Can hamsters eat vegetables every day?

Can hamsters eat vegetables every day? 

It’s good to give your hamster a small portion of vegetables every day as the extra vitamins and minerals are good for your hamster as well as the water content in the vegetables. Your hamster would eat a varied diet in the wild, so giving vegetables and fruit, seeds and nuts will balance her diet nicely.  

So can hamsters eat vegetables every day? Yes definitely!

Can hamsters live off of vegetables? 

While hamsters need to eat vegetables, they can’t live on just on vegetables. They are omnivores which means they eat meat, vegetables, fruit, seeds and nuts in the wild. This means they should have food from all these groups every day. Hamsters also need a high protein diet so only giving vegetables means that your hamster won’t get the balanced diet it needs to thrive.  

Can hamsters eat all vegetables? 

While most vegetables are fine for your hamster to eat, there are some that are bad for them and should be left out of their diet completely, some are: 

• Rhubarb leaves 
• Raw rhubarb 
• Raw beans 
• Garlic 
• Raw potatoes 
• Onions.  

Can hamsters eat all vegetables? No, but hamsters can eat vegetables every day, just not the ones in the list.

What food kills hamsters instantly 

To be honest, your hamster is unlikely to die on the spot from any foods, however they can deteriorate very quickly when given the wrong foods or the wrong quantities. The worst foods to give your hamster are sugary and salty foods, foods full of pesticides, high water content food in too large quantities and foods which upset their digestive system like garlic, raw potatoes, raw rhubarb and citrus fruit. 

Can hamsters survive on veggies? 

While your hamster can survive on veggies for quite some time, the lack of a balanced diet will eventually catch up and will make your hamster ill. Only giving vegetables means you giving your hamster an herbivore diet, while he needs an omnivore diet. There’s also the chance that your hamster develops digestive issues due to high water content in vegetables compared to seeds, grains and nuts which your hamster also needs. 

How often should I give my hamster veggies? 

You can give your hamster vegetables every day and it’s good to give different vegetables often so she will get varied diet, green vegetables are the best, so try to include broccoli, spinach, kale and romaine lettuce as often as possible. When growing, pick some dandelion leaves or clover as well as these are organic and full of nutrients, and your hamster will love it too! 

Is it ok to feed a hamster a raw diet? 

A hamster can live on a raw diet, after all that’s what your hamster would eat in the wild. However, in the wild your hamster will search for food in a large area for a long time every night. Pet hamsters are dependent on us and on whether we give them all the foods they need. The reason why hamster pallets are advised is because they have all vitamins and minerals packed into them, so your hamster gets everything he needs every day. If you keep in mind that your hamster is an omnivore and therefore needs all food groups every day and also needs a variety of vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds and nuts as well as some mealworms or crickets, then you will be fine. Don’t give raw rhubarb or  

What happens if I feed my hamster too many vegetables? 

Hamsters can have digestive problems quite easily, especially when given rotten foods, unhealthy foods or foods containing a lot of water. Your hamster can get diarrhea, also known as wet tail which can lead to dehydration quite quickly. This can be deadly for your hamster. While it’s important to give vegetables to your hamster, you shouldn’t give more than 2 teaspoons a day for a syrian hamster or 1 teaspoon a day for a dwarf hamster.  

What can syrian hamsters eat? 

Syrian hamsters can have the same diet as other hamsters; however, you don’t need to be as worried about sweet fruits as with other hamster breeds. Hamster pellets should be the bulk of the diet, with added vegetables, fruit, seeds and nuts. Timothy hay and fresh water are also important.  

What can dwarf hamsters eat? 

Hamster pellets are best to give to your hamster as these will have all vitamins and nutrients your dwarf hamster needs. These are not the muesli-style mixes though. These can be given in addition to the pellets but should not be the bulk of their diet. You can add vegetables, fruit, seeds and nuts to the pellets to give variety and fresh food. As dwarf hamsters are more prone to diabetes, it’s best to give the lesser sweet fruits like apple, pear and cucumber. 

What can I feed my hamster when I run out of food? 

Try to get their normal food as soon as you can, but in the meanwhile you can give your hamster a variety of different vegetables and fruits. You can give some bulk food like rice or cooked potatoes or cooked pasta. Grains should also be a large part of their diet. Plain porridge would be good or some wheat or barley grains. Seeds and nuts are also important but in smaller amounts.  

What human foods can hamsters eat? 

Hamsters can eat most human foods, which are not processed and have no added sugar, salt or additives. This basically means plain vegetables, cooked potatoes and pasta, fruit, most seeds and nuts as well as some cheese occasionally. You can give your hamster vegetables every day.

Can hamsters drink milk? 

After baby hamsters are weaned off their mother milk, it’s best to stick to good quality water for your hamster. While milk doesn’t kill your hamster, it’s not healthy either. If you give your hamster cereals, don’t add milk, your hamster will be quite happy to crunch on the harder cereal. If you are worried about variety for your hamster, then be more creative with her food and give a variety of different vegetables, fruits, seeds and nuts. But for drinking, stick to water. 

What is the hamster’s favorite food? 

Hamsters are quite individual and not all love the same foods, however all love fruits, vegetables and seeds so find out which ones your hamster likes. If you give a little variety in their dinner, like a little hamster salad, you’ll soon find out which they like best, as they will go through the bowl looking for these foods first.  

Which are the best vegetables to give my hamster? 

Green leafy vegetables are the best vegetables to give your hamster. This includes green which we wouldn’t consider eating like dandelion and clover leaves. Human greens to give are spinach, kale and broccoli. Your hamster loves these and they’re really good too.  

Can I feed my hamster every other day? 

If your hamster still has plenty of dry food in their bowl from the day before, you don’t need to replace it or add more. It’s good to check their cage every day to see if the food is not contaminated and to see that there is plenty left. If you need to leave your hamster overnight often, then a food dispenser can be a good solution as you can fill it with enough food for several days.  

Will my hamster store vegetables? 

Hamsters love to store food and vegetables are no exception. To avoid your hamster storing fresh leftovers, remove it every day when you know your hamster has had enough. Fresh vegetables will go off quickly so make sure you remove their store weekly as the bacteria in rotten food can make your hamster ill. Don’t worry about removing the store, your hamster will be creating a new one soon enough.  

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How do I know if my hamster is dehydrated? 

The easiest way to find out if your hamster is dehydrated is to do the skin test. Take some skin between your thumb and forefinger and pull it up slightly. The skin of a hydrated hamster will move back into the starting position immediately. However, if your hamster is dehydrated, the skin will stand up like a tent and stay there. Dehydration is very dangerous for hamsters, so action is needed immediately.  

Will hamsters starve themselves? 

Hamsters don’t starve themselves, even when they don’t like the food they are given, they’ll eventually they get hungry and eat it as they rather eat than starve. However, if your hamster is ill, depressed or stressed, he is unlikely to eat. So, if you notice your hamster not eating, contact your vet as soon as possible, to have your hamster checked out as not all disease (or injury) is always clear to see.  

Do dwarf hamsters bite? 

All hamsters bite when stressed or when they feel they need to defend themselves, therefore it’s important to give your hamster time to acclimatize when they first move into their new home and to give them time to get used to you. Any fast or unexpected movements can also result in a bite. Dwarf hamsters are not as friendly as syrian hamsters but with time and persistence, your dwarf can become a lovely bite free pet.