Pet owners often think of giving their pet new treats. There are numerous fruits and veggies in the world, it can get tricky. If you’re looking for a new treat, you can go with blueberries. But, can hamsters eat blueberries?
The simple answer is yes! Your hamsters can eat blueberries. Blueberries are rich in different antioxidants which are very beneficial for the overall health of your hamster. Due to this, they can be a great addition to your furry friend’s diet.
Blueberries are important for humans as well. Research shows that eating blueberries can actually result in a boost in your memory. Feeding blueberries to your pet will make him or her healthy and active.
Can Hamsters Eat Blueberries? Do They Get Any Benefit From Them?
Blueberries are purple-blue fruits that can be tempting to your pet hamster. They are packed with many nutrients that are beneficial for the healthy development of your pet hamster.
Blueberries are composed of:
- A significant amount of carbs
- Proteins
- Fats
- Water
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin K
- Dietary fibers.
They are rich in antioxidants and vitamins, making them an awesome choice for your furry hamster.
Blueberries contain many beneficial health nutrients. Feeding them to your pet as part of a balanced diet will keep your hamster healthy and physically active.
But that’s not all. You should know that blueberries are acidic and they have a high concentration of sugar. Overfeeding them can adversely affect the health of your furry friend.
You should make sure to serve your hamster blueberries as a side treat and not as a major diet.
Everyone knows how awesome blueberries are for the dessert. The same goes for your pet hamster as well. He or she will love to have a go at them. Whether it is served as a cherry on top or served as an individual treat, your pet hamster will absolutely love them.
Hey! no need to grab a bowl to get blueberries for your hamster just yet. Make sure you read the article to the end.
There are still a lot of questions that pet owners have in mind when it comes to feeding your pet blueberries.
1) Can Hamsters Eat Dried Blueberries?
Dried blueberries look almost similar to raisins. You cannot feed your hamster’s dried blueberries.
This is because all the water content is removed in the dried blueberries and only the sugar content is left in them. This is certainly not suitable for your hamster’s health.
In addition to this, because of the sugar content, they are kind of sticky. Due to this stickiness, your furry friends can have oral issues.
Click here to know which dried fruits you can feed your hamster.
But still, if you want to feed them dried blueberries, you can first give them a very tiny piece and check them for their response. If everything appears normal you can feed a little more. But take care of the amount you are serving him. A tiny piece for us can be a big one for them so make sure you feed them accordingly.
2) How Many Blueberries Can You Feed Your Hamster?
We humans can eat a full bowl of blueberries without any issue. But considering the size of the hamster, you cannot feed them a full bowl.
When it comes to baby hamsters, you cannot feed them any blueberries. They only need their mother’s milk only at that time. However, you can introduce them to berries once they grow a few weeks old.
For adult hamsters, a single large blueberry or two small ones will suffice. Do not exceed this limit no matter what.
Your cute little furry friends require very little care. But you have to take important care of their diet. They are dependent on you. Make sure to slowly introduce any new treats to them.
This is due to the fact that sudden diet changes can cause problems like diarrhea and indigestion.
If your hamster is already eating fruits, then it’s all good. Just give him a large blueberry to enjoy. But if it is your pet’s first time eating blueberry, then make sure you pick the smallest one.
Or you can cut it in half and feed the small portion to your pet. In this way, they can enjoy it and they won’t consume that much sugar at a time.
Once you feed them the small portion, they will beg you to feed them more. But don’t let that distract you from the fact that they can only be fed in moderation.
Observe them for the next 24 hours for any adverse reaction. Look for signs of abdominal issues or diarrhea. If everything seems fine you can increase the amount a little bit.
Else if you notice anything unusual, stop feeding them further and reach out to your vet immediately.
On a side note, make sure you clean your pet hamster’s cage to avoid your pet from smelling.
3) How Often You Can Feed Blueberries To Your Hamster?
This is the most asked question of all. How many blueberries you can feed to your hamster. Your cute little furry hamster can eat a tiny piece of blueberry or any other fruit only once per day.
Never ever exceed this amount. If you have fed any other fruit to your hamster, you should avoid feeding them blueberries that day.
This will increase their sugar intake for that day which is harmful to them.
Or another thing you can do is to feed your hamster very teeny tiny pieces of both fruits. This will result in a nice little combo for your pet hamster and bring variety to his or her diet.
Let’s dig this a bit more in detail.
4) Things You Need To Consider When Feeding Treats To Hamsters:
If you have given any fruit to your pet hamster before and he is accustomed to it, then it’s perfectly fine to feed him a single blueberry every day.
If you are feeding them other fruit as well, make sure it doesn’t exceed the recommended amount. On the contrary, you can give them both in tiny pieces.
If you have just bought a hamster and have no idea he or she has had anything in the past or not you need to start slow.
What you can do is to feed him a very small piece of fruit once a day. Afterward, keep an out for symptoms such as diarrhea or any other digestive discomfort for the first week.
If everything goes well and there is no issue you can increase the amount. But it should always be fed in moderation.
5) How Can You Feed Blueberries To Your Hamster?
Well, it’s quite simple just follow the steps below.
Step No. 1: Wash the blueberries thoroughly
Whether you purchased them at a store or found them in the field, I would advise you to always wash any fruit prior to feeding it to your cute little friend.
Because you don’t know what’s lurking around it. Also, this will wash away all the dirt and chemicals.
Step No. 2: Feeding it to your little furry hamster
Yes, washing them is the only thing that you need to do. Just cut it into small parts and feed it to your pet. This will help your hamster to eat it with ease without choking on it.
Optional step: Mix it up to cheer their mood
If you want to cheer up their snack time, mix blueberries with another delicious fruit. But try to avoid acidic fruits.
Try feeding your hamsters grapes with blueberries. Your hamster will love you for it.
Nutritional Facts Of Blueberries
Blueberries are rich in important nutrients, minerals, and vitamins. They also contain numerous antioxidants as well. These are beneficial for the overall well-being of your furry friend.
They can also keep your pet energetic and lively as long as you feed them only ripe berries.
Else they will cause trouble for their stomach. Feeding them unripe berries will make prone them to issues like inflammation or intestinal problems.
Now let’s dive into the nutrition content of blueberries.
Blueberries contain the following nutrients per 100 grams of serving.
| 84 Calories | 5 mg Manganese | 1 mg Thiamine | 21 g Carbohydrates | 6 g Dietary Fiber |
| 1 g Protein | Zinc – Trace | Folate – Trace | 5 g Fat | Sugars 15 g |
| Total Carbohydrate 21 g (7 %) | 8 mg Vitamin E | 1 mg Riboflavin | 1 mg Copper | Iron – Trace |
| 6 mcg Vitamin K | 4 mg Vitamin C | Cholesterol 0 mg | 1 mg Vitamin B6 | Magnesium – Trace |
| Phosphorus – Trace | Niacin – Trace |
As you can see from the chart above, there are very few amounts of fats and almost no phosphorous.
Another great thing about blueberries is that there is no presence of oxalic acid in them. Hence, your furry friends are safe from kidney or bladder stones.
But blueberries have a lot of sugar. Due to this, if you feed your furry friend too much of this fruit, it will be bad for your pet’s health.
That is why the best advice the experts can give you is to feed this fruit in moderation.
8 Health Benefits Of Feeding Blueberries To Your Hamsters
Your cute hamster can enjoy blueberries in order to achieve a healthy body structure. Blueberries are packed with important nutrients and minerals that can promote the well-being of your pet.
The nutrients that can improve the health of your furry friend include:
- Vitamin C
- Dietary Fiber
- Minerals and man other vitamins.
You can find a glimpse of the health benefits that your pet will get from blueberries by reading the following section.
1) Vitamin C:
Vitamin C present in blueberries can lower the risk of your pet suffering from the dreadful scurvy disease.
This disease is caused by the deficiency of vitamin C. Vitamin C is the most important vitamin of all. It will boost the immune system of your furry friend. Hence, protecting them from a number of diseases.
Click here to know more about scurvy and some other diseases.
2) Maintain A Healthy Bowel Movement:
Blueberries can facilitate proper bowel movement in your hamster. This is primarily due to the fact that blueberries have high water content and fibers.
3) Helps In Proper Absorption Of Nutrients:
Eating blueberries can promote the proper absorption of nutrients during the digestive process. It can also keep your pet heart-healthy and lower the risk of your pet suffering from any major heart complications.
4) Prevents The Formation Of Stones:
Feeding blueberries to your pet can lower or prevent the formation of stones in the urinary tract or kidneys of your furry friend.
5) Healthy Eyesight:
Feeding blueberries to your pet hamster will allow him or her to have healthy eyesight. It will also promote your pet’s vision to allow him to see his surroundings better.
6) Improved Dental Health:
Blueberries promote proper tooth formation. This will allow your pet to have healthy teeth which leads to your pet hamster eating and chewing foods better.
7) Promotes The Regular Flow Of Blood:
Blueberries regulate the blood flow in your pet hamster.
In general, blueberries act as a barrier to disease. It boosts your pet’s immunity to a great extent, making them safe from numerous diseases that they may be prone to.
8) Antioxidants:
Due to the presence of a number of antioxidants, they are less likely to suffer from many health complications. These include cancer, heart disease, and other physical disorders.
Excess sugar and water in blueberries can take a toll on your hamster’s health. It is important to avoid bad health by giving blueberries as a side treat. You should never feed them as a standalone meal in large quantities.
A high number of blueberries can disturb the normal ratio of calcium and phosphorus in your pet’s body.
4 Risks To Consider Before Feeding Blueberries To Your Hamsters
We all know that everything in this world has pros and cons. There is certainly no doubt blueberries have a number of health advantages.
But feeding your hamsters in excess can cause some serious health issues. Below you can see some of the risks involved in feeding your furry friend blueberries.
1) Diabetes:
We all know that blueberries have a high concentration of sugar in them. If you feed your hamster in excess it will put your pet in severe discomfort. It can cause diabetes in severe cases.
In addition, your hamsters will start eating and drinking more which will in return reduce their lifespan. You should always make sure you do not increase the amount of blueberries from the recommended amount.
2) Obesity:
Eating too many blueberries can lead to obesity. As blueberries contain sugar. When your pet consumes an excess of sugar, it is then converted into fats.
Due to which your hamster will put on some excess weight. It is certainly not healthy for your pet. Obesity can increase your pet’s chances of suffering from a stroke and lower your pet’s overall life span.
3) Choking:
Another thing you have to keep in your mind is that your pet can choke on blueberries. Try to cut the berry into small pieces so that it can fit in your pet’s mount.
This is specifically true for dwarf hamsters. Choking is more common in dwarf hamsters, which is why you should always cut berries into
4) Nutritional Issues:
We all know that hamsters are quite the eaters. They love to eat. They eat whatever you put in front of them. But the thing is they will get full.
If you feed them a lot of blueberries then there will be no space left to eat their primary food. It will result in their nutritional issues.
So, make sure to only occasionally feed them blueberries and focus more on their main diet.
What Is The Correct Diet For Your Hamster?
Wild hamsters eat almost every type of food. We firmly believe that they are on the list when blueberries are available!
You may want to offer the following items to your hamster:
- Clean, fresh water is essential. Provide your pet hamster with unlimited access to fresh water each day.
- Fresh Timothy hay. Just like water, you need to feed your pet hamster fresh timothy hay each day. Not only is it awesome for nibbling, but it is also very good for keeping your hamster happy and well adjusted.
Besides, they can use hay for nesting and tunneling!
- Chewy treats should be available at all times. Without them, your hamster’s teeth will become overgrown and very painful.
- Birdseed is a good source of healthy fat. Your pets enjoy eating it. Offer about a teaspoon per week.
- Provide your pet hamster with small bits of fresh fruit and veggies. A cup would suffice and it can be served as a treat once a day.
We know that hamsters are omnivores. Consider serving them fun protein snacks.
Always remember, blueberries should not make up a large portion of your hamster’s diet. Instead, you will want to provide your hamster small bits that are designed to provide complete nutrition.
Besides hamsters like to stack their leftover food items in their bed. They eat the leftover foods as snacks later when they get hungry.
It is essential to remove these leftovers or uneaten blueberries. This may seem irrational. But it is best if your hamster has fresh veggies or fruits.
As mold can form in stale food and it will put your pet hamster in severe discomfort. It may even get smelly.
Click here to know more about the correct diet of your hamster.
45 Best Alternatives Of Blueberries You Can Feed Your Hamsters
Your cute furry friends love to eat. They will eat almost everything that comes into their contact. They eat a lot of different types of fruits and veggies including Bananas & Strawberries.
Don’t worry you have a number of safe options for you to choose from and treat your furry hamster with.
You can also mix or combine some of these to create a unique flavor. Your hamster will love you for it. Below is a list of 45 safe alternatives of blueberries for your pet hamsters.
| Baby corn | Basil | Cabbage | Artichoke | Asparagus |
| Sweet corn | Parsley | Carrot tops | Potato (cooked only) | Romaine |
| Cilantro | Mint | Carrot | Beets | Beet tops |
| Green beans | Winter squash | Summer squash | Bell pepper | Sprouts |
| Swiss chard | Endive | Spinach | Escarole | Bibb lettuce |
| Pumpkin | Zucchini | Yu Choy | Broccolini | Tomato |
| Bok Choy | Cauliflower | Watercress | Sweet potato | Parsnip |
| Arugula | Rocket | Buttercrunch lettuce | Red lettuce | Cucumber |
| Celery | Broccoli | Okra |
Frequently Asked Questions
1) Will My Hamster Get Sick By Eating Blueberries?
Sadly, Yes, your hamster can only tolerate a certain amount of sugar per day. Unlike other sugary foods, blueberries can cause diarrhea and other digestive discomforts.
Even though the sugar in blueberries is all-natural. It can still make your pet sick if overfed.
Another thing that you need to consider is that a hamster that regularly eats too many berries and other sweet treats is at risk for obesity and diabetes. Both of these health conditions can reduce their life span.
2) Can Hamsters Eat Frozen Blueberries?
Can hamsters enjoy frozen blueberries? The answer is Yes, hamsters can eat frozen blueberries.
Generally speaking, we humans can eat fresh, dried, or frozen blueberries with no issues. You should know that hamsters can also eat frozen blueberries.
But before serving frozen berries to your hamster, you should thaw it first. Once you thaw it, you need to keep it warm at room temperature.
Also, the frozen blueberries lose some of their nutrients as compared to fresh blueberries. But still, frozen ones can add little nutritional value to your hamsters.
Thus, it is advised that you always feed fresh blueberries to your pets and not the frozen ones.
Can Hamsters Eat Blueberries?: Conclusion:
So, to conclude this your hamster can eat blueberries. They are perfectly safe for them. This is a fantastic way to show your love towards them. Adding a little variety to their diet will make them love you back.
Blueberries are full of great nutrients and vitamins which are essential for your hamster. They contain vitamin C and antioxidants which will boost their immune system. This will also protect them from numerous diseases.
Make sure to feed them in moderation and do not exceed the recommended amount. Too much consumption can lead to diarrhea and obesity due to the presence of sugar.