Syrian hamster nutrition. Hamster menu: what foods should you give your fluffy and how many times a day should you feed it? Feeding sick and weakened animals

When we get a pet at home, we must think about how to properly care for it. And this is especially true for nutrition. Therefore, now we will talk about what to feed a hamster at home. After all, how long he will live and whether he will get sick will depend on this. Are you sure you know how vitamins and a routine diet can affect your hamster? If not, you will find the answer below.

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Hamster diet: characteristics

Oddly enough, hamsters are practically omnivores, and will happily eat everything you give them, but this does not mean that you can do this. After all, a number of prohibited foods that a hamster eats include fatty, sweet, fried and smoked foods. Because this can have a bad effect on his health and become almost fatal for the animal. The diet of hamsters must be properly designed and consist only of fresh, natural products, and all because of the animals’ weak stomach. The main foods include cereals such as oats, wheat and buckwheat.

You can also give your pet cooked semolina, oatmeal with milk or water, but only without sugar and butter. This food is especially useful for young hamsters who are not even one and a half months old. Because they not only have weak stomachs, but also young teeth that are not able to chew hard foods. In addition, do not forget about fresh herbs and vegetables, because the rodent loves them so much. Although such products should always be washed and dried.

Also, special attention should be paid to what hamsters eat in winter time of the year. Because during this period the animal may suffer from vitamin deficiency. And to prevent this from happening, it is recommended to germinate oats and wheat as often as possible. This will be right both for them and for your peace of mind regarding their food.

What foods should I give?

Undoubtedly, every owner of such an animal will be faced with the question of what to feed a hamster, that is, which foods can be useful for him and which ones are not. As mentioned earlier, almost all plant foods can be given in their natural state. Be sure to give your hamster a little cereal every day, either naturally or cooked without additives or spices.

Next mandatory item Vegetables and fruits are considered in the diet, especially apples, watermelon, beets, parsley and carrots. After all, it is with these products that the necessary moisture comes into the rodent’s body.

Also, many veterinarians recommend giving the animal dairy products in the form of cottage cheese, milk, yogurt and low-fat cheese. Although it is important to monitor the naturalness of these products.
It is important to pay attention to the nutrition of a pregnant hamster and give her food in the form of chicken egg shells for feeding, from which she consumes all the necessary vitamins and microelements.
Many owners of these babies buy specialized combined foods that contain not only healthy foods, but also additional vitamins. This way, you can save money, and the question of what to feed your hamster disappears.

What vitamins are needed?

In addition to the standard diet of the hamster, you also need to take care of the presence of additional vitamins in it, because they are not always supplied to the body through food, but which he loves so much. And considering that an animal can easily contract a viral or infectious disease, then such supplements are simply necessary. Sometimes food for hamsters contains such microelements, but sometimes you need to give them additionally, and every day.

The main groups of vitamins are considered to be A, E and D, but if they are oil-based, then they should be added to water or dry food no more than once a week and only one drop at a time, and not as much as you want. If we talk about fish oil, then it is also good to add it to food, but you can do this every day, 0.2 g.

You need to think about buying mineral tablets for your pet, which will not only bring benefits, but also sharpen their teeth. And then there will be no need to chew on the cage or pieces of wood. You can also give your rodent a mineralized mixture or a complex of vitamins, but this should only be done in a clearly defined dose. Although it is very difficult to find one, and it all depends on the time of year and the needs of the hamster. After all, few owners still know what to feed their hamster, and what he especially likes to eat every day. Not to mention the obligatory amount of water.

Do not forget that vitamin complexes that are developed for humans should not be given to a hamster, because this is contraindicated and can cause irreparable damage to its body. Indeed, in this case, you can encounter an overdose, which also often happens.

Water is an essential element in a hamster’s menu.

In addition, to be interested in the question of what to feed a hamster, you need to think about the fact that its diet must include plenty of drinking. In addition to absorbing moisture from natural products, you can meet the needs of the animal through plain water, and constantly. It is necessary to change the water once a day by rinsing the drinking bowl. And all because the animal eats mainly dry food. Therefore, you can ease the work of the stomach with the help of water.

If you wish, you can add vitamin C there, purchased at the pharmacy. It is important that water is constantly in the diet, the plate or bottle for storing it is thoroughly cleaned, but without the use of chemical detergents. It is advisable that the water you give your pet is the same as what you drink yourself. Although it is better that it does not come from the tap, but is cleaned of heavy metals and bleach. Hamsters love to drink often, so you shouldn't deny them their desires.

Hamster feeding regimen

Due to the fact that this animal loves to sleep, especially during the daytime, its diet and regime are adjusted precisely to this biorhythm. And feeding can be done once or twice a day. At the same time, you can decide for yourself how the regime will be compiled. For example, in the morning you can give him cereals and heavier foods, and in the evening give him greens and vegetables. By the evening, prepare some kind of treat for him, but only from the list of recommended products.

A separate topic can be considered what hamsters that bear offspring eat. Because a separate diet is prepared for them, including a lot of water. Most often, they are fed more than three times a day, but are evenly distributed according to the load. They should also get more vitamins and nutrients and drink more water than usual.

Remember that a hamster can quickly begin to gain excess weight and this is considered bad sign. In this situation, you need not only to exclude a large amount of food in the form of cereals from the diet, but also add more water to it per day, as well as physical activity, which is undoubtedly correct. It’s difficult to say how long this will last, but this happens often. It’s a good idea to put different ladders or a wheel in the cage.

If we turn to the opinion of foreign experts, they believe that the diet, regime and water supply should be designed in such a way that the animal eats about five times a day, but in small portions. So that the hamster can eat everything at once and not leave anything behind. And this is exactly what is considered correct.

It is necessary to take into account all the most important elements of feeding the animal, which include: regimen, water, vitamins and basic food. Only by paying attention to each of these points can you make your animal’s life full, happy and healthy.

Photo gallery

Video “Care and maintenance of hamsters”

In the video below you will see how to properly care for hamsters, and what diet is optimal for them.

Feeding hamsters is a complex process. Some people think that there is nothing complicated here, which is why they get hamsters, but then they are surprised at the pet’s poor health and its passive behavior. It is important to understand how, what and when to feed hamsters so that they live a more positive and long life. A healthy hamster weighs on average about 200 grams, although much depends on the type of hamster in question.

Remember that hamsters are different from people, they are nocturnal inhabitants, so they prefer to sleep during the day, but in the evening they go out into the world. So it is best to feed hamsters in the evening, by the time they begin to be awake. There is often no point in feeding them - it is harmful for pets. Feed your hamster once a day - that will be enough. If you overfeed them, they will become lazy and fat, causing them to become inactive.

What to feed hamsters.

Variety in the diet of hamsters is very important, so try to help them with this. Feed your hamsters seeds of both cereals and vegetables. However, often such seeds no longer contain the required amount of energy and must be added to the feed. Vitamins are supplied to hamsters from fresh vegetables. So feed your pets carrots, pumpkin, beets and cabbage. Portions should be pet friendly, so don't put whole carrots in the cage. This is especially important if the hamsters have a small cage; these are the cages recommended for hamsters - small and simple with a separate place for sleeping. Give your hamsters greens every day: salads, dandelions, beets, etc. It is important for hamsters to eat fresh greens often. Berries and fruits will also help add vitamins to hamsters in winter, when they are difficult to find or very expensive; fresh vitamins can be replaced with dried fruits. Add some bread to your hamsters' food; plain white bread will do.

What is important to put in the bowl for hamsters.

Don't forget about eating variety, as we already said. Therefore, several times a week you can give hamsters boiled meat, boiled eggs, beetles, etc. All this - little by little, otherwise you will drive the hamsters to obesity. Watch the water carefully, because... Your hamster needs to drink fresh water frequently. If your hamster has gained weight, you can add ginger to his water, which is a great way to burn weight. Add twigs of aspen, rowan, apple, etc. to the cage. Stale bread will also be useful for hamsters - they can sharpen their teeth on it.

And the most important thing is to check the cage for old and spoiled hamster supplies that need to be replaced with new ones. Place fresh food strictly in one place so that the hamster does not get scared or confused, otherwise he may completely traumatize his understanding of the place of food. If you think this is difficult, compare the nutrition of hamsters with the nutrition of dogs, for example, which you can read about in the article “about”.

Everyone knows that a beloved pet does not cause much trouble and eats little.

But it is not enough to provide the hamster with comfort by placing it in a spacious room. Another important component of a full life for this funny animal is proper nutrition.

The material contains all the necessary information about what hamsters eat at home and what diet is most suitable for them.

Nutritional Features

The food must meet all the needs of the hamster. This is quite possible if you take the issue of nutrition seriously and plan your diet correctly.

Important!The main cause of death in domestic hamsters is diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and non-compliance with certain feeding habits.

It is important to provide your hamster with these important components of his short life:

• a complete diet;
• correct diet;
• maintaining food hygiene.

Complete diet

Hamsters belong to the order of rodents, so for a full life, the diet must contain food of plant and animal origin.

In winter, it is important to provide the hamster with a constant supply of hay - it acts as a substitute for fresh greens.
Sometimes hamsters prefer to eat small insects (grasshoppers, locusts, ants and worms), which are rich in calcium and iron. It is advisable to buy this kind of insects only at a pet store.

Diet

Veterinarians advise feeding your hamster twice a day: in the morning and in the evening.

The bulk of the dry food is served in the evening, since the hamster is a crepuscular animal and usually wakes up in the late afternoon.

It is advisable to feed hamsters at the same time. This regime will not lead the hamster to severe hunger and subsequent overeating.

Did you know? A hamster's cheek pouches can hold an amount of food equal to the hamster's weight.

Depending on the age and size, the hamster needs different amounts of food. Relative to its size, the hamster eats a fairly large amount of food. So, the daily food intake should be 80–100% of the hamster’s body weight. The animal's appetite may depend on the breed, personal preferences, and air temperature.

A hamster is a thrifty animal, and its feeder should always contain a sufficient amount of food and various treats.

The hamster's diet should be varied, this will saturate the body with useful substances. So, the optimal diet should consist of:

• from all kinds of cereals: it can be oats, wheat, millet, corn, peas, beans;
• croup: buckwheat, rice, oats, etc.;
• nuts: walnuts, peanuts, cashews, pine nuts;
• seeds: pumpkin, sunflower, watermelon;
• fresh vegetables: pumpkin, carrot;
• berries: currants, cherries (pitted), raspberries, etc.;
• some fruits: apricot, apples, pear, grapes;
• dried fruits: dried apricots, raisins, prunes;
• greenery: clover leaves, plantain leaves, ordinary meadow grass, beet or carrot tops, parsley (in small quantities), dill, lettuce.

Mandatory condition: all these products must be fresh and not spoiled.

Ready food

Special ready-made mixtures developed by veterinarians help to ensure maximum nutritional needs. Such mixtures contain a balanced content of essential microelements and nutrients, taking into account the needs of the hamster.
Finished feed is divided into:

• basic, as daily nutrition;
• feed additives, as additional support for the body at different periods of life;
• food treats, as an incentive supplement to the diet.

You cannot buy feed mixtures intended for other animals, despite the fact that the base in them is almost the same. When mixing, various (vitamin and non-vitamin) additives may be added that are not suitable for the hamster’s body.

Important! Ready-made feed mixtures may contain ethoxyquin, a preservative to increase shelf life, which can cause poisoning and illness in hamsters.

The most reliable and safe way to make sure that your hamster is eating the “right food” is to prepare the mixture yourself, which is quite easy to do at home. To do this, mix cereals that are healthy for the hamster, add nuts and dried fruits. For example: 20 g oats, 10 g wheat, 5 g sprouted wheat, 3 g pumpkin seeds, 2 g sunflower seeds, 10 g dried fruits, 10 g walnuts, 5 g hazelnuts.

As a result, there is not too much finished feed, which will prevent it from deteriorating and becoming stale.

During the season of fresh vegetables, before feeding the hamster, you can add a few small pieces of carrots and zucchini to this mixture. In addition, a sprig of greenery would be useful.

Porridge

It is useful to add ready-made porridges to the menu: buckwheat, oatmeal, wheat. They are prepared (or steamed) only in water, with the addition of a small amount of vegetable oil.

Such porridges are very useful and necessary for cubs and young hamsters with not yet strong incisors.

Cereals and legumes

Of all the grains, oats, barley and buckwheat are considered the most healthy.

Thus, oats and barley are rich in vitamins, micro- and macroelements, and buckwheat is healthy due to the protein and minerals it contains.

There is no need to give your hamster rice - all the useful components in the rice are removed during processing, and what remains after processing contains mainly only starch. It will not bring any benefit to the hamster.

The best legumes are young peas, lentils, chickpeas, and green beans. They are rich in potassium, phosphorus, carotene, iron and contain vitamin C.

Hamsters love sunflower seeds and often eat only them. Therefore, try to give them in small quantities so that the hamster has a need to eat other food.

Did you know?Stocks of seeds and grains in hamsters natural conditions can reach 90 kg.

In the total diet, grains and legumes should make up at least 30%.

Nuts

It is advisable to give nuts in limited quantities. This is a high-calorie product, and to prevent your pet from gaining excess weight, you should not abuse them. In nutrition, they should act as a delicacy.

Nuts such as walnuts, peanuts, hazelnuts, and cashews should be present in the diet on an ongoing basis as a storehouse of protein and beneficial elements for the hamster’s body. It is necessary to give nuts already peeled so that the hamster does not injure its cheek pouches.

Milk

Hamsters love milk. It contains the necessary liquid and highly digestible protein. It contains many vitamins and minerals necessary for the hamster’s body. Milk contains sugar in small quantities, so it should be given no more than twice a month to be beneficial. You can soak a small piece of stale bread in milk and serve it to your hamster as a reward treat.

Kefir is allowed from fermented milk products, but not more than 1% fat content.

Meat

Once a week you can add a small amount of meat to your diet. Boiled will be good for your hamster chicken breast, boiled beef heart and liver. These products will affect good view fur. From meat to hamsters you can't give pork, it will lead to serious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

The main condition when feeding meat is to feed a small amount that the hamster can consume at a time, without any leftovers.

Pasta and bakery products

Oddly enough, hamsters love to eat cooked pasta. They should be served in limited quantities, only boiled, without adding salt, much less any spices.

Periodically (very rarely) stale bread is added to the main diet.

The thing is that hamsters eat bread with pleasure, but it is prepared on the basis of yeast, which also leads to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Vegetables and fruits

Vegetables and fruits should be present in the diet on an ongoing basis. These are cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, potatoes and many others growing in the garden.

Vegetables can be raw or cooked. The only prohibition is no cold or frozen vegetables and fruits.

Also, you should not give your hamster spoiled or stale food, otherwise the animal may get sick.

Important! When stocking up on fresh vegetables, the hamster may eat them already spoiled, so it is necessary to monitor your pet’s cage and throw away such “stocks” in a timely manner.

Vitamin complexes

Another important component of a hamster’s complete diet is vitamins. He consumes most of the vitamins with food, but additional support for the hamster’s body will not be superfluous to diseases.

IN winter period If there is a lack of green vegetables in the diet, it is useful to give the hamster sprouted grains (oats, wheat). This will replenish the animal’s body with vitamins.
The most common way is to buy special vitamin complexes in veterinary pharmacies. When buying vitamins of this kind, you should pay attention to their release form. Tablets and powders are considered a convenient form.

Vitamins in the form of granules or rice balls are used as prevention and medicinal properties do not possess.

In addition to vitamin complexes, hamsters need to be fed with minerals. Meat and bone meal is added to the feed as a mineral supplement, but not more than twice a week. When serving, meat and bone meal is mixed with porridge at the rate of 1–3% (young or adult) of the amount of porridge.

Additives to the basic diet include table salt. It is useful in small quantities - at a dosage of 0.02 g for young and 0.05 g for adult hamsters per day.

Water balance

Domestic hamsters cannot replenish their water balance from food, so a sufficient amount of fresh water must always be present in the cage. This is due to the fact that the hamster eats mostly dry food.
The water must be changed every day, thus preventing it from stagnating in the cage. Bad water will harm the hamster's health.

Some veterinarians, as a preventive measure for colds, sometimes recommend pouring chamomile decoction (1 teaspoon per 0.5 cup of water) into the hamster's drinking bowl instead of water. This decoction is suitable for no more than 12 hours.

The hamster's water bowl should be washed every day without using special detergents or using regular baking soda.

Prohibited Products

But not everything is so simple with the diet of hamsters. There are a number of products prohibited for consumption.

Here is a list of things that are not recommended to feed hamsters at home:

• bread;
• cabbage;
• almond;
• sausages;
• sweets;
• Exotic fruits;
• citrus.

It is forbidden to feed food seasoned with salt and spices. Prohibited products also include food that has been heat treatment(implied fried food).

Important! To grind down teeth, you should not give your hamster branches of coniferous trees and cones because of the resins they contain.

Remember: what hamsters eat at home directly affects the quality and length of their life. Carefully following the basic rules healthy eating, you will certainly provide your pet with a long and healthy life.

Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and the care of companion animals. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery. He has been working at the same animal clinic in his hometown for over 20 years.

Number of sources used in this article: . You will find a list of them at the bottom of the page.

Djungarian hamsters are adorable miniature animals measuring only 5–10 cm in length. They are relatively low maintenance, making them excellent family pets. Djungarian hamsters are little furry balls of boundless energy with a very fast metabolism, so it is important to provide them with a well-balanced diet that will keep them happy, healthy and active.

Steps

Part 1

Feed your Djungarian hamster with ready-made commercial food for hamsters. Djungarian hamsters have a similar diet to other hamsters. The main part of your Djungarian hamster's diet should be ready-made commercial food for hamsters, which you can purchase at your nearest pet store. Prepared foods for hamsters can come in the form of granules and grain mixtures, usually consisting of seeds, grains and pieces of ground corn.

EXPERT ADVICE

Vet

Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and the care of companion animals. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery. He has been working at the same animal clinic in his hometown for over 20 years.

Vet

Pippa Elliott, a licensed veterinarian, recommends choosing kibble rather than muesli-like formulas: “Kibbles prevent your hamster from choosing the tastiest but least nutritious morsels in his food. Foods like muesli will only provide a balanced diet for your hamster if he eats it all, rather than leaving less tasty bits in the bowl.”

Give your hamster fresh fruits and vegetables. Vegetables and fruits provide additional nutrients and variety to your hamster's diet. Remember to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly with fresh water to remove any traces of pesticides and other chemicals. Examples of foods that you can feed your Djungarian hamster include asparagus, broccoli, bananas and blueberries.

Include a good source of protein in your Djungarian hamster's diet. Protein is an important nutrient for Djungarian hamsters. Luckily, there are several excellent protein sources you can choose from. For example, fresh, unprocessed sunflower, flax and sesame seeds are quite rich in protein. Another good source of protein is lentils.

Supplement your Djungarian hamster's diet with fiber. Good natural sources of fiber include timothy and alfalfa hay. Your Djungarian hamster may not particularly like hay, but you can offer it in small quantities to test this fact.

Give your hamster solid treats once a week. Hard treats will allow your hamster to wear down his teeth, which is generally good for his oral hygiene. You can provide your hamster with small dog biscuits, ready-made hamster treats, or small branches from fruit trees.

Provide your Djungarian hamster with fresh water. Water for the Djungarian hamster is as important as food. Purchase a drinking bowl for hamsters with a drinking spout in the form of a tube and a ball from your nearest pet store. The ball of such a bowl regulates the flow of water when the hamster drinks from it.

Remember what you should not feed your Djungarian hamster. While there are many types of human food you can feed your hamster, there are some foods that can make your hamster sick and should be excluded from his diet. For example, you should not give your Djungarian hamster certain vegetables and fruits, including tomato greens, raw potatoes and onions. You should also avoid citrus fruits (oranges, lemons) as these fruits are too rich in acid.

Part 2

Feed your Djungarian hamster

1. Choose a suitable food bowl for your Djungarian hamster. A small ceramic food bowl is ideal for your Junkar hamster. If you buy a large bowl, you will increase the likelihood of overfeeding your pet. In addition, large bowls take up a lot of space in the cage. Ceramic bowls are not afraid of being chewed and thus have an advantage over plastic bowls. Scratches on a plastic bowl can encourage bacteria to grow, so using a ceramic bowl reduces the chance of bacteria growing in or on the bowl.

   Feed your hamster at the same time every day. There is currently some debate about when is the best time to feed hamsters: in the morning or in the evening. The advantage of evening feedings is that the hamster will be awake at this time, since he is a nocturnal animal. On the other hand, morning feeding will mean that food will be present in the cage when the hamster periodically wakes up during the day.

   Monitor your hamster's eating habits. The Djungarian hamster's diet should contain a variety of types of food so that it can get everything it needs nutrients in the right quantity. However, your hamster may not like everything you give him. If you notice that he constantly refuses a certain type of food, replace it with something else.

   Don't overfeed your hamster. He only needs one tablespoon of food per day,