Is it possible for hamsters to have cookies? Everyone who is happy about acquiring a nimble fluffy ball wants to know. Take the time to study the principles of diet formation in advance. After all, you can harm the health of such a baby very quickly if you offer him something forbidden to eat. Pay special attention to what your children feed him, because they will share with him confectionery and cookies that he should not be given.
Black and white bread
In natural wild conditions, bread is inaccessible to rodents, unless they live near populated areas. Only domestic hamsters can enjoy it, but veterinarians unanimously do not recommend feeding them fresh flour products.
White flour is made from wheat, which is always present in dry mixes, and is acceptable and healthy for your hamster. However, in the process of grinding and processing, grain changes not only its structure, but also its qualitative composition. The product is additionally bleached to make it look presentable and last longer. As a result, the flour is deprived of most of its vitamins, minerals and beneficial fiber.
The resulting starch is a heavy carbohydrate; it can cause obesity in a hamster and, as a result, diabetes, as well as joint problems. In addition, it has the following negative effects on the body:
- negatively affects the functioning of the urinary system;
- provokes disruptions in the normal functioning of the adrenal glands and pancreas;
- leads to disruption of the endocrine system (thyroid gland).
Yeast is added to the dough kneaded for bread, as well as leavening agents, flavorings, stabilizers and other synthetic additives. A hamster's consumption of these completely unhealthful components is fraught with digestive disorders, manifested by increased gas formation and even (in rare cases) alcohol poisoning (due to yeast fermentation). Yeast is especially dangerous because it can radically change the intestinal microflora.
If you give a hamster bread, he will develop quite painful conditions:
- flatulence, vomiting, nausea;
- diarrhea;
- refusal to eat due to loss of appetite;
- breathing problems (choking);
- lethargy and decreased activity;
- heart failure;
- disorientation;
- and even death.
White bread, especially soft and fresh bread, just baked, is absolutely contraindicated for hamsters.
The same attitude applies to black bread, because it is also made with yeast. Although rye flour is less starchy, and there is no need to bleach it, hamsters still cannot eat baked goods from it. The ban is associated with the increased acidity of the baked product, due to which disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract are observed. If you give a hamster rye or black bread, it can cause:
- heartburn;
- gastritis;
- constipation;
- colitis;
- ulcer.
Crackers
If fresh bread has no place on the hamster’s menu, then the attitude towards crackers is different. After all, during heat treatment (drying in an oven), most of the yeast fungi die. Dried bread pieces (both wheat and rye) contain enough fiber, much less carbohydrates, and also contain a number of essential and beneficial minerals (Mg, Fe, Ca). Considered dietary, dried bread no longer causes fermentation; when consuming it, the hamster does not experience flatulence. Rusks normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and restore metabolic processes in the endocrine system.
A piece of dry bread will serve as a worthy and healthy replacement for mineral or chalk stones, on which hamsters have to grind down their front teeth, which grow throughout their lives.
On store shelves there is a huge assortment of crackers already prepared and packaged in beautiful wrappers; it is tempting to buy and pamper your pet hamster with them. But this should not be done under any circumstances, since all sorts of flavor enhancers, flavorings and stabilizers are added to purchased products at the factory. These substances, even in small quantities, are deadly to small rodents. It is more desirable and much safer to dry bread yourself, giving preference to grain and bran products.
Can hamsters eat pumpkin?
Syrian, Djungarian and other breeds of hamsters can be given pumpkin raw or boiled. It is recommended to offer only the pulp; such a treat should not be a daily treat. Due to its dwarf size, the Djungarian hamster must be given very small portions. Pumpkin seeds are also healthy foods for rodents, but they must be raw and without additives. They have a positive effect on the blood and blood vessels of hamsters, and also have an anthelmintic effect.
The health of little pets largely depends on how well they eat. The desire to please the hamster should not be at the expense of its well-being; treats should consist exclusively of, and then the pet will live a full life, amusing the owner with its antics.
Melon, pumpkin and zucchini for your hamster
Nutrition of Djungarian hamsters: what can and cannot be given to Djungarian hamsters Comparison of popular foods for Djungarian and Syrian hamsters How and what to feed hamsters: diet at home
Summer is the main time for fruits, berries and vegetables. Every owner wants to please their pet, but before that it is important to find out whether hamsters can have watermelon and what the reaction will be to the berries. Find out which vegetables to include in the menu and find out which fruits will not harm your pet.
Even if a hamster eats watermelon with pleasure, this does not mean that it is beneficial for the rodent. There are many reasons to refuse berries; all nutrition guides urge you not to feed hamsters this product. This requirement is due to the fact that:
- There is a high probability that they will become clogged, which can subsequently lead to tooth breakage;
- Fertilizers, which stimulate crop growth, penetrate into the pulp and can cause severe poisoning, even death;
- Excessive amount of glucose, which excludes the possibility of giving watermelon to Djungarians who have a genetic tendency to diabetes;
- Excess fluid can cause kidney and genitourinary problems in all breeds, including Djungarian and Syrian hamsters;
- The composition of watermelon pulp also disrupts the functioning of the digestive tract of small pets, causing diarrhea or constipation, which can result in the death of the pet.
Cookies and bread
A hamster gnawing on a cookie looks amusing and funny, it is so cute that it clutches the tasty treat with its tiny paws. Meanwhile, there is no benefit to such rich food, because it is full of sugar, various sweeteners, emulsifiers, preservatives and other chemicals. Gradually accumulating in the rodent's body, synthetic additives lead to the development of pathological pathogenic processes, poisoning, and subsequently death.
High-calorie products do not contain anything useful and necessary for the hamster’s body; they contain neither microelements nor vitamins. But there is an abundance of fats, glucose and salt, which are harmful and dangerous for hamsters. Therefore, all types of cookies are contraindicated for rodents. An exception is made only for unsalted whole grain breads, but they should not contain any preservatives, yeast or flavorings.
Some owners occasionally pamper their hamsters with small unsweetened snacks. But, since they are made from white wheat flour, it is better to avoid them too.
Feeding your hamster correctly
Now you can enjoy the fun picture of watching your hamster eat cookies that are both tasty and healthy for him. But you won’t be satisfied with just cookies. What else can you feed your adorable baby?
The basis of the diet is cereals (oats, barley, wheat, buckwheat). You can buy ready-made cereal mixtures in the store. Nuts and sunflower seeds will also be beneficial. They just need to be given infrequently due to their high fat content. Fresh grass (burdock, clover, plantain) and branches of some trees (birch, oak, maple) will not harm the animal. Just keep in mind that you need to collect these complementary feeding components away from the city, in an ecologically clean area. You can sometimes give a number of fruits (apples, apricots, peaches), vegetables (zucchini, carrots, broccoli) and berries (raspberries, strawberries). But apricot and cherry pits are harmful to the digestive system of small rodents. And remember that hamsters should always have fresh, clean water in an amount of at least 50 ml at the place where they are kept.
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Here is the menu for your pet. As you can see, it can be very diverse, despite the fact that there is no place in it for store-bought cookies. Take care of your hamster's health, because feeding it correctly from the beginning is much easier than treating it due to improper nutrition.
Flour products
No buns (homemade or store-bought), waffles, cakes or other baked goods should be given to hamsters. Pies, pancakes, pancakes are prohibited - all this is fried in oil, which will not benefit rodents. It is better to treat them with bran, which is allowed (in reasonable quantities).
Dry pasta containing a lot of sticky starch should not be offered to hamsters. In addition, they are very hard, even for sharp hamster teeth. Sometimes boiled noodles are introduced into the diet, but only high-quality ones, made exclusively from premium flour with the addition of water. When cooked, the starchy substances from the pasta are transferred into the water, so there will be no harm from them.
What can replace watermelon?
Hamsters are big fans of treats, but you shouldn’t follow their lead and give everything they ask for. Instead of giving your Djungarian or Syrian hamster watermelon, it is better to offer watermelons that are approved for this type of rodent. You can also please your pet with a small one. As a last resort, it is permissible to offer a small piece of sun-dried without adding preservatives, sugar or spices. Rodents love seeds, so raw seeds also make an excellent treat.
The rodents' small size and delicate digestive tract require owners to pay serious attention to their diet. And no matter how much you want to treat your baby to something, you must first find out whether the hamster can eat watermelon and how he will tolerate the new treat. Proper feeding of rodents is the key to their health and full life.
Can a hamster have watermelon?
Nutrition of Djungarian hamsters: what can and cannot be given to Djungarian hamsters. Is it possible to give a hamster citrus fruits, nectarines and mangoes?
Owners of small rodents often wonder what kind of treats they can treat their pet to, whether hamsters can have honey, cookies, chocolate and other sweets. This is due to the fact that in addition to ready-made food, pets’ menus include foods that humans eat – seeds, nuts, cereals, fruits and berries. However, you should be careful when choosing “sweets” for your hamster - much of what the owner eats is completely unsuitable for domestic rodents.
Forbidden
Unfortunately, cookies are one of those products that are prohibited for the animal. The fact is that they cannot eat fried, fatty, salty, or sweet foods. What cookies are not sweet and not salty at the same time? The Djungarian hamster, which is prone to diabetes, is especially at risk. Violation of the diet is fraught with serious consequences. Even ordinary poisoning can have fatal consequences. And their body is not able to digest fats at all. Therefore, in order to preserve the life and health of your pet, you need to properly care for it, first of all, this concerns nutrition. But curing an already sick hamster is a very difficult matter and not always realistic. Moreover, you need to be able to treat, not everyone has money for a veterinarian. Before you get a pet, find out how to feed a hamster at home and what exactly.
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In general, chemistry is contraindicated for hamsters. This cannot be neglected. Some cookies contain a lot of it.
