Gerbil food for bunny?

[Kimmerre]

My gerbil died a few weeks ago and I have a little bit of food left. I'm moving into my first house and was almost going to throw it away. Bun Bun is currently running around like a maniac so I went to see if she would like it. I gave her a piece of corn and she ate it, and also ate a little wafer thing. Any thoughts? Should I just throw the food away instead? I don't want her to get sick, but I have a hard time not spoiling her

Thanks in advance!

Kim :bunnybutt:

 

[Tweetiepy]

I read that corn is not good for rabbits, but I'm not sure if it's when it's ground or whole - I think gerbils eat mostly seeds, and I think that those aren't good either.

Someone else can confirm - oatmeal given as a treat for my bunny

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Gerbil food consists mostly of nuts and seeds. These are not suitable for a rabbit as they are quite fatty. Rabbits cannot digest these very well and it could lead to a blockage if given in large amounts.

Stick to giving rabbit pellets, hay and some veggies. You can use small pieces of fruit as a treat.

 

[tamsin]

I believe gerbils are omnivores so their food might have things unsuitable for rabbits which are herbivores. Perhaps you could donate the left over food to a rescue

 

[Kimmerre]

Thanks everyone! I only gave her two tiny little pieces yesterday, but I won't give her anymore. I'm not aware of any small animal rescues located around me, they are all cats & dogs. Maybe I'll stick it on craigslist for free and see if I get any takers. I'll stick with her normal treats from now on. ;]

Kim

 

[jcottonl02]

Gerbils are rodents. Rabbits are lagomorphs
And as someone else pointed out, gerbils are omnivores and rabbits are herbivores, so they will have quite different dietry requirements.
I don't think a few pieces of the food will have done any harm but I'd donate the rest (great suggestion) to a nearby rescue or someone else you know who has gerbils. I love gerbils. Had 2 and they are just the most wonderful pets lol.

It's easy to relate rabbits to gerbils, hamsters, mice etc. but in my eyes I always try to relate them to horses, because they are just SO SO similar. It's unbelievable. You can probably interchange a gerbil's food with a hamster's or a mouse's for a bit with probably no bad effects, because their diets are so similar, but not with a rabbit. But change a horse's diet for a rabbits? Isn't it basically spot on? Lots of hay, some veggies, and pellets of some sort (made out of many of the same ingredients?).

http://www.seapets.co.uk/products/p...-gerbil-food-and-mouse-food/all-products.html

Just having a look here, lots of those feeds contain some kind of animal protein or meat derivative in them (quite interesting because I never knew that!).

Jen

 

[jujub793]

lol my rabbit apparently doesn't realize she's a "lagomorph" because she LOVES dry cat food! I have to keep the cats food dish on the counter so my little piggy doesn't eat it. I have told her numerous times she does not eat meat but apparently she doesn't believe me (how like a teenager ullhairbecause she tries to steal some everyday!