Welcome to the club of pet parents who are taking care and providing shelter to more than one small mammal, or only one. Either way, all of us are here to make sure our beloved little creatures are nothing but the best in their diet. And honestly, from the bottom of our hearts, we praise your efforts and we are beyond certain your pets do too. After all, food is one of the many things that makes them the absolute happiest! Whereas on your part, it’s not the easiest of tasks to overtake, as a pet parent, you not only have to ensure that whatever your pet is being fed is tasteful but also safe since even a minimal grey area can prove to be detrimental for them in some cases. We understand how arduous it can get at times, for which reason we want to play our part well in making food parenting easy for you. We conducted extensive desktop research regarding whether gerbil food is safe for a dog to eat or not, and we are going to inform you of all the details that we learned and that you need to know.
We hope to see you at the end of this read.
Similarities Between The Dietary Requirements Of a Gerbil and a dog
If you are a pet parent, you may already be aware of the fact that both; gerbils and dogs are omnivores by nature. They tend to feed off of plant-based food as well as meat. The meat portion may seem alarming at first, but that only refers to insect meat. In continuation of this, it is a matter of no surprise that the body required in the addition of the body autonomy of both the small mammals is almost identical to one point. However, they may still have different preferences and sense of likelihood.
In addition to this, both gerbils and dogs have almost the same daily routine as well. Owing to which reason, the amount of nutrients they require and burn from day to day is identical. This eradicates the idea that perhaps one of the two may have an increased need for the same supplements and minerals etc.
Having put all of this out there, it isn’t awe-striking that pet parents tend to inquire whether they can feed the same food to both the tiny furry creatures. We have all been there at one point or another.
Can dogs Eat Gerbil Food?
Now to finally answer your question, can dogs eat gerbil food? Unfortunately, there isn’t a definite one-word answer to this question. Allow us to elaborate and explain. As far as the point of safety is raised, gerbil food is no red flag. It is sure to not put your dogs through any health-related struggles, bringing in view again the mirroring dietary needs of the small mammals, there is nothing that a gerbil eats which a dog can’t. if your dog secretly peeked its way to gerbil feed and you caught it red-handed, worry not, everything is going to be fine.
Can You Buy the Same Commercial Feed For Your Petdog and Gerbil?
Now that we have discussed all of that, let’s move towards the second unanswered part of the question. There is no loss of face in admitting that buying separate types of feeds for each of your pets can cost over the budget sometimes. In such a circumstance, pet owners who are parenting two or more animals resort to trying to find alternatives. At the same time, no pet parent would ever want to choose to compromise the health of their beloved pets at the cost of money. All of us have been at this point as well and so we understand your concern.
Fortunately, you can feed your dog gerbil feed if you have run out of dog food for a short while. Undoubtedly, it is countless times better than feeding it human foods or other unhealthy treats. Despite that, it may not be the best option to stick to gerbil feed for both your pets over an extensive period. Animal health experts and animal doctors throughout time have advised pet owners to feed their pet’s a diet that is specialized for them particularly. In this manner, there will likely be no chances of your beloved pet falling deprived of any necessary and complementary vitamins and minerals. With the addition of healthful treats (fruits and vegetables etc.) and commercially specialized feed, your furry little friend will be unbeatable.
However, if you are serving your gerbil with any extra snack or a meal of foods that aren’t included in its commercially bought feed, you are more than welcome to allow it to share it with its buddy dog as well.
What Can You Feed Yourdog If There Is Nodog Food?
You’d be surprised to know, there are several other alternatives (aside from gerbil feed) that your dog will probably enjoy twice as much.
Nothing in the world beats fruits, no matter how hard it tries! The delicious bite-sized goodies will make excellent treats for your pet friend. As long as you don’t feed them in excess and remove the seeds, there is nothing that could go wrong. Several fruits that you can choose from are;
- Apples
- Bananas
- Berries
- Melons
- Grapes
Note: if you are a parent of a dwarf dog, we would advise you to steer clear of fruits instead because of their vulnerability to diabetes.
Moreover, your second option can be fresh vegetables. We know, vegetables aren’t on top of your favorite food list but trust us when we say, your dog will be glad nonetheless. A list of vegetables you can feed your pet include;
- Peppers
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Cucumbers
- Dandelion greens
We hope you enjoyed reading this article as much as we did writing it! Don’t forget to share this read with other pet parents who you think may benefit from it.