Can Your Gerbil Eat Tangerines? Explained!

When you’re dealing with a gerbil, there are many things you have to be mindful of, and their diet is one of them. You can’t just feed your pet gerbil anything other animals eat as they have a somewhat fragile digestive system. Gerbils also fall sick much quicker than any other animal, so you’ll have to be extra careful.

While planning your gerbil’s meals, please ensure you know what ingredient you’re feeding them. Also, it’ll significantly help if you’ve done your research regarding every ingredient’s possible effect on your gerbil. You can begin feeding them when you have all the required information regarding your gerbil’s diet.

Can Gerbils Eat Tangerines?

No, gerbil cannot eat tangerines. Tangerines are citrus fruits that contain plenty of acids. Acid isn’t an ingredient that your gerbil should have in their system as it can cause many digestive problems for them. Any food with high acidic content is considered a big no for a pet as sensitive as a gerbil.

Another reason why gerbils shouldn’t eat tangerines is because of the water content in them. Excessive water isn’t recommended for gerbils, leading them to become bloated. Hence, it would help feed them fruits that don’t include any acid or high-water retention properties.

As a gerbil parent, you should ensure your gerbil stays away from any citrus fruit, including tangerines. There’s plenty of sugar present in tangerines as well, which adds to the list of reasons why your gerbil shouldn’t be fed tangerines. The ingredients in tangerines aren’t suitable for gerbils.

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So, if you want to feed your gerbil fruit, go for any other except citrus fruits. Other fruits include bananas, apples, and pears. These fruits are suitable for a gerbil’s digestive system and wouldn’t cause them to have problems with their health.

Can Your Gerbil Eat Tangerines?

Can Gerbils Eat Tangerine Peels?

The answer to this question is both yes and no. Tangerine peels are not a good source of food for gerbils, but they will not harm your pet if it eats them occasionally.

Gerbils need a diet that is high in fiber and protein, and tangerine peels do not provide either of those nutrients. However, the peels do contain some vitamin C, so they will not harm your pet if it eats them occasionally.

If you want to provide your gerbil with a healthy diet, try feeding it fresh fruits and vegetables instead of tangerine peels.

Can Gerbils Eat Tangerine Seeds?

The seeds of tangerine are not poisonous, but they can be a choking hazard. If your gerbil swallows a seed, it could get stuck in its throat and choke. If you think your pet has swallowed a seed, take it to the vet immediately.

What Happens If Your Gerbil Eats Tangerines?

Firstly, the high acidic content can burn your gerbil’s stomach lining, causing them to experience plenty of stomach pain. The stomach pain can become extreme if your gerbil consumes too many tangerines. The excessive burning might even burn their stomach lining, which is quite dangerous for your gerbil.

Also, since tangerines contain plenty of water, we’ll advise you to steer clear of tangerines. If gerbils consume too much water, it can cause inflammation. The inflammation will lead to your gerbil becoming overweight as the water content in their system will be high. Hence, tangerines are a no-go for gerbils.

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Lastly, tangerines come packed with sugar, and as sweet as it is, gerbils don’t fare too well from them. Excessive sugar can make your gerbil obese, causing many other problems further down the line. You’ll have to keep taking them to the vet, which isn’t something you’d want to do. So, it’s better not to feed your gerbil fruits that can make them sick.

In the long run, tangerines can have a pretty negative impact on your gerbil’s health. Hence, if you want to feed them fruits, please provide them fruits that don’t contain too much water, sugar, or acid.

Final words

So, while tangerines may not be the best food choice for your gerbil, they will not kill them. However, it is important to keep in mind that these fruits do have a high acidic content which can cause stomach pain and discomfort if consumed in large quantities.

If you are looking for a tasty treat to give your furry friend, there are plenty of other options available that are much healthier for them. So please, stick to those instead and save the tangerines for yourself!