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Post by aquamarinegerbil on Sept 5, 2013 19:20:37 GMT -8
Just what the subject asks,
Can gerbils have salted sunflower seeds? That's all that's available in the store.
Thank ya.
  
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Post by Shooting Star on Sept 6, 2013 2:01:55 GMT -8
No, gerbils should not be given any salted seeds or nuts.
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Post by Moon Breeze on Sept 6, 2013 5:00:31 GMT -8
Avoid anything salted or flavored for gerbils. I shop at my local grocer for the unflavored sunflower seeds. Some places you can buy them in bulk.
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rhianna
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Post by rhianna on Sept 6, 2013 8:05:36 GMT -8
Gerbils shouldn't have salt. If you can't find unsalted ones in your grocery stores then you can probably get some at a pet shop in the bird section. I've also accumulated tons of them from picking them out of the seed mixes.
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Post by aquamarinegerbil on Sept 6, 2013 11:06:25 GMT -8
Great thanks! I had no idea I will look around for unsalted sunflower seeds. |
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Post by ninestone on Sept 6, 2013 12:27:26 GMT -8
Note that you should also not give your gerbils roasted seeds or nuts. They need them raw.
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Post by Jazzable on Sept 6, 2013 12:45:58 GMT -8
Note that you should also not give your gerbils roasted seeds or nuts. They need them raw. Why is that? |
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Post by ninestone on Sept 6, 2013 13:33:12 GMT -8
Note that you should also not give your gerbils roasted seeds or nuts. They need them raw. Why is that? Perhaps I worded that badly. They don't 'need' them raw, but raw are much better for them. Roasting nuts/seeds causes them to lose most of their nutritional value. Sunflower seeds and nuts are more for "treats" and not very healthy (high fat) for gerbils to start with, and if they're roasted they become essentially gerbil junk food. In general, small animals are more sensitive to the nutritive content of their food. Giving them (unsalted) roasted sunflower seeds won't immediately endanger their health, but it's much better to give them raw seeds. |
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Post by Jazzable on Sept 6, 2013 15:06:33 GMT -8
Perhaps I worded that badly. They don't 'need' them raw, but raw are much better for them. Roasting nuts/seeds causes them to lose most of their nutritional value. Sunflower seeds and nuts are more for "treats" and not very healthy (high fat) for gerbils to start with, and if they're roasted they become essentially gerbil junk food. In general, small animals are more sensitive to the nutritive content of their food. Giving them (unsalted) roasted sunflower seeds won't immediately endanger their health, but it's much better to give them raw seeds. Ah yeah, I figured it would be along those lines. |
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Post by Shooting Star on Sept 6, 2013 19:49:21 GMT -8
Sunflower seeds are quite healthy, actually. You obviously wouldn't feed them as the entire diet, but they're good in a mix. www.egerbil.com/sunflower.html |
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Post by ninestone on Sept 7, 2013 19:01:29 GMT -8
Good to see that info! All things in moderation...
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Post by metahoney on Sept 15, 2013 14:50:21 GMT -8
I used bird mix with sunflower seeds and peanuts and a few other little white seeds. But I have a question about nuts. They loved unsalted peanuts and I have a bag of unsalted peanuts in the shell. Can they eat the shell? The shell seems a little rough to me but then again, I don't eat cardboard or wood either. I thought they might enjoy the work of getting to the nuts.
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rhianna
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Post by rhianna on Sept 15, 2013 20:18:29 GMT -8
I used bird mix with sunflower seeds and peanuts and a few other little white seeds. But I have a question about nuts. They loved unsalted peanuts and I have a bag of unsalted peanuts in the shell. Can they eat the shell? The shell seems a little rough to me but then again, I don't eat cardboard or wood either. I thought they might enjoy the work of getting to the nuts. They probably won't eat the shell but if they did, it wouldn't hurt them. They might chew on it but I doubt they'd try swallowing it. |
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Post by metahoney on Sept 22, 2013 8:23:25 GMT -8
Thanks! They are stale and I didn't want to throw them away. I will try giving them one.
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Post by Jazzable on Sept 22, 2013 9:32:33 GMT -8
Thanks! They are stale and I didn't want to throw them away. I will try giving them one. You might try cracking the shell just slightly for the first few you give them - so they get the idea that there's something edible inside. |
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