The issue of feeding and feeding habits is one of the most common debates among various pet owners. Can gerbils eat guinea pig food?
If Gerbils can eat Guinea pig’s food is a question you might have stumbled on many times, especially if you are a lover of these rat-like pets. Let’s find out.
Can Gerbils Eat Guinea Pig Food?
Yes, gerbils can eat guinea pig food because the nutrient contents should be similar, How ever gerbils can’t eat particular foods like pellets and muesli made for guinea pigs because they have different nutritional requirements.
Although Gerbils and guinea pigs share certain vegetables and fruits in common, it doesn’t mean they share entirely the same diet.
To have Gerbils and Guinea pigs as pets is desirable because they are both cute and full of life. They are mostly white, black, or gold, and their food is easy to get.
All you need to do is provide them with a comfortable and clean home, feed them properly, and eliminate anything that might appear to them as threats.
Do They Like Guinea Pig Food?
Gerbils and guinea pigs are similar in terms of characteristics, including certain aspects of their feeding. First off, it is essential to clarify that these two pets differ slightly in their nutritional requirements.
Gerbils might not like the special foods made for guinea pigs because it does not contain all their essential nutrient requirements.
Guinea pigs love varieties of fruits such as melons, apples, oranges, and pears. They happily eat various vegetables too.
Gerbils love to eat these vegetables and fruits as well, and it supplies them with different essential diets.
However, 70-80% of Guinea pigs’ dietary needs are derived from fresh green hay, while Gerbils don’t eat hays. Gerbils obtain their balanced diet from herbs, seeds of various grasses, and a range of leaves.
Therefore, Gerbils will not get enough satisfaction and dietary requirements from eating Guinea pig’s food.
Can They Become Sick Or Die Eating Guinea Pig Food?
Some pet lovers are usually tempted to feed Gerbils with Guinea pig’s food because they cannot ascertain the outcome. Some will even go as far as forcing the Gerbils because they are left with no option.
Guinea pig’s foods might not be a direct poison to Gerbils, but it can still cause specific harm. They can grow sick over time because the nutritional requirements of the two pets are not the same.
You might be omitting the vital nutrient requirements for the Gerbils if you keep feeding them with Guinea pig’s food.
If you don’t feed Gerbils with the right diet, they might end up growing sick. They can also become vulnerable to various illnesses due to a weakened system.
Similarly, there are some Guinea pig’s food that Gerbils cannot eat at all. If you continuously feed them these foods, they might starve; hence, complicating their health wellness.
Are you concerned like I am about overfeeding? I wrote this article to help.
What Can I Give My Gerbil for Vitamin C?
Gerbils will benefit from an increase of vitamin C in their diet. You can get creative or add a variety of new fruits to their meal plan to make sure it excites them to eat more healthy and nutritious options to promote their optimal health.
Here are list of fruits and vegetables you can consider offering that are high in vitamin C:
- Pear
- Melon
- Apple
- Orange
- Cucumber
- Carrot
- Pumpkin
- Fennel
You can also choose another option which is liquid vitamin C in a bottle. Some gerbil caregivers are able to mix this into their water or dilute it with water and offer it through a syringe into their mouths directly.
I like to coat some fruits or veggies with this liquid and offer it in this fortified way to my gerbil. He prefers to eat upright while holding onto food rather than drinking flavored water or sucking out of a syringe.
How much nutrition do gerbils need? Let me tell you all about it. It needed a separate article.
Can Gerbils Eat Weetabix?
Weetabix is not a preferred option for the diet of a gerbil. Are you both out of the house and searching for a quick bite to eat?
Small amounts of Weetabix is not going to make your gerbil sick, but it won’t provide the nutrition for their daily life.
Make sure you are not serving Weetabix soaked in milk or buying varieties sold with added sugars. The regular version of Weetabix is enough in small doses without extra sugar.
Also consider puffed rice cereals in small amounts if you are looking for treat training options other than vegetables.
Can I Feed Gerbils Guinea Pig Pellets?
It would be best not to feed Gerbils with Guinea pig’s pellets because they don’t have the same nutritional requirements. Likewise, they won’t offer Gerbils the necessary diet needed for their healthy growth and general living.
Guinea pig’s pellets are specially formulated for them based on their nutritional requirement.
For instance, Guinea pig’s pellet or muesli is high in vitamin C, which not an essential nutrient for Gerbils. The Guinea pig pellets will, in turn, omit other vital nutrients in the Gerbils’ growth.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Gerbil Food?
No. It is not safe for guinea pigs to consume food intended for:
- hamsters
- rabbits
- gerbils
The same level of nutritional balance is not present. Scurvy is a disease that can be contracted by guinea pigs if the food they eat does not include sufficient amounts of vitamin C.
Gerbils and hamsters do share some dietary requirements and are able to consume the same kinds of food as guinea pigs, but not vice versa
Conclusion
Gerbils and Guinea pigs are both cute creatures that are suitable as home pets. Keeping them under proper conditions and feeding them adequately will ensure their optimal growth.
Although they both share certain fruits and vegetables, it doesn’t mean they have a similar nutritional requirement.
Therefore, it is not advisable to feed Gerbils with Guinea pig’s food. If you do, you would be depriving them of certain essential nutrients that they need to grow.
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