Can Hamsters Eat Avocados? Hamsters are cute little pocket pets that love to nibble on anything they can find. But, unfortunately, since they have a very delicate stomach, you need to pay a lot of attention to the foods and snacks you feed them.
There are certain fruits and veggies that may not be safe for their little bodies. Due to this, you need to conduct research before introducing new foods into your diet. Talking of foods, avocados may seem like a good option, but can hamsters eat avocados? Let’s find out.
Yes! Your hamster can eat avocados. Avocados are very rich in nutrients and contain essential vitamins and minerals. However, they have a high number of fats, calories, and fibers, which is a red flag for your little hamster. This means you can only feed your hamster avocados in small amounts and not too often.
Here’s a detailed insight into how safe avocados are for your hamsters, how to feed them, and what your furry pet can get from eating avocados!
Are Avocados Safe For Our Hamsters?
Technically, avocados are not toxic to your pet hamsters, and they are considered safe for them. Avocados are highly nutritious and can provide your pet friend with a vast number of vitamins, minerals, and so much more –thus improving the overall health of your pet!
However, this is partially true. You may worsen your pet’s health and expose your little hamster to health complications if you often feed them avocados. The number of calories and fats in avocados is way too high for the little body of your pet.
They contain over a whopping 160 calories in a 100 gram serving. Ideally, it may not be considered much for us. But, for hamsters, it is way above their daily allowed limits.
As long as you feed your pet avocados in moderation and not regularly, there is nothing that you should be worried about. It is the overfeeding of avocados that will increase the risks of health complications in your pet friend.
Can You Feed Avocados To Your Hamster?
Yes, you can! You need to consider just two things when feeding avocados to your hamster.
- When introducing your hamster to new foods, you should always start slow. Give your hamster a small amount and see if he or she likes it. If your pet likes eating avocados, well and good. If they do not like eating it, you’re better off feeding your pet other foods.
- After your pet is done nibbling through the avocado, you need to observe your pet for the next couple of hours. If you see any adverse effects, such as diarrhea and general discomfort, you need to stop feeding your pet avocados. If not, you can add them to your pet’s routine diet.
How To Give Your Hamster Avocado?
For starters, before feeding your pet avocado, there are certain prerequisites that you need to consider.
- Wash the avocados thoroughly. This will allow you to remove the pesticide residue from them, which otherwise would make your pet sick if ingested.
- After cleaning the avocado, you need to cook it. Make sure not to add any additives such as spices or salt. Avocadoes need to be cooked without other ingredients mixed with them.
Before you go ahead and feed your pet avocado, you need to pet him or her. Since treats improve your bonding and connection with your hamster, petting it is a great idea.
Afterwards, start by giving a small amount of the avocado to your furry friend. See if your pet nibbles it completely or just takes a small bite and turns its head away.
If your pet likes it, he/she will likely continue to nibble on it. If, however, your pet does not like it, there is no reason to force the fruit onto them.
How Much Avocado Should You Feed Your Hamster?
When it comes to the serving size of an avocado, it depends on what breed your hamster is. The serving size is typically dependent on the body weight and size of your pet. Larger breeds can have avocado in larger quantities, whereas smaller hamsters can have it in tiny amounts.
Here’s an insight into how much avocado you should feed your pet:
5 Health Benefits Of Avocados For Hamsters:
Avocado is filled with essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fats, and proteins! Here are some major health benefits of feeding avocados to your pet hamster.
1. Improves The Blood Condition:
Avocados are a rich source of vitamin K. It is responsible for improving the quality of blood in your pet hamster, thus allowing for a better circulation of blood in their bodies. This keeps your pet active, jolly, and healthier!
2. Provides A Boost To The Immune System Of Your Pet:
Avocados contain a decent amount of Vitamin C. It is known to improve the immune system of your pet hamster and allows it to fight off diseases more efficiently. This helps keep your hamster protected against a number of health complications.
3. Regulates The Blood Pressure:
When fed in the right amounts, avocado can greatly help in maintaining the blood pressure levels of your pet. A regulated blood pressure ensures your pet is not exposed to any heart complications.
4. Serves As An Active Source Of Energy:
Hamsters might appear small, but they need a fair share of energy to stay active and playful. Feeding them avocados can help provide them all the energy it needs for its day to day activities. This allows your pet to go about its activities without getting tired.
5. Improved Eye And Skin Health:
Avocadoes are rich in Vitamin E. It plays a significant role in improving the eyesight of your pet friend. The vitamin E content in avocadoes also provides a boost to the skin health of your pet, which deteriorates over time.
Risks Of Avocados – Reasons To Avoid Overfeeding:
There are many benefits of feeding your pet avocados. However, do not let this distract you from the fact that there is only a small amount of avocados your pet can have.
If you overfeed avocados to your hamster, there are a number of things that can go wrong.
Can Hamsters Eat Avocados? Here’s an insight into the risks associated with avocados:
Obesity
Feeding too many avocados to your pet will provide them with an excess of nutrients, including a high number of calories and fats.
This poses a severe threat to their physical health and leads to issues like obesity. An obese hamster will end up with heart complications, lower energy levels and inactivity.
Choking Hazard:
The skin and the stone part of the avocado is a choking hazard for your pet hamster. Your hamster can choke on these parts and end up with suffocation.
Due to this, you need to pay attention to the serving size of the avocado and keep an eye out on your pet when he/she is nibbling on it.
Dental Complications:
Since hamsters store food in their cheek pouches, it is more likely that the avocado can harm your pet’s teeth. The flesh part of the avocado can get stuck in your pet’s teeth, leading to issues like tooth decay.
14 Healthy Alternatives Of Avocados:
Avocados are generally a good addition to your pet’s diet. However, if you’re looking for other options, here are some healthy alternatives for avocados that you can consider.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Types Of Avocados Can My Hamster Eat?
The only type of avocado considered safe for your pet hamster is a fresh and raw avocado. Feeding your pet packaged or processed avocados is strictly not recommended. Similarly, avocados prepared with additives such as spices and salt are also not safe for your pet hamster.
Can Hamsters Eat Avocado Seeds?
Stirctly not! Hamsters cannot eat the seed part of an avocado. They pose a severe choking hazard to your pet and is certainly not worth the risk.
Can Hamsters Eat Avocado Leaves?
No, we should not feed avocado leaves to our Hamsters. These leaves contain a vast amount of persin, which is harmful to our Hamsters. Consumption of excess amount of persin can lead to food poisoning in our little ones.
Can Hamsters Eat Avocado Oil?
Since avocado oil is made of avocado, you might assume that hamsters can eat avocado. Well, that is not the case here. Hamsters cannot eat avocado oil, and you should only stick to the actual fruit part.
Can Hamsters Eat Avocado Skin?
Avocado skin comprises of a harmful element known as persin. It is not safe for your pet hamster and should be avoided at all costs. Besides this, the skin part of the avocado has a relatively rougher texture. Due to this, it is difficult for their stomachs to process it.
Can Hamsters Eat Avocado Pit?
No, hamsters cannot eat avocado pit. The avocado pit is bigger in size and has a typically tougher construction. They cannot be digested by your little hamster. It also poses a choking hazard to your pet, so it is strictly not recommended for your pet.
Can Hamsters Eat Raw Avocados?
Yes, in fact, raw avocados are preferred for your pet hamster. As long as you prepare them with no additives, they pose no threat to your pet hamster.
Conclusion – Can Hamsters Eat Avocados?
Can hamsters eat avocados? Of course, yes! As long as you keep the serving sizes small, it will serve as a beneficial food for your pet hamster. It can provide your pet with enormous health benefits such as improved blood health, heart health, skin and eye health, and an enhanced immune system.
When feeding your pet avocados, you need to wash them thoroughly prior to cooking them. In addition to this, you also need to make sure you stick to the actual fruit and avoid feeding them the seed or the leaves part.