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Hamsters are our little furry pets with huge cheek pouches and large front teeth. These small rodents are quite picky when it comes to their feeding, and their diet consists of commercial hamster food and hay; but, can hamsters eat oranges? While these fruits have numerous benefits to humans, hamsters can’t eat oranges since they have no nutritional benefit to them — frankly put, hamsters shouldn’t eat oranges.
Are Oranges Good for Hamsters?
Oranges are a rich source of healthy fiber, vitamins and minerals essential for repairing old body cells and offering other nutritional benefits in people. In contrast, they are very acidic to hamsters. The excess acid can cause severe stomach upsets to these small pets.
Similarly, the high acidity has the potential of causing teeth decay and other serious oral health problems for a hamster. In the worst case, it can lead to diabetes for the small rodent, particularly the dwarf hamster since they’re highly prone to diabetes.
Therefore, the list of citrus fruits to keep off your hamster’s diet include oranges, pomelo, grapefruits, tangerines, lemons and limes. The list also includes other sugary fruits and bites. Doing so ensures better health and lifespan for the hamster.
Do Hamsters Like Oranges?
Giving your pet hamster oranges is a straight no; therefore, whether they like them or not isn’t helpful in any way since we’ve seen the negative sides these fruits have on them. Considering that oranges can cause life-threatening ailments for a hamster, it would be best to steer clear of them in your pet’s diet.
Instead of feeding a hamster citrus fruits, try other alternatives, such as vegetables, to enhance the variety in their diet and promote better health.
Are Orange Peels and Seeds Good for Hamsters?
While fresh oranges are hazardous to hamsters, dried peels are not harmful. You can feed them with dried peels as a chewing treat. Drying is essential to get rid of acidity. However, caution is necessary to avoid over-feeding the hamster.
Although the dried peels are good for a hamster, ensure it doesn’t eat the peels completely. The only good part for consumption is the white fibrous pith on the peels. Once done, you should collect the peels and dispose of them to avoid the hamster eating the outer covering.
In addition, the seeds aren’t safe since they can block the digestive tract and have dire stomach-related consequences. Hamsters tend to chew on stuff to control the overgrowing of their teeth, therefore, it would be ideal to put some safe and chewable items in their cage. These could be coconut shells, hay cubes, and hamster toys.
Do You Know?
Hamsters can eat a variety of foods, we have researched lots of them. Check out this One: Can Hamsters Eat Cucumber?
What Happens If a Hamster Eats Oranges?
Oranges contain high levels of acidity, which can cause harm to a hamster’s digestive system. Continued consumption will result in the deterioration of health. You can know your hamster has ingested oranges when it starts to diarrhea and having distress.
Therefore, as a precaution, avoid feeding hamsters oranges, whether occasionally or in small quantities. Instead, you can offer your hamster alternative fruits, such as plums, cherries, or grapes. However, you need to remove the seeds first.
Hamster’s correct diet should entail fresh, clean water daily. It would be best to rinse their drinking bottle regularly before refilling. Also, serve them with fresh Timothy hay for gnawing purposes to prevent them from needing to chew on orange peels.
When feeding them vegetables, ensure you serve them tiny amounts enough for one nibbling session. If you give your hamster extra, it could hoard the food into its bedding. Therefore, like with the dried orange peels, clear the excess vegetables to prevent mold growth that is harmful to your hamster.
Are Oranges Safe for Your Hamster?
A straight answer here is — No. The acidity levels in oranges have the potential of causing both digestive and dental problems, not forgetting diabetes due to the high sugar content. If you follow a balanced diet when feeding your pet, it’ll obtain all its essential nutrients from the food, and there’ll be no need to feed it oranges.
