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If you own a hamster, it can be very funny, but it is also a big responsibility.
Among other things, you have to take care of your hamster’s diet.
You have to be well informed about the foods that your hamster can eat, but you should also know which foods are harmful to your little pet.
Hammies are a pretty hard species to read, so it can be difficult to know if you’re taking good care of them, and unfortunately, a majority of them pass from poor husbandry.
In this article, you will find out more about grass and its impact on a hamster’s health.
Can Hamsters Eat Grass From Outside?
Can hamsters eat Grass? The quick, simple answer is Yes, they can, but only in moderation.
Too much Grass can make your hamster sick, vomit, or give them diarrhea.
Grass from the garden could be contaminated by dangerous chemicals, such as pesticides or other material, harmful for your gentle pet.
So, you can give it grass once in a while and regularly stick to dry food, with several servings of fresh fruit and vegetable.
If you decide to feed it some grass, make sure it is completely free of pesticides and such.
Is Grass Safe For Hamsters?
The grass is safe to feed your hamster, but with a major proviso.
They need to be given in small doses and introduced to your hamster’s diet gradually, to avoid upsetting their digestive system.
However, Grass can become unsafe for your hamster if they are used as a supplement for other vital nutrients that your pet needs in his diet.
Your hamster’s normal mixed grain should contain all of the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. So it is important to keep providing your hamster with this instead of grass.
If you aren’t sure whether your hamster is getting a fully balanced diet, check with your vet so that you can achieve this before introducing any new food.
Let’s look at Grass for hamsters in more detail.
Does Grass Has Any Health Benefit for Hamsters
Large grazing herbivores like cows, deer, and horses—as well as tiny grazing herbivores like rabbits— are able to thrive on diets that consist predominantly of grass.
For people, hamsters, and many other animals, however, the grass is not a useful food source even if it is technically edible.
In the wild, hamsters would probably chew on grass from time to time (it is abundant food, after all), but they would not meet many of their nutritional needs by doing so.
Even though your furry friend should not spend all day chomping on your front lawn, it is possible that they may be able to pull some small benefits from this common yard plant.
The biggest benefit associated with feeding your hamster grass is:
It helps with the elimination of free radicals: Since the grass is rich in several antioxidants, it helps get rid of free radicals which would, in turn, lead to diseases and infection.
This is achieved through the presence of antioxidants among many other nutrients.
Aids in the reduction of cholesterol levels in the body: Cholesterol is a harmful waxy substance that is found in the body of humans and animals.
Hamsters have the potential to suffer from the effects of this substance, and that is why they need protection from it.
The truth is that the body needs cholesterol, but too much of it is harmful.
Grass helps to reduce the chances of cholesterol levels rising in the hamster’s body.
It helps in blood sugar control: Grasses generally lack high sugar levels.
And in some cases, they have minimal to zero sugar in them. When the blood sugar level in hamsters rises, it can lead to death.
Apart from death, some of the other effects of high blood sugar levels include thirst, headache, frequent bowel movement, and tiredness.
When the blood sugar level in hamsters rises, it can lead to death. Apart from death, some of the other effects of high blood sugar levels include thirst, headache, frequent bowel movement, and tiredness.
Are There Some Downsides To grass?
Even though grass and other fibrous foods may be useful weight loss aids, they are pretty useless in terms of nutrition.
Unlike rabbits, hamsters do not have highly developed caecum, which means that most of the nutrition locked inside of grass is unavailable to them.
If your hamster eats large amounts of grass, they will almost certainly develop potentially dangerous nutritional deficiencies—grasses and hays are not nutritionally adequate foods for any type of hamster.
This includes alfalfa hay, which is often used to feed rabbits.
The most immediate danger is contamination. Your front lawn may look pristine, but it may contain trace amounts of dangerous substances, including weed killers, insect spray, and other toxic pollutants.
Consuming any of these chemicals can cause serious, even life-threatening, health problems even in fairly small amounts.
Precautions About Grass
- Avoid grass that is close to busy roads (car fumes can pollute the grass)
- Avoid grass that has been treated with chemicals like herbicides and pesticides.
- Avoid grassy areas with mildew, mold or fungus.
- Avoid grass that many other animals visit daily (cats or dogs). Their feces may spread parasites.
- Don’t let your hamster eat too much fresh grass if they are not used to it.
- Don’t let your pets loose outside on the grassy area. Secure them in a pen or fenced area so you don’t lose them.
- Check for any ticks or fleas they may get from the outdoors.
Best Alternatives To Grass For Hamsters
Because grass might not the best food for hamsters you might be looking for an alternative you can use more regularly.
- Broccoli
- Cucumbers
- Apples
- Kale
- Cherries
