Can Hamsters Eat Blueberries?

You can easily get hold of many healthy foods for your little hammy. Fruits can be a go-to option. Go ahead and delight your buddy with small bites of blueberries.

Your hammy can also eat mangoes, pears, and apples in small amounts.

However, don’t turn fruits into your pet’s staple. Give it blueberries occasionally in moderation.

Never overfeed your hamster.

Be patient while introducing new food items to your hamster. Start with one or two blueberries only. Be cautious and observe how your darling is responding to the new food.

What are blueberries’ health benefits for hamsters?

Blueberries have several health benefits such as:

Antioxidants. These natural chemical compounds help in strengthening your body’s immune system.

Blueberries are rich in antioxidants.

They make muscle movement easy and increase arterial flexibility. Antioxidants also act as the motor coordinator of your body’s nervous system.

Older people should especially eat blueberries. The fruit can benefit them by reducing the possibility of neurodegenerative ailments.

Blueberries also minimize the threat of cancer and protect your digestive tract.

Blueberries provide cardiovascular benefits:

According to a study, regular consumption of blueberries can do wonders for your cardiovascular health.

They safeguard your blood components from the oxidative damage.

Such damage can otherwise block your blood vessels permanently.

There is a cell lining around the walls of our blood vessels. Blueberries protect this lining.

This fruit helps in preventing cholesterol formation.

It also protects our hearts by reducing the thickness of fat deposits around the organ.

People with hypertension can get larger benefits from blueberries. It helps in reducing high blood pressure.

Photo Credit

Blueberries are good for your hamster’s eye health: The retinas of eyes are highly vulnerable to oxidative stress.

Regular consumption of blueberries can significantly lower this risk. Blueberries contain phytonutrient antioxidants.

These antioxidants protect the retina from oxygen damage. Animals also get these benefits from blueberries.

Blueberries provide cognitive benefits: Do you know that eating blueberries can improve your cognitive faculties? If you want to strengthen your memory, eat blueberries regularly.

Research suggests that blueberries improve the performance of nerve cells in the animal body. Isn’t that awesome!

Blueberries help in preventing cancer: Consumption of this fruit helps in reducing the risk of colon cancer, intestinal cancer, breast cancer, and esophageal cancer.

It also aids in reducing tumors. You must consume blueberries regularly to lower the risk of many fatal diseases.

Can you imagine that your pet will get so many benefits from a single fruit? Isn’t that cool!

Feel free to feed blueberries to your sweet hammy. But in moderation.

How to select and store blueberries for your hamster

Choose the blueberries that are firm and have a silvery bloom on the surface. The hue color suggests freshness of the fruit.

Check if the blueberries are moving when you shake the container. If they don’t move, they are likely to be soft and moldy. Don’t purchase them in such cases.

Try to pick the ones that don’t have excess water within. You should put them inside a container and then refrigerate.

Make sure to neatly wash the fruits before serving. Don’t wash them before refrigerating, or they will decay.

Follow these tips sincerely and bingo! Now you are a pro in picking and storing blueberries.

Which foods are bad for my pet?

Some foods aren’t good for your hamster. These forbidden foods can affect your hammy’s health. But don’t worry my friend!

Photo Credit

Check out the list of foods mentioned below and be aware well in advance:

Sticky foods: Don’t make the mistake of feeding sticky foods to your hamster. Sticky substances are likely to affect the cute teeth of your darling.

Sweets: Sweet candies are high in sugar content. They can make your hammy diabetic. Why give excess sweets to your pet when it’s already the sweetest!

Meat: Meat is not very easy to digest. Regular consumption of meat can mess with your hamster’s digestive system. Avoid feeding it meat regularly or, it will suffer from stomach pain.

Be very careful while deciding your hamster’s diet. Give it clean drinking water every day. Treat it with fruits like blueberries. But moderation is the key.

Foods You Can Feed Your Pet Hamster, and What to Avoid

Blueberries are a delicious treat for your pet hamster. However, other foods are readily available.

The question you are asking is: What should I feed my pet hamster? While they eat all kinds of foodstuff, some are better for hamsters than other animals.

If you are a new owner and still lack the knowledge about suitable hamster food, the safest and easiest approach for you is to purchase the complete hamster meal available at your local pet store.

Pelleted feeds that come in square blocks are the best kind.

*Carrots are great for your hamster, but it should be given in moderation.

Carrots have sugar and may not be the ideal snack for dwarf hamsters, which tend to get diabetes.

Health issues sometimes don’t come from the hamster itself, but from their owners, which tend to overfeed them. It causes obesity and diabetes in your hamster.

Hamsters are hoarders and like to collect all kinds of stuff, especially with food. So give your hamster just enough, not too much and not too few.

*Grapes are a safe and healthy option for your hamster.

Based on scientific studies, there isn’t a correlation between grapes and kidney damage among hamsters, unlike ferrets, cats, and dogs.

But before feeding grapes to your pet hamster, it is best to talk with your veterinarian about the appropriate quantity of grape pieces that can be given.

Regarding this, a noted veterinarian said that it depends on the hamster’s size. Smaller hamsters should eat fewer grape pieces, and while larger ones can eat more.

Also, irrespective of their size, hamsters should not be fed whole grapes. The high sugar content can cause stomach upset, like diarrhea.

Raisins are toxic to the kidneys of ferrets, cats, and dogs. Yet it isn’t known to cause damage in hamsters, but it’s always good to discuss this with your veterinarian.

*Safe Hamster Fruits and Vegetables:

· Kale

· Broccoli

· Cauliflower

· Bok choy

· Cucumbers

· Celery

· Mangos

· Peaches

· Cantaloupe

· Apples

· Cherries

· Strawberries

· Raspberries

· Sweet potatoes- peel the skin since molds can thrive in the skin and cause digestive issues.

*For additional protein for your hamster, hard-boiled eggs are a good option. It should be the size of two raisins.

Hamsters will bite, so be aware if you want to feed it by hand. They can be territorial, so be careful not to put your hand close to the feeding bowl.

However, hand-feeding is a great way to socialize with your hamster. If you want to give it a treat, try petting it with one hand and give the treat with the other hand.

Unsafe Foods for Hamsters

*Tomatoes contain tomatine. It’s a solanum alkaloid that can cause neurological and digestive issues for your hamster. It is potentially toxic, so keep it away.

*Chocolate may be sweet and is considered a treat by many. It isn’t directly toxic to your hamster.

However, it is dense in calories and fats. It can be fed in volume and quickly surpass your hamster’s daily caloric requirements. It contributes to obesity and heart disease.

It is still best to stick to fruits and vegetables that have a high fiber and water content instead of store-bought feeds.

Top 5 High-Quality Hamster Food Brands

However, if you are the kind of person that doesn’t have time to buy fresh produce every day, there are still superior hamster feeds that you can purchase at the pet store or your local supermarket.

#1. Kaytee Fiesta Hamster Food

It has assorted fruits and vegetables, rich in natural antioxidants, has prebiotics and probiotics for digestive health, and promotes dental growth through chewing.

#2. Wild Harvest WH-83543 Advanced Nutrition Diet for Hamsters

It is fortified with the needed vitamins and minerals, has 15% protein, comes in a sealable plastic container, and has a good amount of fiber.

It is a good choice for hamster owners that are struggling to provide the necessary nutrition.

#3. Forti Diet Pro Health

It has fiber and antioxidants, has DHA, prebiotics, and Omega-3, it is fortified and provides for brain and heart health.

It is in large packaging and tightly sealed to maintain freshness.

#4. Oxbow Animal Health

It is a kibble pellet meal that is all-natural and fortified with vitamins and minerals. It can also be fed to guinea pigs and comes in a one-pound bag.