Gerbils are omnivores, which means they eat a mixed diet of plants, vegetables and can also eat meat. Yet they prefer a vegetarian diet, and most gerbils eat plant-based diets made up of vegetables, fruit, seeds, bulbs, leaves, and herbs.
Your pet gerbil needs a quality, balanced diet that contains all the minerals, nutrients, and vitamins they need. You can purchase commercial food in dried mixes and pellets to feed your gerbil, which is rich in protein and specially formulated to meet their needs.
Here we will explore whether gerbils can eat cucumber and cucumber seeds.
Table of Contents
Can Gerbils Eat Cucumber?
Cucumbers are a safe and healthy vegetable snack for your pet gerbil to eat. Cucumbers contain protein, fiber, and certain vitamins and minerals which are beneficial for your furry friend. Fresh vegetables can be a great treat and a way to supplement your gerbil’s pellets or other food, but a small portion should only be given as a snack 2-3 times a week.
Cucumber is beneficial for gerbil’s health as it contains various minerals such as magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, and vitamins such as C and B6. However, cucumbers are mainly water and so only contain trace amounts of these nutrients. This means that alone cucumbers are not enough to provide these minerals and should be given as a treat as part of a balanced and nutritious diet.
Gerbils can also eat small portions of other vegetables as tasty snacks to supplement their diet with vitamins and minerals a few times a week. These vegetables can be enjoyed raw and chopped into little pieces for gerbils to handle and eat. These vegetables include:
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Lettuce
- Spinach
- Carrots
- Corn
- Celery
- Bell peppers
- Green beans
- Peas
- Zucchini
- Arugula
- Pumpkin
- Squash
- Turnips
- Radish
- Potatoes and sweet potatoes
Can Gerbils Eat Cucumber Seeds?
Cucumber seeds are safe for gerbils to eat as a snack and do not need to be removed before giving your pet cucumber. However, the seeds in cucumber could potentially give your gerbil gas as they are rich in fiber. If you are only giving your gerbil small amounts of cucumber a couple of times a week, then this should not be an issue.
Cucumber seeds are a great healthy treat for gerbils and are high in fiber, but as cucumbers themselves are 95% water, they are too watery to be part of a gerbil’s regular daily diet. Too much water could give them an upset stomach, diarrhea, or they could miss out on key vitamins and minerals that cucumber does not contain enough of.
To give your gerbil cucumber, cut it into tiny bite-sized pieces which they can pick up and nibble on, and keep the seeds inside the cucumber. Introduce any new vegetables into your gerbil’s diet gradually to see if they enjoy them and if they can digest them well, as any sudden changes to diet could upset their stomach. This way your gerbil can safely enjoy a healthy cucumber snack.
Can gerbils eat cucumber skins?
Yes, Gerbils can eat cucumber skins. since the skin is the hardest part of the cucumber ( I know, not really that hard) gerbils consider it enjoyable to eat the skins. The cucumber skin normally has cucurbitacins, which are found in cucumbers. Other vegetables that have cucurbitacin are pumpkins, gourds, squashes, and melons.
Warning, cucumbers are watery vegetables so the cucumber skins can cause diarrhea for Gerbils if they eat too many of them. So, don’t worry about giving your little friend cucumber skins but don’t overdo it. sometimes it’s even better than to give them whole cucumber cause of the water.
So another thing about the cucumber skin is that it contains a chemical called ursolic acid. there have been some studies on rats and mice and they say this chemical helps to prevent cancer and other inflammatory diseases.
Cucurbitaceae is a family of health-promoting plants due to their compounds with beneficial effects. (Link)
US National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Conclusion
So there you have it – gerbils can eat cucumbers and their seeds too! If you’re feeling brave, you could even try giving them some of the skin. Just make sure that the cucumber is organic and pesticide-free to avoid any health risks.
