Have you thought about introducing new ingredients to your hamster’s diet?
Did nuts come to mind? Nuts are useful in a lot of human foods.
They also come in varieties and are very nutritious.
However, do nuts cause harm to hamsters?
Grab a chair, and let’s find out!
What are the essential things to note?
Nuts have various uses. They are good enough as a snack to crunch on.
They can also serve as essential ingredients in desserts and varieties of dishes.
Common types of nuts are almond nuts, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, pistachios, cashew nuts, and chestnuts.
Others include macadamias, walnuts, and pecans. Many more varieties still exist.
So, here we’ll discuss knowing the right types of nuts to give your hamster.
What is the nutrient content of nuts?
They contain nutrients like vitamins and minerals.
These ingredients have essential fats, protein, and fiber present in them.
However, their fat content is on the high side.
Your hamster’s small size makes it vulnerable to the fatty substances in nuts.
So, you must ensure that you feed these seeds in the right quantities. If not, your pet can become obese.
Nuts also contain minerals such as phosphorus and calcium. To hamsters, these are usually harmful.
All nuts have lots of potassium present in them. However, Brazil nuts, chestnuts, and hazelnuts have the highest amounts.
Do not feed your hamster large amounts or portions of these varieties.
Almonds are even more dangerous for your furry friend.
Please do not give your hammy almonds to eat because they contain some cyanide.
To your furry buddy, cyanide is deadly. Eating foods with small quantities of cyanide can lead to your pet’s death.
This reality is because of your hammy’s small size.
We do not recommend the bitter types of almonds for your pet.
Compared to regular almonds, this variety is more harmful to your furry friend.
However, if you choose to feed any almonds, ensure that you remove the outer skin first.
Macadamias, cashew nuts, and Brazil nuts contain the most substantial amounts of saturated fat.
Hazelnuts, almonds, and chestnuts have the least amounts of these fats.
You can choose to feed your hamster with hazel or chestnuts because they are much safer.
Another option is to give lower quantities of the other varieties.
How do you feed your hamster with these ingredients?
Give your hamster two of these nuts weekly.
They should only serve as treats or snacks fed occasionally.
Never let these nuts exceed 10% of your furry friend’s diet.
Feed only plain nuts to your hamster. Nuts prepared for humans usually contain lots of sugar compared to plain ones.
Hamsters cannot tolerate excess salt. This substance can also damage your furry friend’s kidney.
Nut based products can also cause harm to your pet.
They usually have lots of sugar present in them.
These sweet ingredients can stick to your hamster’s cheek pouches too.
Nuts would be an excellent addition to your hamster’s diet.
However, it would help if you fed them only as treats or snacks.
Do you have other pets?
Do you want to know the right thing to feed?
Click on our HAMSTERS category to learn about healthy food for your pet and discover so much more about hamsters!
