Can gerbils eat celery?
Yes, gerbils can have celery in moderation. Celery is rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and essential enzymes. These help your pets in various ways. Too much celery can be harmful to gerbils due to its high fiber and water content.
However, a bite or two once in a while won’t likely make your gerbil sick, but not more. It’s good to have a balance in their diet for overall growth.
For example, bananas, carrots, and apples are great options too!
Read to learn more.
Table of Contents
Is Celery Safe For Gerbils?
Yes, celery contains no toxic substances, and it’s safe for gerbils. The only thing that would bother them is the texture of the celery. It’s hard, and sometimes it can choke them if not properly fed.
Since gerbils are omnivores, they can eat and digest celery easily; however, limiting the quantity is important. The reason behind this is fiber; celery contains a high amount of fiber which is much higher than required. Too much fiber can promote intestinal gas, bloating, diarrhea and cramping.
Besides, harmful chemicals or pesticides can be another issue for your gerbils that might be used while farming the plant. So, it is important to wash them thoroughly before serving!
Key Takeaway – celery doesn’t contains any harmful substance but limit the serving.
Do Gerbils Like Celery?
It depends!
Gerbils are omnivores and usually eat a plant-based diet, but celery differs from what they typically eat. Celery has a munching texture, so some may like the taste of it while others may dislike it.
It solely depends on individuality.
Pet owners experimented by offering gerbils a variety of fruits and vegetables, and the results were surprising! Most of them preferred nibbling on the sweet ones.
However, most gerbils have seen to like the taste and gnawing texture of celery, so it’s quite obvious that your gerbil will love them too.
But do not feed them too often. Celery is high in water and fiber content which is not suitable for gerbils. In addition, too much celery may cause digestive issues like gas, bloating, or diarrhea.
Health Benefits of Celery for Gerbils
Celery has several health benefits, but not all are equally beneficial to gerbils.
Gerbils are omnivore rodents and usually have a blend of grass, grains, and seeds. In fact, in the wild, gerbils don’t really have access to celery or other water-dense vegetables.
Their diet primarily contains low carb, fiber, and minimal water, so they don’t really need celery in their diet.
Despite these downsides, celery has some notable health benefits for gerbils if fed in small quantities.
Nutritional Benefits: 100g [Source]
- Calories: 14.
- Protein: 1 gram.
- Fat: 1 gram.
- Carbohydrates: 3 grams.
- Fiber: 1.6 grams.
- Sugar: 1 gram.
Celery is beneficial for gerbils in several ways:
- Firstly, celery has a crunchy texture which is highly beneficial for gnawing teeth. Chewing on them works like an exercise for their teeth and jaw and keeps them sharp and in shape.
- Celery is a rich source of essential antioxidants, along with vitamins and minerals.
- Due to its high water content, celery can be a good source for keeping your pet hydrated on hot summer days.
One thing to remember is that gerbils originated from deserted regions, meaning their diet is primarily dry, and they do not require high water regularly.
Too much water can lead to several health problems, like diarrhea and dehydration due to excess water loss, which can be life-threatening.
How Much Celery is Too Much?
A few pieces!
Gerbils can have celery but in moderation. The reason is simple; gerbils are dry region animals and don’t usually get chances to eat water-dense vegetables or fruits. So, their digestive system cannot tolerate a high water content, resulting; in digestive issues like diarrhea.
The thumb rule is gerbils can have less than 10% of their total diet as treats; it could be fruits, vegetables, or something else.
For example, you can give your gerbil a few small pieces (1 teaspoon) of celery occasionally but not more than that. Thus, if you want to feed celery to your gerbils, keep the quantity small and limit the serving.
How Often Should Gerbils Eat Celery?
Technically, gerbils can have celery every day, but it’s not recommended. The reason is simple; Gerbils are from the deserted region and usually eat a dry-based diet consisting of high-quality grass, seeds, and pellets.
This means gerbils do not require high water. However, celery contains a high water and fiber content, but gerbils need only 4ml of water per day.
Regularly feeding celery can lead to several digestive problems like gas, bloating, and diarrhea. So, the ideal frequency should be between 2-3 times or less weekly.
Also, it’s vital to ensure that their daily nutritional requirement is met before you feed them anything else than their regular meal. Gerbils can be really addictive to snacks, so you must feed them in moderation.
How To Properly Prepare Celery For Gerbils?
You can feed celery to your gerbils; however, a few things should be kept in mind. First of all, celery does not contain all the essential nutrients. So, they still need to eat their regular meal, and celery cannot be a substitute for regular food.
Besides, celery contains a high amount of fiber which is not suitable for gerbils and can result in digestive discomfort like bloating, diarrhea, or cramping.
However, a bite or two won’t likely make your pet sick but be careful.
Here are a few tips:
- Start with chopping the end of the celery. It’s important!
- Peel off all the leaves and wash them thoroughly under cold water.
- Cut the end, just a little, and break it.
- Pull off the stringy bit and remove all of it.
- Once done, chop the celery into small-length sizes so your pet can chew them easily.
- Serve it direct, or you can make a salad out of it.
Because celery is a water-dense vegetable, feed a small portion initially and see how their digestive system responds. If everything is fine, you can provide it a few times a week.
And if you have doubts, you can always ask your veterinarians.
Healthy Alternatives to Celery
Celery is safe for gerbils but not the best snack for obvious reasons. It’s a water-dense vegetable with high fiber content.
A bite or two won’t likely harm your gerbils, but excessive celery can cause several health issues like upset stomach, bloating, or diarrhea.
But the best thing is there are better treat options available. So, instead of celery, opt for healthy and safer treat options.
Here are some safe options:
- Berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
- Apples
- Pears
- Bananas
- Watermelon
- Carrots
- Cucumber
- Lettuce
Also, there are some commercial treat options available in the market. However, not all of them are good for your pet, so check the label before purchasing one.
Though gerbils do not require a lot of water, they should have access to fresh water all the time. It should be either in a bottle or a bowl. If you are using a water bottle, it’s important to change the water daily as you do it for yourself.
Final Thoughts
To summarize, gerbils can have celery in moderation, but there are better snack options for them. They are basically from a dry region and do not usually have access to water-dense fruit or vegetable.
So, their digestive system is adapted that way and cannot handle too much water in their diet.
However, if fed in small quantities, gerbils can avail several benefits from celery. Celery is a rich source of antioxidants which is essential for overall growth. Aside, a few bites of celery can also help keep their constantly growing teeth sharp and in shape.
Did you feed celery to your pets? If yes, how was their reaction? Let us know!
Other Useful Articles: