vit. C no good for gerbil?

[bullytaro]

i hear that gerbil canot take acid food like orange. so multi vit. with vit C is no good for them?

but i only hear this, i canot found any info in net..

[mice]

Hey bullytaro, somebody asked if gerbils could have oranges before Christmas, here's the thread: gerbilforum.proboards21.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=food&thread=1131875616&page=1.

In it Eddie from GSUK says that it's OK for gerbils to have citrus fruits but like any fresh produce it should be considered a treat and therefore a tiny amount should only be given once a week at the most. He also suggests that rather than give them oranges, which have a high water content, try giving them dried apricots instead. If you read the thread, he goes into more detail .

Hope that helps.

[shrimply]

I found that my gerbils really enjoyed satsumas. They only got half a segment each though.

[meganb52]

I believe the citrus thing applies more to rats than gerbils. It isn't the vitamin C in the citrus that is bad, it's the citrus oils that can irritate the skin. Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin that is excreted normally by the kidneys if excess amounts are found in the body. Still, it is a 'moist' fruit, and I wouldn't give more than splitting half a segment between your gerbils as a treat. (1/4 segment each)

-Megan