Are gerbils allowed to eat cheese? 5 important advantages and disadvantages

Mice love cheese…

At least that’s how we know it from numerous children’s books and stories.

But what about in reality? Do gerbils also like cheese? And if so, are they allowed to eat cheese at all or can it cause health problems?

The answer to your questions is now available.

Are gerbils allowed to eat cheese?

Yes, gerbils are allowed to eat cheese! Eating cheese even has some health benefits. However, this should only be done in small amounts, as gerbils are lactose intolerant and therefore cannot digest cheese as well.

In addition, cheese contains too much fat and protein in relation to carbohydrates to recommend feeding it in large quantities.

But why then is cheese healthy for gerbils in small quantities?

Quite simply, cheese contains many important nutrients and vitamins.

These include:

Vitamins A
vitamin B2
vitamin B12
Calcium
Phosphorus
Zinc

All these substances bring great health benefits and help your pet to live a long, healthy and happy life.

It is certain that your gerbils will be very pleased with the cheesy snack, as they are naturally wired to seek the most nutritious food possible, of which even small amounts are enough to fill them up.

Cheese fulfills this characteristic with flying colors thanks to its high fat and protein content!

If you decide to feed cheese to your pet, it’s best to go for real cheddar cheese, as this is the healthiest cheese for your racer.

Why?

Quite simply, because this cheese has already gone through a ripening process where the lactose has been largely replaced with lactic acid, allowing for easier digestion of the cheese.

Your gerbil can therefore benefit from the advantages of the cheese and does not have to put up with the disadvantages of small amounts.

Be sure to avoid feeding cheese balls, because there is no real cheese incorporated into these balls! Instead, the balls drip with fat and empty calories, you do your animals no favor here.

Health benefits for gerbils from cheese

So what are the health benefits of occasionally feeding small amounts of cheese to your gerbils?

Here you will find a short overview with the most important key data on the subject.
Vitamins

As already mentioned, cheese contains vitamins A, B2 and B12.

All these vitamins promote the health and also the digestion or vision of the animals.

While vitamin A can also be absorbed in quite large quantities through carrots, it is not uncommon to have a vitamin B2 or B12 deficiency, as these vitamins are rather scarce.

In addition, vitamins B5, B6, D, E and K can also be found in cheese.

With the help of a cheese snack, a vitamin deficiency can therefore be prevented. If it is already too late and the deficiency has existed for a long time, it can be compensated more easily with cheese.
Minerals

Calcium is good for bones, phosphorus helps to build cell walls and plays an essential role in energy metabolism.

Zinc is especially beneficial with regard to the regeneration of the body. A zinc deficiency, on the other hand, can severely weaken the immune system and thus make the entire organism more susceptible to disease.

Zinc also regulates blood sugar levels.

In addition, cheese has copper and magnesium – these two substances are also necessary for a healthy and well-functioning organism.

So you see, cheese contains significant components for the health of your gerbils, which is why it’s worth thinking a little harder about giving this snack occasionally.
These 3 risks come with feeding cheese.

1: Digestive problems.

Excessive amounts of cheese may not be digested and therefore lead to diarrhea and other digestive problems. This, in turn, can cause stress and pain for the animals, and therefore their overall well-being suffers.

The digestive tract of gerbils is very sensitive, which is why the complaints should be treated immediately by a doctor if they do not improve quickly on their own.

Diarrhea can also lead to other infectious diseases, which could even cost your pet its life if you do not intervene in time!

2: Overweight

In addition, giving cheese too often quickly leads to obesity due to its high fat content, which puts a lot of stress on the joints.

In addition, overweight animals are much more susceptible to disease and have a shorter life expectancy than their normal-weight fur friends.

3: Abdominal cramps

Severe abdominal cramps can also be the result of lactose intolerance if you feed your pets too much cheese.

As a responsible owner, you should therefore rather reach for an additional healthy snack instead of another piece of cheese if you would like to give your pet another treat.

Fresh vegetables, such as carrots, are always a favorite. You should not feed cucumbers in combination with cheese, because the high water content of the cucumber only promotes the diarrhea.

How often can I give cheese to my gerbils?

It will not harm your animals if you give them a small piece of cheese once a week.

Ideally, the size of the piece of cheese should not exceed the size of a pumpkin seed.

If you are unsure of the amount, feed a piece that is too small rather than too large and supplement the snack with another healthy treat.

Animals that are sick or overweight should not be fed cheese, in order not to put additional stress on the organism.

Don’t worry: it is absolutely not necessary that your gerbils eat cheese. They can get all the ingredients from other food sources if you do a little research and provide the gerbils with the appropriate fresh food.