Although the gerbil mix will provide the gerbil with a good basic diet, gerbils also enjoy fruit and vegetables. However, it is important that fruit and vegetables should be introduced to a gerbil's diet gradually as a sudden large amount of fruit or vegetables can cause diarrhoea.
To begin with the gerbil should only be given a small piece of fruit or vegetable once or twice a week and over a period of weeks this gradually be increased to larger amounts fed every day. If at any time the gerbil shows signs of diarrhoea all feeding of fruit and vegetables should stop until the gerbil has recovered and then gradually re-introduced into the diet.
Certain vegetables, herbs and fruit can be fed to gerbil. The gerbil should only be fed an amount it will eat as if the gerbil is fed too much and leaves vegetables and fruit in the cage it can become mouldy.
Fruit and vegetables that are safe to feed a gerbil are:
- Apple (seedless)
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Cauliflower leaves and stalks
- Cucumber
- Lettuce - small amounts occasionally - in excess it can cause liver problems
- Parsley - a good tonic
Fruit and vegetables that should not be fed are:
- Kidney Beans (raw)
- Onion
- Potato (raw)
- Potato tops
- Rhubarb (raw)
- Rhubarb leaves
- Tomato leaves
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