Can Gerbils Eat Watermelon? (7 Clear Food Facts)

Owners of pet gerbils often seek to know whether or not to feed the gerbils on watermelon. In this article, we explore the subject of feeding gerbils on watermelon comprehensively.

Can gerbils eat watermelon? Yes, gerbils may eat watermelon: but in extremely small portions and not very regularly. Although watermelon has useful nutrients for gerbils, its high moisture and sugar content can cause problems in the gerbils.

Thus while sharing watermelon with your pet gerbil may be Ok, just ensure that the gerbil doesn’t eat the watermelon too much or too regularly.

Is Watermelon Safe For Gerbils?

In very small quantities (and on an infrequent basis), watermelon is safe for gerbils.

But watermelon can become hazardous for gerbils, if they eat a lot of it, or if they eat it very often.

The two problematic elements in watermelon are its moisture content and its sugar content.

The sugar content of watermelon, while not exceptionally high, is still more than is ideal for gerbils. Thus eating a lot of watermelon may lead to stomach upsets and other gastrointestinal issues for gerbils.

On the other hand, the moisture content of watermelon is indisputably too high for gerbils. Therefore eating lots of watermelon is almost inevitably bound to cause diarrhea for gerbils.

In small amounts (and on infrequent basis), watermelon is considered largely safe for gerbils.

Indeed, there are people who feed their gerbils small quantities of watermelon, on an infrequent basis, with no major problem.

Later on, we shall be looking at how much and how often can gerbils eat melon.

Just know that a little watermelon once in a while (as a rare treat) is safe for gerbils. A lot of watermelon, especially on regular basis, is unsafe for gerbils.

Is Watermelon Good For Gerbils?

In very small bits, and only once in a while (as a rare treat), watermelon can be good for gerbils.

Although most of watermelon is indeed water, there are nonetheless vitamins, minerals and other good nutrients in it. A gerbil that eats watermelon in very small bits and infrequently may benefit from those said nutrients.

Of course, too much watermelon, especially on a regular basis, wouldn’t be good for gerbils at all.

Do Gerbils Like Watermelon?

Most gerbils like to eat watermelon, whenever the melon is made available to them.

In fact, a gerbil can easily end up eating too much watermelon for its own good because it likes it.

There are some individual gerbils that may not have any liking for watermelon. But most gerbils seem to enjoy watermelon (perhaps too much for their own good) when it is offered to them.

Can A Gerbil Eat Watermelon?

People who are still new to gerbils may wonder whether the gerbils are capable of eating watermelon in the first place.

The truth of the matter is that a gerbil can eat watermelon. You just need to place a bit of watermelon before a gerbil, and the gerbil will usually munch it up.

And as we earlier saw, a little bit of watermelon (as an infrequent treat) is safe and quite helpful for gerbils.

Thus eating watermelon is alright for gerbils: as long as it is not lots of watermelon, or regularly.

Here, one may ask, can gerbils eat watermelon in the wild? And the answer is largely ‘no’ – because watermelon doesn’t grow much in the gerbils’ natural habitats.

However, in places where gerbils are kept as pets, they do eat watermelon (if the watermelon is available to them).

Which Form Of Watermelon Can Gerbils Eat?

Watermelon is usually available in three forms: fresh, dried or frozen. Further, in the watermelon fruit, there is the flesh, seeds and rind/skin.

Watermelon juice also exists, as a derivative of the melon fruit.

What then becomes a relevant question is on exactly which of these watermelon forms are proper for gerbils to eat.

Can Gerbils Eat Fresh Watermelon?

Gerbils may eat fresh watermelon: but only very small bits of it, and certainly not too regularly.

In the fresh watermelon, there are vitamins and minerals (among other useful nutrients) for gerbils to tap into.

Unfortunately, in the fresh watermelon, there is also a lot of sugar and moisture, which can harm a gerbil.

It is due to the moisture and sugar content concerns that gerbils should only eat very small bits of watermelon.

Eating a lot of watermelon puts the gerbil at risk of stomach upset immediately. Long term feeding on fresh watermelon may (according to some) lead the gerbil into developing wet tail, which can be fatal.

Therefore gerbils should only eat a little bit of fresh watermelon, and only on ‘special days’ (as a rare treat).

Can Gerbils Eat Dried Watermelon?

Gerbils can eat dried watermelon: but again, in small bits and not very regularly.

The good thing with dried watermelon is that it doesn’t have an exceptionally high water content. This is good for a gerbil, because as we saw, one of the concerns about gerbils eating watermelon is with regard to moisture content.

Still, the concentrated sugar level in dried watermelon is not particularly good for a small pet like a gerbil.

In any event, a gerbil’s core diet ought to be of seeds and pellets. You can’t have a situation in which you turn the likes of dried watermelon into the gerbil’s staples.

This means that when it comes to feeding gerbils on dried melon, that should be in small bits and rarely.

Can Gerbils Eat Frozen Watermelon?

If what you have is frozen watermelon, you ideally first need to ensure that it gets to room temperature.

Only then can you give a very small bit of it to the gerbil.

Remember, the elements of concern in watermelon are the moisture content and the sugar content. Freezing doesn’t affect these considerably.

Therefore only give the gerbil a very small bit of the previously frozen watermelon.

Can Gerbils Eat Watermelon Seeds?

Yes, gerbils may eat watermelon seeds. However, you should view these watermelon seeds as supplementary rather than core food for the gerbils.

The problem with the watermelon seeds is in that their nutritional composition is not as rich as that of the other seeds that gerbils should be eating regularly.

You therefore shouldn’t have an arrangement in which you start feeding your gerbil mainly on watermelon seeds. That would be unsustainable, and could lead to malnutrition.

But a few watermelon seeds once in a while can nonetheless do some good to gerbils.

On another note, if a watermelon eats too much watermelon seed, that can be an intestinal blockage hazard.

Can Gerbils Eat Watermelon Leaves?

Watermelon leaves are not known to be toxic to gerbils. Nonetheless, if a gerbil eats too many of the watermelon leaves, there is a risk of it ending up with intestinal blockage.

Therefore it may be best to avoid feeding gerbils on watermelon leaves.

Can Gerbils Eat Watermelon Skin?

While tackling the question on whether gerbils can eat watermelon, one aspect that is bound to come up is that of whether the gerbils can eat the watermelon skin.

So, can gerbils eat watermelon rind (as the skin is also known)?  The answer is ‘no’ – as the rind may prove too tough for the gerbils, and a potential choking/internal blockage hazard.

Therefore it is best to completely refrain from feeding gerbils on watermelon skin/rind.

Can Gerbils Drink Watermelon Juice?

Gerbils shouldn’t drink watermelon juice.

The watermelon juice tends to be too concentrated in terms of sugar. This makes it very unhealthy for small pets like gerbils.

Drinking the watermelon juice may also cause the gerbils to have diarrhea.

All juices are generally unhealthy for gerbils. Therefore it is not a good idea to give your gerbil watermelon juice, even in small quantities.

How Often Can Gerbils Have Watermelon?

So far, we have been reiterating that gerbils should only have watermelon on an occasional basis (infrequently), as a rare treat.

But one may want a more specific guideline. So just how often should gerbils have watermelon? For instance, can gerbils eat watermelon daily? Or what frequency is alright for them?

Ideally, gerbils should eat watermelon no more than once per week. So for gerbils, watermelon should be a very occasional/rare (maximum once per week) treat.

How Much Watermelon Can Gerbils Eat?

Having said that gerbils should at most only have watermelon once per week, the next question is on how much watermelon they may eat.

More specifically, we seek to know what would amount to enough watermelon for gerbils. And how much watermelon is too much for gerbils.

As for how much is enough watermelon for a gerbil, that is a portion of watermelon that is equal to the gerbil’s head size. This is for fresh watermelon.

With regard to dried watermelon, you may go with a portion half the size of the gerbil’s head.

And as for how much watermelon is too much for a gerbil, that is anything bigger than the gerbil’s head.

How To Feed Watermelons To Gerbils?

If the watermelons were frozen, you will need to first allow them to come to room temperature.

The next step is to measure the watermelon. So you want to give the gerbils just a little bit of watermelon. Certainly not enough to cause them diarrhea, stomach upsets and other issues.

You can estimate the gerbil’s head size. Then cut a piece of watermelon as big as that. This should be the flesh of the melon: not the rind.

For dried watermelon, go with a portion half the size of the gerbil’s head.

Then place the melon where you normally serve the gerbil’s food.

The gerbil should then proceed to eat the watermelon. Mark the day/date when you served the gerbil watermelon. Then ensure that at least a week passes, before the gerbil eats watermelon again.

How To Prevent Gerbils From Overfeeding On Watermelons

Firstly, you need to know how much watermelon is too much for gerbils. As we saw, any piece of melon bigger than the gerbil’s head is way too big. So ensure you don’t go beyond that portion, for fresh melon.

For dried melon, the ideal portion size is even smaller. So you can go with one that is no bigger than half the gerbil’s head. Remember, the concentration of sugar and other nutrients in dried watermelon is higher.

That is what creates the need for smaller portions, when it comes to dry watermelon.

Also ensure that the gerbils don’t eat watermelon more than once per week.

So that is how to prevent gerbils from overfeeding on watermelons.

Final Verdict – Can Gerbils Eat Watermelon

Gerbils can eat watermelon: but only very small bits of the watermelon, and not regularly (as some special, rare treat).

Although much of it is water, watermelon nonetheless has vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that could somehow boost gerbils’ health.

The problem with watermelon is in that the water content and sugar content in it is uncomfortably high for gerbils.

Gerbils shouldn’t eat food with lots of moisture. Yet watermelon – as its very name suggests – has very high moisture content. This can cause diarrhea in gerbils.

And diarrhea in gerbils is not to be taken lightly. It easily turns into dehydration, which is actually a life-threatening condition.

As for the sugar content in watermelon, it is way above what a gerbil can handle on a regular basis. Infrequent uptake of the sugar in watermelon may not harm a gerbil too much.

But a gerbil that takes that much sugar through watermelons regularly can easily end up with major complications.

Considering all these facts, we see that gerbils should only have extremely small quantities of watermelon.

For fresh watermelon, don’t give any serving that is bigger than the gerbil’s head. And for dried watermelon, don’t give any serving that is bigger than half the gerbil’s head.

And by all means, avoid feeding gerbils on watermelon more than once per week.

As a pet lover, make sure to learn about pet more and give your pet gerbil a good and comfortable life!

Rajkumar Ravichandran

Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️