Ready Steady Cook for Hamsters

[elliottreed]

I thought i'd put a little post about Hamster food, as there has always been speculation on hamster mix and health problems and that certain ingredients in the general mix can lead to early deaths in several ways.

Anyway, thought i'd post a list of foods that are also safe for hamster's to eat and are good for a balanced hammy diet!

Remember that sugar should be avoided with Campbell's dwarves as they are prone to diabetes so no fruits, corn, peas or carrots for them or anything containing alot of sugars. All new foods should be introduced slowly to avoid upsetting the hamster's stomach and/or causing diarrhea. A good way to introduce them is to give a piece of fruit/veggie one day skip a day or two then give them another piece of fruit/veggie skip a day or two etc. once their systems get used to that amount you can slowly add on more days. Don't go overboard with it though.I'd say two a day is the max it should go. That 2 daily being one fruit/veggie and one protein/other food. Make sure you rinse the fruits and vegetables off with water and let them sit at room temp for a min or two before giving them to the hamster(s). If anything is gotten from outside you need to be absolutely positive that there are no pesticides on or around it. If you're not sure on that it's best to stay away from wild plants/veggies/fruits.
Fruits

• Apple (seedless)
• Banana
• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Cantaloupe.
• Cherries
• Cranberries
• Grapes(seedless)
• Lychee
• Mango
• Melon
• Peaches (no stone)
• Plums (no pits)
• Raspberries
• Raspberry Leaves (helpful for diarrhea)
• Strawberries

Veggies

• Asparagus
• Bean Sprouts
• Bok Choy
• Broccoli
• Cabbage (Limited amounts)
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Chard
• Chestnuts
• Chickweed
• Chicory
• Clover
• Corn on the Cob
• Cucumbers
• Dandelion Leaves
• Endive
• Green Beans
• Kale
• Parsnips
• Peas
• Radicchio
• Romaine Lettuce
• Spinach
• Squash
• Sweet Potatoes
• Sweet bell Peppers
• Swiss Chard
• Turnip
• Water Chestnuts
• Water Cress
• Zucchini

Meats and Proteins foods

• Cooked Ground Beef (Rinse well in hot water to remove any grease)
• Cooked Chicken or Turkey (Steamed or baked)
• Low Fat Cottage Cheese
• Fish Cod (Cooked removing bones and skin)
• Grasshoppers (Pet Shop)
• Mealworms (Pet Shop)
• Crickets (Pet Shop)
• Bread(whole grain no white bread) soaked in milk ( Low Fat, Skim, Soy)
• Eggs ( boiled or scrambled)
• Plain Tofu
• Plain Low Fat Yogurt
• Dog Biscuits (No Garlic, onion, or onion powder)
• Monkey Chow
• Lab Blocks

Other foods

• Buckwheat
• Baby Food(low sugar and no onion or garlic)
• Cheese (mild cheeses in moderation)
• Cooked Plain Brown Rice
• Cooked Pasta(Wheat or Spinach would be better)
• Dry toast(Also helpful for diarrhea
• Flax seed
• Low or Sugarless Cereals
• Pumpkin Seeds (unsalted)
• Nuts (No almonds)
• Sesame Seeds
• Soybeans(Roasted no salt)
• Squash seeds
• Lentils
• Oatmeal(dry or soaked in skim, soy or lowfat milk)
• Nutritional Yeast
• Bran and Wheat Germ (Refrigerated goes bad fast)
• Peanuts (unsalted)
• Alfafa
• Unsalted Popcorn (no butter)

Foods To Avoid

• Almonds (Contains Cyanic Acid)
• Apple Seeds
• Canned food
• Chocolate
• Candies
• Chips and Junk food
• Pork Products
• Potatoes (Raw)
• Raw Kidney Beans
• Eggplant
• Fool's Parsley
• Grape Seeds
• Avocado (Contains Cardiac Glycosides)
• Raw Rhubarb
• Tomato leaves
• Oranges or Tangerines(no citrus fruits)
• No watermelon (the water content is high causes diarrhea)
• Cherry Stone
• Peach Stone & Leaves
• Apricot Stone
• Lemon or Lime
• Jams and jellies
• Spices
• Garlic
• Onions
• Leeks
• Scallions
• Chives
• Pickles

[xXFooFooLaFluffXx]

very informative post elliot well done

[Boothy]

great post, my hamsters are gonna love some of that stuff

[cazzie]

Very helpful

i never knew they were allowed crickets? i knew about meats but never thought about crickets

[elliottreed]

hehe thanks guys

it's suprising
if you think about it every animal and being needs a varied diet
and it's not suprising regular hamster mix isn't too great !!

you'll have to post here what you try in your "mix"
xxx

[emma_fyfe]

tried crickets with syrian hamsters before and they loved it, they seemed to go round biting the heads off them all lol

[elliottreed]

haha it's very good for exercise too and boredom busting !!
try it with live in a plastic tank/exo terra.. so much fun for them
xxx

[elliottreed]

could someone perhaps sticky this? would like to see some use out of it
xxx