Gerbils love snacks, but are you looking for a healthier alternative? Here are three healthy snacks for your gerbil. Mealworms, rice, and cardboard tubes. Then, mix them with your favorite flavorings to give your gerbil a treat that he’ll love. And, be sure to check out the recipe below! You can always add more ingredients if you’d like! And, most importantly, your gerbil will thank you later!
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Healthy snacks for a gerbil
Fresh fruits and vegetables are great for your gerbil, but make sure not to overfeed them. Gerbils are small and can eat a bit of cheese or fresh vegetables in tiny amounts. Some vegetables contain too much water and may cause your pet harm. Try to give your gerbil as little as one or two pieces of cheese per day. Your gerbil will get plenty of protein from these treats, but watch out for the amount of sugar.
Seeds are good sources of nutrients, but are also high in fat. Choose a variety of seeds and avoid those with a fat content higher than eight percent. Sunflower seeds are high in fat, while pumpkin seeds are less fat. Pumpkin seeds are a better choice, but you should avoid sunflower seeds and poppy seeds, as they can be messy. Gerbils can also eat fruits, vegetables, pasta, and melon seeds.
Mealworms
Mealworms are one of the best ways to provide animal protein to your gerbil. They burrow into their substrate, and unlike caterpillars, are unable to move vertically. You can buy mealworms that are already dried or order live ones and store them with your gerbil’s regular food mix. Live mealworms can be bought at most pet stores or ordered online. Both live and dried mealworms are equally tasty.
Mealworms are not harmful to your gerbil, but they should be fed within 12 hours of emergence. After feeding your pet, make sure that you clean out their container regularly, as mealworm larvae can die in colder temperatures. You can keep an extra container on hand while you clean out the main container. This will prevent your gerbil from poisoning itself. Similarly, keep the container in a refrigerator or other dry location, but be sure to keep it above 40 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent them from dying.
Rice
You can make your own gerbil snacks with rice. This versatile food is high in calories and contains lots of fiber. Rice is also a great source of carbohydrates, and even in small amounts it is nutritious. The calories in rice vary depending on the type you choose. White rice contains around 360 calories per 100 grams, and brown rice has more fiber but the same amount of calories. Regardless of the flavor, rice is healthy for gerbils.
Plain boiled rice is fine for gerbils. Not only is rice high in carbohydrates, but it also contains lots of fiber, which keeps gerbils’ digestive systems running smoothly. However, rice that is not cooked will expand in your gerbil’s stomach, and this can lead to blockages. Although rice is a great source of carbohydrates, gerbils should not be given too much in one sitting.
Cardboard tubes
A good place to start looking for recyclable materials to make homemade gerbil treats is your trashcan. You can find an empty toilet paper roll or canned food can to use as a tunnel. Just remember to make sure that the tube is at least five inches in diameter and isn’t so large that it becomes the gerbil’s home. You can also find larger rolls of cardboard in pet supply stores.
Toilet paper towel rolls are also excellent options for making toys for gerbils. They are recyclable and can be resuscitated to make a variety of toys for your gerbil. These tubes are also free to use and can be assembled with other materials around your home. Then fill the tubes with treats that your gerbil will love. Cardboard tubes are great for making pet toys as well.
Popcorn
You can provide homemade gerbil treats for your guinea pigs. Popcorn is a popular choice, as it is plant-based and whole-grain. But it should be kept in mind that gerbils need a balanced diet and are prone to nutritional deficiencies if fed too much. Popcorn is not harmful to gerbils if prepared properly, so be sure to only give plain kernels. You should also avoid giving your gerbils unpopped kernels, which may cause choking hazards.
You can buy premade popcorn or microwave pouches. But always make sure to watch the ingredients label, as the premade variety often contains sugars, salt, and oil. Try to purchase plain popcorn that is unseasoned, as this is less likely to contain additives and may even be unhealthy for your gerbil. However, if you do not want to purchase a tin, you can also season it yourself to make a delicious homemade gerbil treat for your piggies.
