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Post by hskillett on Jul 24, 2005 15:49:38 GMT -8
Answer to pretzels is probably the same as my frito question was, just a very small amount not too often. Since they have salt.^_^ I was just wondering if salt was ok for my gerbils. I assume too much salt is bad (as is anything in excess), but I bought some salted peanuts still in the shell and gave my gerblits a couple. They immediately started licking the outside of the shell and looked as though they were enjoying themselves. So, should I have gotten unsalted peanuts, or is the salt ok? I ask this because of what I read in the thread I quoted. Thanks a lot for your help! Otto and Scooter thank you too! |
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Post by doomgerbiluk on Jul 24, 2005 16:51:54 GMT -8
most defintiely salt is NOT OK
unsalted peanuts occasionally (they are fatty) but not salted
think how harmful salt is to us and then think how small a gerbil is!!
thats an awful lot of salt
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Post by Gerbilly on Jul 24, 2005 17:57:53 GMT -8
Hmmm...
I'd have to disagree. Salt is an essential mineral for nearly every living thing on the planet. Unlike humans, who have extremely varied diets and the propensity to overendulge in things that are salty/sweet/etc, animals have to find their sodium (read: they don't need much naturally). I do believe your Gerbils get all the sodium they need, however, in their normal diet (if you're feeding them bagged food).
I wouldn't see the harm in one salted peanut every once in a great while (I don't think I'd give mine any more than maybe 2 a month) - I wouldn't, however, make it a normal treat. I find great success in making insects normal treats and sunflower seeds for the times I don't feel like messing with the "creepy crawlies".
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Post by hskillett on Jul 24, 2005 18:37:39 GMT -8
What about salt licks they sell for small rodents?
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Post by Ritzie/Admin on Jul 25, 2005 2:43:39 GMT -8
When they have a normal diet it is not needed! Every gerbil, as every animal needs a bit of salt. However, too much salt is not good for them. They will not die or become sick when they eat a salted peanut or something like that. But good is it not in my opinion.
From the Gerbil FAQ:
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Post by meganb52 on Jul 26, 2005 15:50:00 GMT -8
I tend to agree with Peter and Doom on this one. Salted peanuts contain a LOT of salt, and even though salt is an essential electrolyte, one of those super-salty peanuts is more than enough salt for a gerbil in a day, and they are usually full of fat as well. If you have too much salt in your diet, your kidneys will excrete what isn't needed and this in turn pulls water into the kidney which can cause dehydration. If you want to give nuts or seeds as a treat, try unsalted sunflower seeds, unsalted pumpkin seeds, millet, or other rodent seed blends. Even these have a lot of fat in them, so they sould only be given as treats as part of a balanced diet.
-Megan
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Post by Geril Lover on Aug 17, 2005 16:47:25 GMT -8
;DI think salt is ok for gerbils. My gerbils love it and I've had them for about 7 months. They eat it conatantly.
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Post by reallybes on Aug 17, 2005 19:31:58 GMT -8
;DI think salt is ok for gerbils. My gerbils love it and I've had them for about 7 months. They eat it conatantly. Um, okay. This whole thread has been about not giving gerbils too much salt, and you heard it from a veterinary student herself. So why say it's okay? I hope you mean A LITTLE salt is OK and I hope your gerbils are only eating small amounts of it. I would worry if your gerbils are eating salt "constantly" like you said. |
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Post by doomgerbiluk on Aug 17, 2005 22:42:06 GMT -8
I just read the thread and I guess I should have 'large' amounts of salt. And yes they should get plenty in their normal diet. Salted peanuts contain a lot of salt and are certainly not suitable.
When you say your gerbils eat salt all the time exactly what do you mean? And if you must give salt make it a salt lick or something similar not on the food where they have no choice. Vitamin supplements can certainly be useful, but as in humans or any other animals my inclination is that they should be used only when the animals would benefit from a boost (pregnancy, nursing, after illness or aged gerbils), not as an everyday thing. If you are giving them a balanced diet they should not need daily supplements.
As for nuts I think they are a great source of protein for gerbils, especially nursing mums, but here's a trick. ywhole nuts such as walnuts, hazelnuts etc. Crack the shells so they can smell the nut inside and put them in the cage cracked but whole. The gerbils will have fun breaking into the nuts, get exercise, stimulation and do some gnawing. One nut can take an age to open and although nuts are fatty most are not as bad as peanuts.
They make a nice little bit of enrichment!!
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Post by meganb52 on Aug 30, 2005 6:00:41 GMT -8
As for nuts I think they are a great source of protein for gerbils, especially nursing mums, but here's a trick. ywhole nuts such as walnuts, hazelnuts etc. Crack the shells so they can smell the nut inside and put them in the cage cracked but whole. The gerbils will have fun breaking into the nuts, get exercise, stimulation and do some gnawing. One nut can take an age to open and although nuts are fatty most are not as bad as peanuts. What a great idea, Doom  That's one I'll be filing in "the vault" -Megan |
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That's one I'll be filing in "the vault"