The feeding the hamster is an aspect that we must not neglect if we intend to offer him the best possible quality of life and manage to maintain his he alth in perfect conditions. In this sense, the most advisable thing is to base it on a dry feed preparation made with grains, nuts and seeds, mainly. However, this type of diet may present some deficiencies that we must cover through fruits and vegetables.
But which ones can hamsters eat? We know that there is a list of foods that are highly toxic for them and other animals, which is why we must inform ourselves and consult with the veterinarian before proceeding to introduce any product into their diet. Keep reading this article on our site and discover the hamster-friendly fruits and vegetables
Benefits of fruits and vegetables for my hamster
For our hamster to stay in perfect condition, it is essential to provide it with a varied diet, rich in fiber and low in fat. Keep in mind that these small rodents have a tendency to become obese if we do not measure the amount of food or the products that we offer them, which is why we must pay close attention to their diet and follow the best diet for them.
The preparations for hamsters that are sold in specialized pet stores, made from seeds, cereals, nuts and green foods, are rich in fiber, antioxidants and carbohydrates, so their The diet must be composed mainly of this type of feed. For their part, fruits and vegetables are a great source of essential vitamins, fiber, and minerals for your body, among other benefits.
As you can see, basing the hamster's diet solely on fruits and vegetables is a big mistake, since they lack many properties that we can only offer them through the aforementioned preparation. However, not introducing them in their diet is also important, since we would deprive the animal of multiple essential nutrients for its correct evolution, resulting in a poorly developed intestinal flora. Also, many of the fruits contain a high percentage of sugars, beneficial in small amounts but very harmful in large measures. Therefore, it is essential to be well informed about the fruits and vegetables that are good for them, as well as the correct way to provide them.
Good fruits for my hamster
In addition to covering some of the nutritional deficiencies of dry feed, fruits help provide our hamster with the amount of liquid that his body needsIn this sense, it is of vital importance that your drinker is always filled with fresh water. Here are the best fruits for hamsters:
- Pear With a very low caloric intake, rich in fiber, vitamins A, B, C and E, the pear is one of the best fruits for these small rodents because it helps them regulate their intestinal transit and purify the body. To feed it, you must clean it well, leave the skin, remove the seeds, stem and heart, cut it into small cubes and feed it in small quantities every two weeks.
- Apple This fruit is highly beneficial for our hamster not only because of its fiber content and important digestive properties, but also because it helps to strengthen the teeth when gnawing it. To do this, it is best to clean the apple well, remove the seeds, cut it with skin into not very thick slices and provide some of these slices so that it can gnaw and exercise its jaw. As it is a fruit with a higher caloric content, you should give it moderately, remember that hamsters are prone to obesity.
- Peach As they are made up of a high water content, they are perfect for keeping our little companion always hydrated, especially during the hot months. In addition, the peach is rich in carbohydrates, also essential for the proper functioning of your body. In this case, you must remove the skin, the bone and chop it well before giving it to him.
- Plums Like pears, plums are highly beneficial for regulating and improving our hamster's intestinal transit thanks to their high content of fiber. At the time of giving them, we have to wash them well, remove the skin, the bone and chop them.
- Apricots They are rich in vitamins A and C, and essential minerals for the hamster's body. Likewise, it also favors intestinal transit, so they are ideal to include in your diet. As with peaches, we must remove the skin, the bone and chop them to give them to them.
- Watermelon and melon Both are composed mainly of water, so they are perfect for rodents that live in hot climates, they are little drinkers or they need an extra supply of liquid. Of course, especially watermelon, as it also has a high sugar content, we must be cautious and provide these fruits very sparingly, without seeds and finely chopped.
- Strawberries Rich in fiber, vitamin C and essential minerals, strawberries help purify our hamster's body and regulate intestinal transit. However, we must also be careful and provide this fruit from time to time, washed, chopped and without the leaves.
- Kiwi This fruit has a low caloric intake, a large amount of vitamins C and E, and fiber, so we can give it small portions every two weeks to support your digestive system, keep it he althy and strong. We should always give it peeled and chopped.
Good vegetables for my hamster
As we mentioned, vegetables provide our hamster with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber and, above all, they are low in fat. The best vegetables for hamsters are:
- Peas They favor the cardiovascular he alth of our hamster, have a low caloric intake and regulate blood sugar levels. In this way, we see how peas are very beneficial for them, especially for those who need to reduce their body weight.
- Spinach. Being a great natural source of fiber and antioxidants, spinach favors intestinal transit and reduces cellular oxidation, a very important fact to extend the quality of life of our rodent as much as possible.
- Lechuga Without a doubt, this vegetable is one of the most popular in homemade diets for hamsters and other rodents, because its content in fiber, iron and antioxidants give them great benefits. Of course, always in small quantities, since an excess can cause negative effects and seriously damage your liver.
- Carrot The most beneficial part of this food is the leaf, so it is ideal to provide our hamster with carrot leaves washed and chopped from time to time. The fruit itself, we can only give it to them without skin and chopped in small quantities to strengthen their teeth and jaw.
- Fennel This vegetable is highly beneficial for fighting gastrointestinal problems and regulating your metabolism and digestive system. Its high fiber content, low caloric intake and antioxidant properties mean that we can give it to it without problems in moderate amounts and from time to time.
- Zucchini. The same thing happens with this food as with the previous one, it is rich in fiber and essential minerals that are very important for the correct development of our hamster's organism. We must give it to it without shell and well chopped.
- Potatoes. This product is very beneficial for our hamster as long as we remove the poisonous buds, if any. You can give him well-chopped potato every two weeks.
How to give fruits and vegetables to my hamster
As we mentioned at the beginning, fruits and vegetables help to correctly develop the intestinal flora of our hamster. An incorrect diet can cause the appearance of digestive problems, such as diarrhea, due to the lack of essential nutrients.
Ideally, we should start introducing these foods into our rodent's diet from an early age, as soon as they are weaned. To do this, it is best to follow a gradual process, that is, introduce fruits and vegetables little by little so that your body adapts and assimilates them correctly. Of course, before getting to work, remember that you must make sure that your pet is completely free of parasites, so do not hesitate to take it to the vet to examine it and advise you on the best foods for it.
When we start giving our hamster fruits and vegetables for the first time we will one by one to check if there is any intolerance or allergy. That is, we will not prepare a bowl of food with mixed fruits and vegetables until we are completely sure that these foods are good for him. To check that everything is correct, we will try to give him a specific fruit or vegetable for two or three days in a row, always as a complement to the feed and in small quantities. If we observe any negative behavior or symptoms of digestive upset, we will immediately withdraw that food.
It is essential to always give the right amount that the hamster is going to eat during the day, neither more nor less. In case of leftover fruit or vegetables, we will remove it so that it does not go bad and cause poisoning to the animal. Remember that we should not give this type of food to our little rodent every day, after the three days of testing we will leave a few days off and try another food.
Each breed of hamster has particular needs, which is why it is essential that you consult the vet before giving it any diet homemade, he will know how to advise you on how to give fruits and vegetables and how often.
