar intake which is not good for gerbils.
#3. Mashed Carrots
Mashed carrots are a great way to make your gerbil primary meals fun. If your gerbil is a fussy eater, you can always add carrots to the mix. Make sure you completely wash the carrots and buy the freshest possible carrots available.
Cut them into tiny pieces or use a grater to create the carrots like cheese. You can easily add them to your food like sprinkles.
What Parts of Carrots Can Gerbils Eat?
You have carrot seeds, carrot top, carrot plant flowers, and wild carrot plants.
Carrot tops are the only thing that humans and gerbils can eat. Even though they taste bitter, they are full of nutrients. Make sure it’s properly cleaned and free from any chemicals and dust.
You can also buy organic or home-grown carrot tops to avoid accidentally feeding your gerbil carrots that are full of chemicals or toxins.
Carrot seeds contain more concentrated nutrients. In the wild, they are often eaten by many animals. However, it’s best to stay away from carrot seeds as they may contain high levels of toxins. The concentrated nutritional value of carrot seeds may also cause problems in gerbils who have sensitive tummies.
Lastly, carrot plant flowers and wild carrot plants. These should not be given to gerbils. It may cause an allergic reaction. Their sap is what may cause an allergic reaction in gerbils. So it’s best to stay away from all other parts of a carrot – except for the carrot top.
Final Thoughts – Can Gerbils Eat Carrots!
YES, but the most important thing you should be feeding your pet gerbil is his or her seed mixture. This contains all the nutrition your gerbil needs. It’s tasty and versatile.
When you add fruits and vegetables into the mix, it boosts the gerbil’s overall health. And feeding your gerbil is carrots is what should come after you’ve given your pet their necessary dietary food. Carrots contain antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber. And gerbils love carrots.
So it’s easier to feed your gerbil carrots because it’s sweet, crunchy, and delicious. You can buy fresh carrots from the supermarket or feed home-grown carrots. It makes a tasty snack for gerbils. And you can also add it to their seed mixture to boost the flavor.
One thing to note about feeding gerbils carrots is that it should be done in moderation. Carrots contain too much sugar so a high sugar intake can lead to weight gain.
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