If you’ve never raised a gerbil, you’re probably not very familiar with raising one. Your gerbil needs your constant care and attention, and yes, that includes feeding them the right foods. Raising gerbils can be tricky as they are highly sensitive animals prone to falling sick easily.
If you’ve just adopted a gerbil, you need to gather all information you can about their dietary needs. Their food needs are very different than other animals, which is why you should carefully research before feeding them anything.
If you think you can feed your gerbil what other animals eat, you’re not on the right page. If you’ve owned a rabbit previously, please know it isn’t safe to feed your gerbil what rabbits usually eat.
Table of Contents
Can Gerbils Eat Rabbit Food?
No, they most certainly cannot. First of all, rabbits and gerbils are two completely different species. You shouldn’t expect two animals of contrasting species to have the same dietary needs. Another reason why you can’t feed your gerbil rabbit food is that rabbit foods only contain pellets.
Pellets aren’t good for gerbils as they’re made from industrial waste and agricultural residues. The nutritional value needed by a gerbil and a rabbit highly vary. Rabbits get their nutritional kick from pellets, while gerbils get theirs from plant seeds and herbs.
If you compare a gerbil’s food needs with that of a rabbit, you’d see a vast difference between the nutritional values. Upon comparison, you’ll find an imbalance between both the animals’ dietary needs, which is the main reason why you shouldn’t feed your gerbil rabbit food.
Hence, we won’t recommend feeding your gerbil the same food as a rabbit. If you do so, you might have to take your gerbil to the vet as chances are high they won’t digest rabbit food well.
Is Gerbil Food the Same as Rabbit Food?
No, Rabbit food is highly contrasting to a gerbil. The former, as mentioned earlier, get their nutritional kick from pellets made from organic biomass ingredients. The latter has different food needs, such as plants, bulbs, herbs, and wheat. Organic wheat is good for gerbils as it gives them appropriate nutrition.
Both the animals’ dietary needs are so different because their digestive systems work differently. Rabbits are bigger animals than gerbils, which is why they have a far stronger digestive system than gerbils. Gerbils are rather tiny, which is why they can’t digest all foods.
One similarity between rabbit and gerbil foods is that they can have fresh fruits and vegetables. However, one stark difference is the portion size. Rabbits can eat moderate servings of fruits and vegetables; you might have seen them chew on a carrot very frequently.
Gerbils are not to be given foods in huge amounts due to their small and fragile digestive system. So, ensure it’s in small servings whenever you feed your gerbil food. Any meal too large for them to digest will land them straight in a vet’s office, which isn’t what you’ll want.
Readers also like: Can Gerbils Eat Lettuce?
Is rabbit food poisonous for Gerbils?
No. Despite being labeled as rabbit food, it is not poisonous for gerbils. It’s more that rabbit food doesn’t provide all of the nutrients that gerbils need. The main nutrient that rabbit food provides for rabbits is Timothy hay which is not particularly nutritious for gerbils. Gerbils need a variety of nutrients including seeds, grains, apples, carrots, broccoli, and other vegetables/fruit.
By just giving them pellets you are hurting the gerbil.
Conclusion
Gerbil food is different than rabbit food. Rabbit foods only contain pellets, which are not poisonous to gerbils. You can’t feed your pet a diet of exclusively bunny chow or else they will die from vitamin deficiencies.
The best food gerbils consist of seeds, nuts, vegetables, and fruits. You can feed small pieces of bread if you must, but not too much because the bread becomes sticky when wet and can get caught in their throats.
In addition to food, your gerbil should have a treat once in a while, just to keep them happy. Treat options include raisins, dried fruits, and other small pieces of fruit or vegetables that are rich in vitamins.
