Can Hamsters Eat Walnuts?
Crispy, crunchy, and downright delicious, many people enjoy cracking open a walnut and popping it into their mouth. But can you share your adoration for walnuts with your pet hamster? Are walnuts safe for your rodent to consume?
Fortunately, the quick answer is yes. Your hamster can safely eat a walnut. However, you should know the proper way to feed a walnut to your hamster and the possible threats of her consuming this type of nut.
Read on to find out everything you need to know about walnuts and hamsters!
Are Walnuts Safe for Hamsters to Eat?
Yes, your hamster can safely eat walnuts! She may even find it quite a tempting treat. However, you should only feed your hamster walnuts in moderation, not as a daily component of her diet.
Additionally, when feeding a walnut to your hamster, ensure that it does not have added salt, any type of sweetener, or extra ingredients, including honey. The walnut your pet eats must be completely natural.
Healthy Hamster Diets
While hamsters are omnivores and enjoy eating a variety of nuts, walnuts should not be a large component in her diet. A good hamster diet consists of commercial hamster pellets, Timothy hay, and small helpings of fruits and veggies. You should only give a walnut to your hamster as the occasional treat.
Walnut Health Benefits
Walnuts contain really good nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, manganese, magnesium, vitamin a and vitamin k. Calcium quantity is a bit high for hamsters but it also helps in keeping the bones strong and healthy.
Apart from that it also helps in preventing diabetes, high blood pressure, and also some types of cancers. Phosphorus is also really good for keeping your bones strong and healthy. And also, it helps to develop, maintain, and repair the tissues and cells in the hamster’s body.
Magnesium is good for proper bone formation and it also helps in preventing diabetes and also helps in maintaining good heart health of your hamster. Manganese is an antioxidant that means that whatever harmful radicals the body creates it helps in destroying those harmful radicals from your body. And by destroying them the body becomes healthier, has a good immune system, and can ward off diseases easily.
Vitamin a is also an antioxidant very necessary for your hamster so if you give them walnut in moderation you will provide a boost to their immune system. Vitamin K is good for bone metabolism and for regulating blood calcium levels of your hamster’s body.
What are the Risks of Feeding Walnuts to Your Hamster?
Walnuts contain high amounts of fat. If your hamster regularly eats walnuts, she can quickly become obese or develop diabetes. The salt in walnuts can cause kidney damage. Additionally, never feed your hamster walnut butter. This product is high in fat and other ingredients that can harm your pet.
Other possible risks include digestive issues, choking, and malnutrition.
How to Feed Your Hamster Walnuts?
Always feed your hamster walnuts in moderation. This equates to one or two walnuts per week, depending upon the size of your hamster. You should never roast the nut as this removes vital nutrients. Also, steer clear of salted walnuts and only feed your hamster natural ones.
You can leave the shell on if your hamster is fully grown. She may even enjoy cracking open the shell to find the treat inside.
Tasty Walnut Alternatives for Hamsters
Other yummy alternatives you can safely offer to your hamster include:
- Pecans
- Peanuts
- Hazelnuts
- Sunflower seeds
- Pistachios
- Cashews
- Pine nuts
- Pumpkin seeds
All of these options must not be salted, sweetened, or seasoned in any way. Aim to get them as plain as possible.
Conclusion
Yes, you can safely feed walnuts to your hamster. However, it must be done in moderation. One to two walnuts per week is best. The walnuts should not be salted or seasoned.
Your hammie will enjoy cracking open the walnut shell to reveal the tasty treat inside. For her, it’ll be like unwrapping a holiday present.
For more general questions about feeding your hamster, add a comment below to let us know!
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