Can Gerbils Eat Oranges? How Much, How Often?

Oranges are one of the most popular fruits you can get, But can gerbils eat oranges?

Gerbils can eat oranges, but oranges should be a treat for your gerbil and should not be a replacement for their main diet.  Oranges are also high in sugar which is not good for your gerbil in large quantities.

can gerbils eat oranges

If you want to give an orange to your gerbil it is safe to do but only give them one slice.  It is important not to give them a lot of orange to eat because of the amount of sugar oranges contain and if they consume a lot of acid from the fruit it might upset their tummies.

This fruit will make a perfect treat for your gerbil which you should give them at the most once a week.  It is important to continue to feed them a balanced diet so they get all the nutrients they need.

Nutritional Information Of An Orange

Oranges are a good source of

  • Fibre
  • Vitamin C
  • Thiamine
  • Folate
  • Antioxidants

For this reason they will have health benefits for feeding to your gerbil.  Listed below are what 100 grams of an orange will contain Source

  • Calories: 47
  • Water: 87%
  • Protein: 0.9 grams
  • Carbs: 11.8 grams
  • Sugar: 9.4 grams
  • Fiber: 2.4 grams
  • Fat: 0.1 grams

Can Gerbils Eat Orange Peel?

orange peel

You might also be wondering if you can feed your gerbil orange peel?

Orange peel should not be fed to gerbils.  Orange peel contains a high amount of acid which will upset your gerbils tummy because they are not very good at digesting acidic foods.

If they eat to much acidic foods it could make them become ill.  There are many different types of oranges and they all contain a high amount of acid in them.

Make sure you avoid feeding them this food, this also includes grated / zest

Can Gerbils Eat Citrus?

Citrus fruits are grown on tress and belong to the same genus citrus.  They are usually grown in hotter country’s such as Australia, South America. Citrus fruits include

  • Lemons
  • Limes
  • Tangerines
  • Mandarins
  • Grapefruit

Can gerbils eat citrus?

No, you should not feed citrus fruits to your gerbil as these fruits contain high amounts of acid which will cause tummy problems for your gerbil and can even make them ill if they eat to much.

Citrus fruits also contain a lot of water which gerbils also do not process like we do, the water will most likely give your pet diarrhea.

Make sure you keep these fruits away from them

Can Gerbils Eat Satsumas?

Can Gerbils Eat Satsumas

Satsumas contain a high amount of water, acid and sugar, so can you feed them to your gerbil?

Gerbils should not be fed satsumas because of the high levels of acid in this fruit could cause your gerbil to become ill.  Also the high amount of sugar in this fruit is also not good for them.

Citrus fruits also contain a lot of water which gerbils also do not process like we do, the water will most likely give your pet diarrhea.

Can Gerbils Eat Clementines?

Clementines are another popular citrus snack that we all enjoy to eat.  Can we feed these to our pets?

You can not feed Clementines to your gerbil because it contains a large amount of water which your pet can not process and they will most likely develop diarrhea.

What Fruit Is Recommended To Feed Gerbils

Feeding your pet fruit is a great way to help them get extra nutrients that they would not normally get with a balanced diet.

Fruit are a great source of Fibre, Vitamin C, Thiamine, Folate, Antioxidants.

Fruit should always be given as a treat and no more than once a week.  Fruit does not contain all the nutrients your pet will need to thrive.

Other fruits you can feed your pet include

  • An apple slice
  • A few blueberries
  • A slice of banana
  • A slice of pear
  • A strawberry