Like all animals, hamsters definitely need protein supplements, which are found in food purchased at pet stores. But we must not forget that an ordinary egg is very healthy. This is a well-known and accessible source of protein. The rodent body accepts it well. Is it possible to give hamsters eggs and which ones, boiled or raw, whole or separately the white and yolk, chicken or quail? Let's consider all the options.
Can a hamster eat meat?
For normal development of hamsters, their diet must include protein. Its origin can be either plant, for example from legumes, or animal, from meat or eggs.
Hamsters can be given 1-2 times a week, but not more often:
- chicken – lean breast does not contain much cholesterol and is easier to digest;
- beef – helps strengthen the immune system and is an excellent prevention of vitamin deficiency;
- Beef liver is a dietary product with a high content of beneficial microelements and vitamins;
- beef heart - recommended for rehabilitation after illness, as it helps improve blood composition.
Meat should not be given without preliminary heat treatment, that is, raw, since it may contain various pathogenic bacteria and parasites. The product should be low-fat, well boiled without any spices or salt.
Fatty meats such as pork, lamb or lard are best avoided as their consumption will fatten the hamster's liver and heart. Also, it is strictly forbidden to give fried, smoked or dry-cured foods.
Product Features
Eggs contain elements that have a beneficial effect on the health and condition of the body. They contain the following components:
- Proteins.
- Squirrels.
- Vitamins of groups A, E, D, K.
- Carbohydrates.
- Minerals (potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, etc.).
All these components are easily absorbed in the human and animal body. They have beneficial properties and charge you with the necessary energy. Hamsters can be given eggs in moderation.
The egg consists of white and yolk. The first element contains 90% water. The remaining 10% consists of proteins, glucose, vitamins, and enzymes. The yolk consists of organic substances - fats, minerals, vitamins. The yolk is the most useful element. It has a beneficial effect on the growth, health, and development of the hamster. It is recommended to feed the animal with both components.
Do not doubt whether hamsters can have a boiled egg. As a supplement to food, it is necessary.
The product helps strengthen bones, normalize the functioning of the liver and digestive organs. Has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and the course of pregnancy. Helps prevent the development of tumors.
Fish and shrimp
Fish, shrimp, cod liver are dietary products with a high content of non-fatty acids, vitamins and microelements. Such food will also be useful for the small body of a hamster, as it will provide the pet with everything necessary for the normal functioning of all vital systems and strengthen the immune system. These products also cannot be consumed raw; they must be pre-boiled. You should not give crab sticks, as they contain many harmful additives.
Shrimp and fish are very allergenic products; introduce them into your diet with caution!
It is recommended to add fish oil to the diet no more than one drop per week, since exceeding the norm leads to stool upset. This product will make the fur softer, silkier and shiny.
Should I add Djungarian and Syrian hamsters to my diet?
Both Djungarian and Syrian hamsters can be given eggs in the same quantities as other rodents. It is also useful for them. They just wish they could eat it.
We remind you that buy this product in stores with a proven reputation to avoid feeding with low-quality, contaminated or expired products.
R.S. If your pet refuses to eat eggs, then to replenish the body with the necessary vitamins, you must give boiled chicken and low-fat cottage cheese.
How to give eggs to hamsters
Eggs are a perfectly balanced product containing many vitamins, proteins, minerals and easily digestible proteins. They are excellent for the diet of hamsters and serve as good material for the normal development of their body. You can give both the white and the yolk; the white contains carbohydrates, glucose, vitamins, and all kinds of enzymes. The yolk is rich in fats, iron, calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium and other microminerals.
Eggs often contain salmonella; infection can be prevented by boiling them well, although hamsters will happily eat untreated eggs. The raw product should not be given to sick animals with weakened immune systems or a compromised digestive system. Therefore, heat treatment can be neglected only in cases where the owner is one hundred percent sure that there is no salmonella, pathogenic bacteria or viruses, but it is better not to risk it.
Hamsters (regardless of breed) can be given food other than chicken eggs. It is recommended to give preference to quail eggs, since they contain many times more vitamins, potassium, iron, copper, cobalt, nicotinic acid and other nutrients. In addition, they contain approximately the same amount of vitamin D and polyunsaturated acids as in fish oil and are less likely to cause allergic reactions.
Eggs can be added to a rodent’s diet in pure form in pieces or by making a special egg mixture. It is prepared from finely grated eggs, carrots, apples, cereals or dry food.
In terms of their nutritional value, eggs are as useful as meat, fish, and dairy products, but you must adhere to a special feeding regimen - no more than 2 times a week. Must be included in the diet of pregnant or lactating females. A chicken egg is given half or 2/3 white and 1/3 yolk, a quail egg - half. If the hamster doesn’t like the treat, don’t insist and force-feed it, but try replacing the eggs with low-fat cottage cheese or low-fat boiled chicken.
Is heat treatment necessary?
Is it possible to give a hamster a boiled egg or is it better to eat a raw egg? You can feed your pet both raw and boiled. But it is worth remembering that it is better to consume it after heat treatment to avoid salmonella infection. Salmonellosis is a serious disease not only for humans, but also for hamsters.
It is contraindicated to give raw eggs to animals weakened by disease and rodents with digestive problems. Therefore, without heat treatment, you can give them only if you are 100% sure that the bird that carries them is healthy.
And if you don’t want to risk the life and health of your pet, then you need to cook them. After all, the bacterium dies at a temperature of 55–75 °C.
Feijoa
Can a hamster eat feijoa, you ask? Although this is a very healthy fruit with a huge content of vitamins and minerals, we should not forget that it is exotic. And you can give it at your own peril and risk. Feijoa contains a lot of iodine and sugars, and feeding it to a hamster in large quantities can lead to excess iodine in a small body. This fruit should not be fed to animals prone to diabetes. In addition, like all other exotic fruits, feijoa can cause allergies, and feeding an unripe fruit can lead to poisoning.
Let's draw conclusions. Careless owners of small pets give their hamsters everything they can, thinking that one piece will do nothing for them. And then they don’t know how to help their tiny pets who suffer from stomach pain or die in agony, because the owner decided to pamper him with something new. Unfortunately, there are many cases of hamsters being poisoned by overseas fruits. Therefore, experienced hamster breeders and breeders strongly do not recommend feeding them to rodents.
In any case, the decision on what to feed and how to care for your animal remains only with the hamster owner. You can ask your veterinarian or breeder for their opinion on this matter. But if you still decide to give your rodent an exotic fruit, then feed it a very tiny piece. If the rodent shows no signs of illness, is active and has a good appetite, you can occasionally offer the hamster a small piece of exotic food.
Wild field hamsters in their natural habitat are omnivores; they feed on almost any plant food that comes their way. Domestic hamsters living with people do not have this opportunity. Their diet completely depends on the owner, who often offers them what he eats himself, for example, all kinds of fruits and berries. The vitamins and various microelements contained in these fruits are undoubtedly beneficial. But is it possible to pamper a hamster with them, and won’t this cause irreparable harm?
- Can hamsters eat fruit?
- Banana and banana chips
- Apple and pear
- Watermelon and melon
- Apricot, peach and nectarine
- Citrus fruits (oranges, tangerines and lemons)
- Tropical fruits (exotic)
- Dried fruits
- What berries can you give?
- What berries should you not feed?
- Finally
Can hamsters have watermelon or melon?
The negative impact of some melons on the body of rodents is extremely high, so giving watermelon and melon to hamsters is strictly prohibited.
Both products consist almost entirely of water, so eating them can cause severe diarrhea for hamsters. In addition, when growing them, various chemicals are often used, which can lead to serious poisoning or even death of a small pet.
Scientists have concluded that it is best to offer hamsters dried melon and watermelon. You can do the same with watermelon and melon seeds, which must be thoroughly washed and dried before feeding. True, all these treats are allowed to be given in very small doses.
What berries can you give?
Juicy seasonal berries should undoubtedly be present in a hamster's diet, because they are a rich source of a wide range of vitamins and minerals. Eating them helps keep the immune system in order; you are allowed to treat:
- wild forest rowan;
- blackberries;
- strawberries;
- blueberries;
- cranberries;
- strawberries;
- white and red currants.
In very limited quantities, the hamster is occasionally given the following berries:
- lingonberries;
- blueberries;
- chokeberry;
- ripe unsweetened grapes (seedless);
- pitted cherries and cherries;
- raspberries;
- gooseberry;
- black currants.
Useful properties and composition
Bird eggs are one of the most easily digestible and nutritious foods, the benefits of which for the body of small rodents are undoubted. A product that contains various protein compounds, protein, vitamins of several groups, enzymes and carbohydrates, when consumed in moderation, allows you to:
- strengthen bones;
- normalize liver function;
- help the nervous system function well;
- promote proper fetal development in pregnant women;
- avoid the appearance of tumors.
Such a wonderful product will only help your pet feel cheerful and healthy, so giving your hamster a boiled egg is necessary. The yolk is the most useful part for the baby, but you shouldn’t give up the white either.
The product should only be purchased from reliable places. You also need to carefully monitor the expiration date so as not to poison the baby.
Chicken or quail
Quail eggs contain even more nutrients than chicken eggs. They have greater nutritional value, restore the immunity of an organism weakened by disease, help strengthen blood vessels, and are hypoallergenic.
Their only drawback is the price, which is higher than that of chicken ones. However, if you are ready to give your pet the best, rest assured that this food will suit him.
How to give water to a dzhungarik
Water is necessary for the full life of any organism, and the Djungarians are no exception (even though they originally lived in dry steppes and deserts). The fluid that your hamster gets from vegetables and fruits is sometimes not enough.
Especially in hot weather, he may experience extreme thirst. For drinking, it is better to purchase a drip drinker, so your pet will have round-the-clock access to liquid. It is better to take purified water, as boiled water or just from a tap can be too hard.
The need for heat treatment
Before feeding hamsters with proteins and yolks, it is recommended to carry out heat treatment. Raw eggs may contain substances, bacteria, and viruses that are dangerous to the animal. For example, salmonella is the causative agent of a serious disease. Heat treatment can be neglected only if you are completely sure that there are no diseases in the bird. Eggs purchased in stores must be processed.
Forbidden food
When feeding hamsters at home, you should avoid the following foods:
- Syrov.
- Cabbages.
- Of bread.
- Fruits of exotic origin and citrus fruits.
- Sausage products.
- Sweet food.
It is better to avoid feeding your rodent dandelions. Their stems and foliage contain milky sap, which provokes irritation of the animal’s pouches.
Hot, spicy and fatty foods should not be allowed in the diet.
Coconut
Can hamsters have coconut? Coconut is very high in calories and contains a lot of fiber, vitamins, macro- and microelements. There is practically no information on feeding rodents with this product, and therefore for coconut you need to apply the rule - if you are not sure, then it is better not to give it. But from coconut shells you can make a house for a hamster or a feeder for grain food.
Avocado
Can hamsters have avocados? Another exotic fruit, the consumption of which is not advisable for a hamster. Despite its rich vitamin and mineral composition, avocado is very high in calories and can cause an allergic reaction. But back, as in the case of kiwi and mango, this product is on the list of permitted in foreign countries.
You should not feed your hamster an avocado seed, because it contains toxic substances that can not only provoke allergies, but also cause severe poisoning.
