Can Gerbils Eat Fruit? (List of Safe Fruit and Tips)

Understanding the diet of gerbils is essential to ensure that they have a healthy and happy life. One of the most challenging aspects of gerbil care is learning what foods gerbils can and can’t eat. For example, besides commercial pellet or seed mixes, you might want to feed fruit to your gerbils, but can gerbils eat fruit? And should they eat fruit?

Gerbils can eat most fruits such as bananas and apples. However, you should limit the amount of fruit you give to a teaspoon weekly. Fruit contains a lot of water and sugar and can upset the digestive system of gerbils. You should avoid certain types of fruit, such as citrus fruit and avocado.

It’s important to know that you should be careful when adding fruit to your gerbil’s diet. Gerbils aren’t a pet used to eating large amounts of fruit and won’t eat much fruit in the wild. Instead, they benefit more from eating (grass) hay, vegetables, seeds, and herbs.

If you decide to provide fruit to your gerbils, you’re in the perfect place. In this complete guide, you’ll learn about the benefits of fruit and what precautions you should take when you give fruit to your gerbils. You’ll know what fruit is safe and what fruit should be avoided.

Diet of Wild Gerbils

Although gerbils are omnivorous and eat plant and animal matter, they are primarily granivorous-herbivorous animals.[1]Kirkwood, J., & Hubrecht, R. C. (2010). The UFAW Handbook on the Care and Management of Laboratory and Other Research Animals (8th edition). Wiley-Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444318777 Wild gerbils have a diet that consists of green vegetation (grasses), roots, bulb seeds, and cereals. Fruits and insects are small parts of their diets when they’re locally available.[2]Frohlich, J. (2022, July 7). Gerbils. MSD Veterinary Manual. https://www.msdvetmanual.com/exotic-and-laboratory-animals/rodents/gerbils

Gerbils are pocket pets, but no one pocket pet is the same. Pocket pets like hamsters and sugar gliders benefit from having fruit in their diet. It’s an integral part of their diet. On the other hand, gerbils don’t need fruit and can live healthy without it. Most pet gerbils will never eat a piece of fruit!

However, fruits can provide certain benefits to gerbils.

Benefits of Fruit for Gerbils

Vitamins

One of the benefits that fruit can bring to your gerbils’ diet is the vitamins they contain. It’s also one of the reasons we – as humans – eat fruit.

Vitamins can be divided into fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins.

Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble vitamins. The fat-soluble vitamin requirements of gerbil have not been studied. The concentrations in natural-ingredient diets for rats and mice seem adequate for gerbils.[3]National Research Council (US) Subcommittee on Laboratory Animal Nutrition. Nutrient Requirements of Laboratory Animals: Fourth Revised Edition, 1995. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); … Continue reading

Water-soluble vitamins are all the B vitamins and vitamin C. Unfortunately, there is little research about the requirements of water-soluble vitamins. However, specific vitamin requirements have been studied and seem similar to the requirements of rats. Until more is known about the particular requirements of gerbils, it’s recommended to use the concentrations for rats as a guideline (see table).[4]National Research Council (US) Subcommittee on Laboratory Animal Nutrition. Nutrient Requirements of Laboratory Animals: Fourth Revised Edition, 1995. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); … Continue reading

Fruit contains water-soluble vitamins and is primarily rich in vitamin C.[5]Davidson, K. M. (2021, May 10). 20 Healthy Fruits That Are Super Nutritious. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthy-fruit Therefore, they can aid in meeting certain vitamin requirements of gerbils but will only have a minimal role in this. This is because you’re allowed to give only a tiny amount of fruit. If you fed a lot of fruit, there would be serious health risks.

Minerals

Fruit is also rich in certain minerals such as calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium.

The mineral requirements of gerbils have not been thoroughly studied. However, researchers have concluded that gerbils fed purified diets low in calcium, sodium, or vitamin B6 did not have seizures.[6]Harriman, A. E. 1974. Seizing by magnesium-deprived Mongolian gerbils given open field tests. J. Gen. Psychol. 90:221–229.

Conversely, gerbils fed a low-magnesium purified diet had an elevated susceptibility to seizures in a new environment. Low amounts of magnesium have also been associated with severe health problems in gerbils, such as alopecia and weight loss.[7]National Research Council (US) Subcommittee on Laboratory Animal Nutrition. Nutrient Requirements of Laboratory Animals: Fourth Revised Edition, 1995. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); … Continue reading

Research has indicated a (minimum) dietary magnesium requirement for gerbils of 1.0 g/kg diet or more, with 1.5 g/kg recommended.[8]National Research Council (US) Subcommittee on Laboratory Animal Nutrition. Nutrient Requirements of Laboratory Animals: Fourth Revised Edition, 1995. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); … Continue reading

Fruit contains magnesium. Therefore, fruit can aid in meeting the magnesium requirement of gerbils but will only have a minimal role in this for the same reason as the vitamins.

Precautions

High Percentage of Water

Gerbils are desert animals and can live with a limited amount of water. However, gerbils need free access to water (ad libitum) in captivity. You can also provide plants that contain a high amount of water. According to research, gerbils consume between 4 and 10 mL of water per 100 g of body weight daily[9]National Research Council (US) Subcommittee on Laboratory Animal Nutrition. Nutrient Requirements of Laboratory Animals: Fourth Revised Edition, 1995. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); … Continue reading

Fruits contain a lot of water. Most fruit consists of 80% water or more. In the table below, you can find the percentages for some common fruits:

FruitWater (%)
Apple85
Banana75
Grape80
Watermelon91
Strawberry91
Percentage Water in Fruit (FoodData Central)

When you only feed a tiny piece of fresh fruit, most of it consists of water. Even a teaspoon of fruit can contain almost a gerbil’s entire daily water intake.

A gerbil that drinks too much or eats too much succulent food (such as fruit) can get digestive problems like an upset stomach[10]https://www.glenwayanimalhospital.com/sites/site-3808/documents/Gerbil%20FAQ.pdf or diarrhea.[11]Bellevue Animal Hospital. (2018, May 24). Gerbils. https://bellevueanimalhospital.com/veterinary-services/exotic-avian/gerbils/ For this reason, it’s recommended to give only tiny pieces of fruit and only occasionally (we recommend a maximum of once a week).

High Percentage of Sugar

Not only does fruit contain a lot of water, but it also contains a lot of (natural) sugars. Fresh fruit usually has between 5 and 20% sugar, while dried or dehydrated fruit often has 60% or more. In the table below, you can find the percentages for some common fruits:

FruitSugar (%)
Apple12
Banana16
Grape16
Watermelon6
Strawberry5
Percentage Sugar in Fruit (FoodData Central)

Gerbils aren’t used to food that has a lot of sugar. Sugar can, in combination with the high percentage of water, cause the digestive issues I previously mentioned. Since fresh and dried fruit contains a lot of sugar, it’s best to limit their intake.

List of Safe Fruit for Gerbils

Gerbils can safely eat most fruits, although it’s best to avoid (certain) citrus fruits, dates, and avocados. The following fruits are safe for gerbils to eat:

Although citrus fruits aren’t recommended, gerbils can eat certain citrus fruits, such as oranges. However, you should never feed lemons and pineapples. Dates also should be avoided because of the high percentage of sugar. Lastly, avocados should not be provided to gerbils because of the toxin persin.

Feeding Instructions

How Many Times Can You Give Fruit to Gerbils?

Gerbils can eat fruit occasionally as a treat. Although no official guidelines are available, giving fruit to your gerbils a maximum of once a week is recommended. If you give fruit more often, the digestive system of your gerbils might become unbalanced.

How Much Fruit Can You Give to Gerbils?

Gerbils can eat up to one teaspoon (5g) of fresh fruit per serving. Only give bite-sized pieces of fruit. Fresh fruit is healthier than dried fruit because it contains less sugar. Limiting dried fruit to up to 1/2 teaspoon (2.5g) per serving is recommended.

Most reputable sources don’t specify the amount of fruit you can give your gerbils. Unfortunately, this makes it difficult for new gerbil owners to know how much they can provide.

We recommend one teaspoon of fresh fruit and half a teaspoon of dried fruit, based on the following reasoning:

  • Gerbils usually eat up to 15 g of pellets or seed mix daily. Limiting the amount of fruit to one teaspoon allows your gerbil to eat their regular food, which contains more nutrients.
  • Fruit consists of around 80% water. A teaspoon of fresh fruit will contain approximately 4 ml of water. This is half of the estimated daily water intake they need. If you would feed more than a teaspoon and your gerbil also drinks water, it can upset their stomach.
  • Dried fruit usually has 60% of sugar or more. Therefore, feeding a teaspoon of dried fruit can cause your gerbil to ingest too much sugar. Too much sugar can cause digestive issues.

Tips and Tricks

Now that you know which fruit you can feed and how to feed it to your gerbils, there are still some tips and tricks you’ll need to know:

  • Fruit can be best given by hand-feeding or in a food bowl. This will make it easier to see that the fruit has been eaten and isn’t rotting in the enclosure.
  • Remove any uneaten fruit after a few hours, otherwise it may rot.
  • Wash the fruit to remove any pesticides. You can also peel the fruit’s skin, although this isn’t necessary.
  • Remove any seeds, especially apple seeds and grape seeds.

Want to Learn More?

If you’re interested in learning more about the dietary requirements of gerbils as pets, please read our complete and illustrated gerbil diet guide.

If you’re interested in getting gerbils as pets, you should also read our beginner’s guide to keeping gerbils as pets and our gerbil care guide.

References

References
1 Kirkwood, J., & Hubrecht, R. C. (2010). The UFAW Handbook on the Care and Management of Laboratory and Other Research Animals (8th edition). Wiley-Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444318777
2 Frohlich, J. (2022, July 7). Gerbils. MSD Veterinary Manual. https://www.msdvetmanual.com/exotic-and-laboratory-animals/rodents/gerbils
3, 4, 7, 8 National Research Council (US) Subcommittee on Laboratory Animal Nutrition. Nutrient Requirements of Laboratory Animals: Fourth Revised Edition, 1995. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1995. 6, Nutrient Requirements of the Gerbil. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK231920/
5 Davidson, K. M. (2021, May 10). 20 Healthy Fruits That Are Super Nutritious. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthy-fruit
6 Harriman, A. E. 1974. Seizing by magnesium-deprived Mongolian gerbils given open field tests. J. Gen. Psychol. 90:221–229.
9 National Research Council (US) Subcommittee on Laboratory Animal Nutrition. Nutrient Requirements of Laboratory Animals: Fourth Revised Edition, 1995. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1995. 6, Nutrient Requirements of the Gerbil. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK231920/
10 https://www.glenwayanimalhospital.com/sites/site-3808/documents/Gerbil%20FAQ.pdf
11 Bellevue Animal Hospital. (2018, May 24). Gerbils. https://bellevueanimalhospital.com/veterinary-services/exotic-avian/gerbils/

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