Hamster Food Safety

[elusive]

No problem

 

[elusive]

This is the German list I think most of us have used.

Hamster Info Frischfutterliste

In dieser Liste haben wir Futterpflanzen und andere Futterbestandteile aufgelistet die an Mittelamster verfüttert werden können und ebenso teilweise Futtersorten, auf die verzichtet werden sollte oder muss.

www.diebrain.de

 

[Frida]

This is the German list I think most of us have used.

Hamster Info Frischfutterliste

In dieser Liste haben wir Futterpflanzen und andere Futterbestandteile aufgelistet die an Mittelamster verfüttert werden können und ebenso teilweise Futtersorten, auf die verzichtet werden sollte oder muss.

www.diebrain.de

Thank you.

 

[Frida]

I've decided not give Albert anymore tomato flesh. Not that I give it him very often anyway.

 

[Daisy]

I don't really agree with putting fruits in the same "safe" category as vegetables for all species including Chinese and dwarfs. It's misleading. They're not unsafe as such (not toxic) but they're not as good of an idea to feed as vegetables. Especially the more exotic fruits like papaya which are higher in sugar.

I know the Ontario Hamster Club has in the past made a big point about sugar not causing diabetes, which is technically true, but that doesn't mean it should be fed freely to hamster which might be prone to high blood sugar or in the early stages of diabetes. As we know with humans, diabetes is a spectrum ranging from slightly elevated blood sugar after eating to full blown pancreatic dysfunction so just because a hamster isn't showing symptoms and doesn't have glucose in their urine, it doesn't mean there can't be something subclinical going on.

I agree with other aspects of the list. Chocolate isn't the best food for a hamster but it's not toxic - that's a very widespread myth. Milk or white chocolate shouldn't really be fed (but don't worry if a hamster accidentally eats a bit), but a tiny bit of dark chocolate isn't a terribly bad treat and may be healthier or at least comparable to many of the pet shop treats (seed sticks with honey etc) in my opinion. I don't think onions and garlic are as unsafe as it's been believed in the past, but I wouldn't feed them myself, especially garlic.

Peanut butter is a choking hazard because it's so sticky. I've seen gerbils choke on it in the past when they were given a lump of it to eat (they were fine). Also with hamsters it may clog up their pouches. Peanut butter, if fed, should only be spread thinly on something rather than given as a lump.

I don't believe there's good evidence for coriander causing brain damage. Maybe if fed every day, but I'm sure almost any food could have some kind of effect when fed in excess. I would consider that a safe food personally but always with the caveat that variety is important.

 

[elusive]

All really good points Daisy.
I’ve never seen any actual evidence about onions & garlic being toxic but I think it’s one of those things where most of us err on the side of caution.
I don’t believe chocolate is toxic either, I think that idea has been based on dogs or something but it does seem a strange thing to have on a safe list for hamsters when so many other healthy things have been left off! It’s not something I would choose to give personally.
Peanut butter can also impact pouches so another reason to avoid it.

 

[Frida]

Quite a few vegetables are fruits, anything seed bearing is a fruit but they’re not all high in sugar like the things we normally consider a fruit & tend to be higher in fibre too which slows the release of natural sugars.

Are there any seed vegetables that I shouldn't give Albert?

 

[RainbowBrite]

Are there any seed vegetables that I shouldn't give Albert?

Have a look on the link to diebrain. It lists suitable foods for dwarfies.

 

[elusive]

Are there any seed vegetables that I shouldn't give Albert?

The only thing I can think of is aubergine, not sure if hamsters can eat okra or not but other than those I don’t think so.

 

[Frida]

The only thing I can think of is aubergine, not sure if hamsters can eat okra or not but other than those I don’t think so.

Thank you

 

[Frida]

Have a look on the link to diebrain. It lists suitable foods for dwarfies.

Thank you

 

[Maz]

We have our own information on here regarding safe and unsafe foods. It basically says most things are ok except for the things listed as not ok. Plus we have more specific lists as well (eg for treats).

There are so many contradictory different safe lists going around that I wanted to keep it simple - and safe. I wouldn’t give onion, garlic or spices to a hamster. Why bother?!

I’ll look at that list properly when on my computer (phone screen too small!) But personally I have a few issues with it. Interesting it says hamsters are not lactose intolerant. It’s something that was passed around for a long time - that they were - hence making scrambled egg with water instead of milk. I have always give the occasional bit of hard cheese with no I’ll effects though.

 

[elusive]

I think lactose tolerance would probably depend on quantity, they aren’t totally lactose intolerant so small amounts of dairy products are ok, not that I would suggest making them a regular part of their diet but as an occasional treat something like a little yoghurt or cheese is fine as would be making scrambled egg with milk as the amount of milk would be really minimal.
As Zak was getting quite old he had a small amount of yoghurt daily for quite a while with no ill effects at all.

 

[Maz]

Our page has an article linked by a vet

Safe and Unsafe Fruit and Veg

Safe and unsafe fruit and vegetables for Hamsters (note - this post is also combined with the safe and unsafe treats post as part of the home page article on safe and unsafe foods) Providing Hamsters have a good hamster mix, with the correct nutrients and protein levels, they do not need any...

www.thehamsterforum.com

This is our safe baby foods list (which errs on the side of caution, as does Happy Hamsters baby food list I noticed)

Baby food options

This thread is for baby food options. Eg for an older hamster needing softened food or for a hamster on medication (using baby food to put the medication in). This list will probably change over time and need updating and editing now and then as things stop being available or new things become...

www.thehamsterforum.com

This is our safe and unsafe treats list

Safe and Unsafe Hamster treats

Safe and unsafe treats for Hamsters Chocolate Not good for hamsters Hamsters shouldn't have chocolate - some people think it's harmful or could poison them, but other research says it doesn't poison them. Either way it is better to not give your hamster chocolate as it's not healthy for...

www.thehamsterforum.com

 

[RainbowBrite]

The article linked by a vet is very pro pellets and says seed mix is not enough for a hamster's diet. Perhaps it may be worth pointing that out to people who are new to hamsters that this is not correct advice.

 

[Maz]

Raisins are perfectly fine and safe, and just like fruits, have good sugars in them that are fine even for diabetic species.

I don't agree with the idea of "good sugars" for diabetic prone species.

I notice at the bottom of the Onario Club link it says more or less the same as our information - "As rodents, there are very few foods which are a hard no. Essentially they can eat just about anything humans can, but with some exceptions."

Which is why our information says - most foods are fine except for the following.

 

[Maz]

The article linked by a vet is very pro pellets and says seed mix is not enough for a hamster's diet. Perhaps it may be worth pointing that out to people who are new to hamsters that this is not correct advice.

Yes vets often say that! The link was purely regarding the safe fruit and veg information. PDSA site also still says pellet food is best. I think vets are more concerned with correct nutrients if owners are inexperienced, than variety. There is a separate post about hamster mixes.

 

[Maz]

Good food mixes are listed here. If someone did solely feed science selective, it wouldn't be the end of the world,. providing they provided other opportunities for foraging. And some owners use science selective if there are health issues. Not all pellet mixes are good though (just as not all muesli mixes are good).

Currently available Hamster mixes

Like many other things, different brands of hamster mix have become harder to come by since the pandemic. Zooplus in particular, no longer sell the Bunny Dream mixes for Dwarf and Syrian hamsters (they don't ship to the Uk anyway). I now get these from ebay or Vetsend who stock them. Current...

www.thehamsterforum.com

 

[Maz]

When I read the study, they did an experiment with 35 hamsters. For me, this is not a big enough study to determine if garlic and onion is safe. I am also assuming the study was done on Syrian hamsters too.

I missed that bit Rainbow. Do you have the link? Or is it a section of the Ontario hamster club page? No 35 hamsters isn't a lot and for research to be conclusive, it depends a) what species of hamster and b) whether those hamsters are all closely related. ie if they are all litters from the same parents they may carry a specific gene or two that another hamster may not have. This was one of the criticisms of the experiment into deep bedding and bar chewing. The hamsters were all directly related and some are more prone to bar chewing than others. Ie they may have a genetic predisposition to a certain temperament.

 

[RainbowBrite]

I missed that bit Rainbow. Do you have the link? Or is it a section of the Ontario hamster club page? No 35 hamsters isn't a lot and for research to be conclusive, it depends a) what species of hamster and b) whether those hamsters are all closely related. ie if they are all litters from the same parents they may carry a specific gene or two that another hamster may not have. This was one of the criticisms of the experiment into deep bedding and bar chewing. The hamsters were all directly related and some are more prone to bar chewing than others.

It was on the OHC website. The annoying thing about any hamster trials is, they never say which species of hamster was in the trial. I then just assume it will be Syrians.