which fruit/vegetables?

[pixytwinkle]

what fruit or vegetables can gerbils have?
I have tried them with strawberries , pinapple, apple and orange and they didnt seem to like them. Molly wouldnt try any of them, misty had a small bite of pineapple and strawberry but thats it. I tried them with this a long time ago and since then have not been able to find anything they like. do they have to have fruit and vegetabels?

[sweetie]

Hey Pixy,

Mine like apples, carrots, broccoli, blueberries, grapes and yogurt.

[callimico]

hi pixy,
gerbils love fresh fruits and veggies, even though you don't have to give it to them, they enjoy the variety and extra nutrition. Other great treats can be found around the house, yard, or seeds. Here's a couple foods from my list:

Fresh Food- apple chunks, chicory, cauliflower, paprika, carrots, endive, cucumbers, raw or cooked potato, pear, banana, mandarin, grapes, Rasberry, coconut, papaya, split peas, doggie biscuits, alfalfa, lentils carrots, beets, broccolli, spinach, apple, celery, rasins,

Treats- sunflower seeds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, raisin and popcorn, dried corn on the cob, cat food, walnuts, dried fruit, pine nuts, acorns, cucumber seeds, granola, pine cones, doggie biscuits, applesauce, cheese, mealworms

Things not to feed gerbils- spinach, cabbage, lettuce because of its high percentage of nitrate and water. Gerbils are adapted to desert environment, and wet veggies can cause problems. for fruits, just no citrus. Also sorrel and rhubarb causes kidney stones. Old nuts are a problem because of carcinogens. And then never anything sweetened or salted.

Frozen- peas, all sorts of berries

Other foods- rose hips, almonds, safflower seeds, wheat, spray millet, whole corn, red wheat, milo, soy nuts, wheat kernals, barley, cracked corn, rolled oats, finch seed (premium), millet, barley flakes, oat kernals, oat groats, wheat bran, coarse soyabean meal and wheat crunchies.

Stuff in house- oatmeal (uncooked Quaker plain), cheerios, Whole Oats, Rolled Oats, Barley, Bran Flakes, Split Peas, Banana chips, puffed wheat, corn flakes, wild bird seed, corn flakes (no sugar), wheat flakes,

Stuff from outdoors, if they're no pesticides- dandelion, clover, grass. After it's rinsed, and frozen so no bugs get in the house.

Mine love frozen peas best, but also go crazy for saaflower seeds and carrots. They only get small pieces 2x a week ;D

[pixytwinkle]

okay thanx alot both of you.
Callimico you always seem to have so much information on everything thanx alot you are really helpful ;D

[callimico]

I'm glad it was helpful I have that list copied down on a word doc, when people adopt pups from me I send them a copy, and an at-home toy ideas list so they'll know what to give the gerbils for fun ;D

[sweetie]

Hey Cal, I thought potatoes were harmful to gerbils???

[callimico]

I just added it to my list, one of the AGS members sent it to me. She said they're fine cooked or uncooked, but never to feed Rice and those foods as they expand in the gerbils stomach.

[sweetie]

Thanks. I thought I read some where that potatoes where bad. I am getting old you know . It was probably some thing else that was bad for them and I got confused.

[callimico]

hmm, maybe I should ask around more before having my gerbils try it...I just assumed it was safe when she sent it to me, but I should really get a second opinion first- thanks for pointing it out

[sweetie]

I thought it was something Peter said in a different post and it might be on his website. Seriously, I could be mistaking potato for something else. I also recently found out that apple seeds were poisonous to gerbils? WHo would have thought? Other people feed gerbils other fruit seeds like watermelon and it's okay but for some reason apple seeds are not.

[doomgerbiluk]

Potatoes produce tomatoe shaped fruit ont he stems which are very poisonous to humans and presumably thats whats bad for gerbils
apple seeds are also poisonous to humans if eaten in quantity

[callimico]

thanks Doom. yeah I always thought it was weird that apple seeds have so much arsenic in them.

[pixytwinkle]

i tried them both with some grape yesterday and they loved it ;D. I was real pleased. Callimico thats a good idea about giving people a list of foods when they have one of your gerils
Thanx for the ideas
pixytwinkle

[callimico]

That's Great ;D I tried giving the pup tank a grape and no takers But they liked the frozen peas, berries, and cantelope!! Guess I'll leave the grapes for the adults, I think I'll try out rasins next

[pixytwinkle]

i am going to try peas this week probably tomorrow ;D