Can hamsters eat plums
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Can Hamsters Eat Plums? Is It Poisonous!
We all know that our furry friends, Hamsters, love to nibble on things, so we are often worried about what they can and cannot have as food. So before you share plum with your hamster, a question may pop up in your mind, Can Hamsters Eat Plums? Is it safe for them?
To answer this question, I did a quick research on the topic, and here’s what I know:
Hamsters can eat plums as long as the plums are cooked soft enough for their teeth. Syrian and Robo can eat raw plums in very small amounts, while Dwarf hamster’s digestive system cannot process plums because of the high level of sugar in it.
What are plums?
Plums are a fruit that could have been one of the very first fruits that we learned to grow! They grow on trees and these trees can grow to a huge height, around 12 metres! Plums can often used to make juice, wine, jam and can also be eaten on its own! They are often eaten pickled in Asia! China and the EU produce the most plums but they grow all over the world! No wonder people eat if our hamsters can eat them. They are an extremely interesting fruit!
How to Prepare Plums for Hamsters?
To prepare plums for hamsters, you need to wash the plum then cut it in half to remove the pits. Next, you need to boil or steam the plum (until softened) for about 30 minutes; – let cool a little before feeding your pet with it.
Boiling of the plum is necessary to reduce the high level of sugar in plums. Dwarf hamsters cannot digest sugary fruits well, so make sure you do not overfeed them. Instead of plums, you can give your hamster nuts, seeds, eggs, or cheese, which is completely safe for them. However, they should not be fed high-fat or salty foods (like bacon) because it might cause them to have a heart attack; – which is very dangerous for their health.
How Many Plums Can A Hamster eat?
Syrian and Roborovski hamsters can eat about three medium-sized plums, while Dwarf hamsters cannot eat plums because of the high sugar level in plums.
Hamsters are not as picky as cats or dogs when it comes to food. Hamsters can eat just about anything, but you should make sure that they do not overeat anything because it may be harmful to them. They should have an assortment of carrots, sweet potatoes, cooked pasta, oats, dried cornmeal, grains, squash, canned pumpkin with some frozen veggies on the side. You should never feed your pet any form of meat because it could lead to illness or death.
How much Plum should you feed your hamster?
As we have stated before, this depends on what hamster you have! Check out below for the quantities in which you should feed your hamster this lovely purple fruit!
How much Plum can Syrian Hamsters eat?
Syrians are the largest hamsters which means, naturally, they can eat more plum! You can give your Syrian around half a teaspoon of plum once a week. This is due to the amount of sugar in the plum. Feeding anymore could increase the risk of your pet contracting diabetes or becoming obese.
How much Plum can Robo Hamsters eat?
Robo hamsters can only have a smaller amount of plum than Syrians. This is due to their size, they are much smaller than Syrians! Give your Robo hamster around 1/4 teaspoon of plum every week. This is enough so that they will enjoy it but not so much that they will get any health problems!
How much Plum can Dwarf Hamsters eat?
Winter White dwarf hamsters, Chinese hamsters and Campbell Dwarf hamsters cannot eat any of this fruit. This is due to the high levels of sugar and acid contained within the plum. Unfortunately, it is too unsafe for them. Consider some more suitable treats like corn or lettuce.
What are the health benefits of your hamsters eating plums?
Plums are a fleshy, purple or red colored fruit available seasonally. They have a citric, yet sweet taste to them and are quite beneficial for health. Plums have dietary fibers, Vitamin C, carbohydrates, potassium, and Vitamin K in them.
The dietary fibers in plums are high for your hamster’s digestive health. They aid your hamster’s digestive system, relieving constipation, and encouraging a healthy bowel movement by providing fibers.
Vitamin C present in plums are high for your hamster’s eye health as well as promoting healthy fur on your hamster’s body.
Carbohydrates in plums are fruit sugars which provide energy and prevent anemia in your hamsters.
Potassium is excellent for your hamsters as it lowers the risk of blood pressure and stroke as well as heart diseases in hamsters.
Vitamin K in plums are great for bone metabolism and play a huge role in blood clotting.
What are the health risks of your hamsters eating plums?
Plums contain a high concentration of citric acid and sugars. Overfeeding plums to your little hamsters can cause them to develop diarrhea, obesity, and diabetes. Since your dwarf hamsters are much smaller than Syrian and Roborovski hamsters, they are at a more significant risk of developing these diseases, which is why you should avoid feeding them plums.
Hamsters also have a habit of hoarding away their food in their cages. If you do not regularly clean out their cages, the leftover bits of plum can rot and cause health problems in your hamsters.
Can you give dried plums to your hamster?
Dried plums are quite sugary, sticky, and sweet as a treat. While it is best that you avoid feeding dried plums to your hamsters, if you wish, you can feed one small piece of dried plum to your Syrian and Roborovski hamsters, just about once a week only. Remember to give them a tiny part, as the stickiness of the fruit can cause it to become stuck to the hamster’s cheek pockets.
As for your Dwarf hamsters, you should never feed them dried plums as it is too sugary and sticky and will do them more harm than good.
Can Hamsters Eat Tomatoes?
Tomatoes are members of the nightshade family and un-ripened tomatoes, along with the plant’s stems and leaves, contain tomatine, a solanum alkaloid that can cause neurologic and digestive tract issues. Dr. Karen Schachterle, an avian and exotics specialist at ACCESS, said she does not recommend clients offer tomatoes to hamsters due to the concern for potential toxicity. “There are many safe fruits and vegetables that owners can offer as alternatives to tomatoes,” she said.
How Often Should I Feed My Dwarf Hamster?
You should feed your hamster daily, they require fresh food every day. However, this depends on what you’re feeding it.
If you’re feeding your hamster with Hamster Formula, then you need to feed them twice a day – once in the morning, and once in the evening. You also need to remove any uneaten food as it will rot quickly.
You should feed your hamster with hard treats twice a week. There’s a difference between everyday treats, (apples, for example) which you can use to reward your hamster for training and hard treats. Hard treats help your dwarf hamster keep his incisors filed down, which is good for his overall dental hygiene. This is similar to dog treats that are used for dog hygiene. You can actually use this, as well – you can let your hamster chew on small dog biscuits, commercial hamster treats, or a small branch taken from a fruit-bearing tree.
You can also feed your hamster with soft treats, once or twice a week. Soft treats include protein sources such as cooked meats; low-fat, no-salt cottage cheese, or a hard-boiled egg. You can also include wheat bread and scrambled eggs for your hamster.
Something people often overlook is to keep your hamster hydrated, as well as fed. Many people pose the question ‘How often should I feed my hamster?’, but there aren’t many people asking ‘How often should I change my hamster’s water supply?’ – we’re telling you now that it’s vital for you to change your hamster’s water bottle often.
Buy a hamster-sized water bottle with a stem and ball bearing from your local pet store. The ball regulates how much water comes out each time the hamster takes a drink. This is great because your hamster can control how much they’re drinking, but it’s important for you to change the water often – the water needs to be fresh.
Even though it takes two weeks for the water to go stale (and that’s only in case it’s not bottled but in a glass), you wouldn’t drink stale water, so why should your hamster? Change your hamster’s water every two days, and following consultation with your veterinarian, you can even add supplements to the water.
Another tip, while we’re already on the topic of water – make sure you’re using a water bottle, not a water bowl or dish. Hamsters will surely make a mess out of this and that’s heaven for bacteria and parasites.
It’s smart to feed your hamster at the same time every day, if you can, of course. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to do this flawlessly every day, but you should try to maintain a schedule. Dwarf hamsters have a really strong and high metabolism, so they need food throughout the day, flawlessly. There is some debate about whether you should feed them in the evening or in the morning, though.
If you feed them in the evening, you’re feeding them when they’re most active, as hamsters are mostly nocturnal animals. However, if you feed them in the morning, you’re ensuring that they have food throughout the day. It may be best to do both, that way, your hamster will have food all day, every day.
One last tip before we move on to our next section: all fruits and vegetables that aren’t eaten within 24 hours should be thrown away.
