Hamsters are becoming more and more popular as small pets to have. And when you have such a cute pet you often like to give it treats. But sometimes those treats can cause harm and sometimes they are a welcome nutritional boost. Blueberries are one of these treats that people wonder if they can feed to their hamsters. Can hamsters eat blueberries? The short answer is yes, hamsters can eat blueberries. But in moderation. Read on below to find out the details about giving blueberries as a treat to your hamster.
Are Blueberries Good for Hamsters?
Blueberries can provide some great nutritional content to hamsters with a small amount of calories and not much fat. Compared to other common hamster treats that have high amounts of calories and fat, such as chestnuts or pecans, blueberries are high up on the list of treats that are good to give a hamster.
With a lower amount of calories and fat, blueberries can be a great option to use as a treat to give to overweight hamsters. But just like most things, you will only want to give a small amount when your hamster is watching its weight. Lower the amount you would normally give a hamster by 1/2 if you are trying to help your hamster lose weight.
Blueberries can have some beneficial vitamins and minerals for your hamster. According to the USDA, blueberries have Potassium, Vitamin A, some B vitamins, Vitamin C, and Vitamin K.
Can Syrian Hamsters Eat Blueberries?
Yes, Syrian hamsters can eat blueberries.
How Many Blueberries Can a Syrian Hamster Eat?
Up to 2 blueberries per week is how many blueberries you would want to give a Syrian hamster.
Of course, if your Syrian hamster is overweight or has diabetes you would not want to give as much each week, cut the number of blueberries you give as a treat back to 1 a week, and perhaps split that 1 up into 1/2 of a blueberry a couple of days apart.
Can Dwarf Hamsters Eat Blueberries?
Yes, Dwarf hamsters can be given blueberries as a treat. They will need smaller amounts than what larger hamsters such as Syrians are given.
How Many Blueberries Can a Dwarf Hamster Eat?
Since dwarf hamsters are smaller than Syrian hamsters it stands to reason that they would need fewer treats. You would want to only give 1 blueberry per week to a dwarf hamster. A great way to split this up is to give them 1/2 of a blueberry twice a week. This way your dwarf hamster can enjoy its treat multiple times a week.
Are There Risks Feeding Blueberries to Hamsters?
Like anything in life there can be some cautions that go with giving your hamster blueberries as a treat. Too much of a good thing can always have consequences.
The first thing that you want to be cautious about is leaving a blueberry in the cage for too long. If after 12 to 24 hours your hamster hasn’t eaten its blueberry, remove the blueberry from the cage.
Do not feed your hamster blueberries two days in a row. Always give them as a treat spaced apart. If you want to only give this once a week that is a great way to give your little friend a nice treat.
Make sure that you use fresh blueberries that are of good quality. Organic would be best to avoid many of the harshest chemicals that are used on non-organic blueberries.
Always wash the blueberries before you give them to your hamster. Even when using organic blueberries there are still pesticides and other dangerous things that could be on the blueberry, even if it is a natural one.
If the blueberries are very large, cut them up into smaller bite-sized pieces to help your hamster out.
Frequently Asked Questions About Feeding Blueberries to Hamsters
It is not a good idea to give blueberries to baby or juvenile hamsters. Even though blueberries are one of the more healthy treats they still have sugar that would be high for a baby hamster. Also in young hamsters, special treats such as blueberries can cause GI upset even in small amounts.
If using frozen blueberries to give your hamster a treat always make sure to thaw them first before giving them to your hamster.