Can hamsters eat pretzels? Pretzels, the soft, salty baked snacks, are your favorite, but what about hamsters? You can enjoy a handful of pretzels while watching TV, but can you give these delicious pretzels treat to your hamster partner?
Can hamsters eat pretzels? Yes, they can! Hamsters love pretzels just like humans love fries, but pretzels are not recommended for their health.
Pretzels are not very toxic, but they are generally not preferred for hamsters. Want to know why? Then keep reading the blog.
Why Are Pretzels Not Good For Hamsters?
Humans can eat pretzels, but why should hamsters avoid them? Here are the reasons:
- Rich in carbs
Pretzels are rich in carbohydrates but contain a less or insignificant portion of vitamins and proteins. High-carb diet will cause poor metabolic processes, teeth problems, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and type II diabetes in hamsters.
- High salt content
Pretzels are salty snacks. Excessive salt will cause high blood pressure, kidney problems, and other gastrointestinal manifestations such as diarrhea, vomiting, and oral infections.
Feeding hamsters with too many pretzels can also lead to neurological symptoms such as shivering and seizure in some breeds.
- Cheese
The main ingredient of pretzels is sugar, salt, mustard, and cheese. Some hamsters can eat cheese, while others are lactose intolerant; hence pretzels are not a good option.
They will develop diarrhea, vomiting, or sometimes constipation if they eat pretzels. Moreover, cheese is rich in sodium, leading to high blood pressure and heart diseases in hamsters.
- Choking hazards
Pretzels come in a variety of forms, from hard to soft ones. Hamsters’ stomachs are so tiny that eating hard pretzels can cause choking hazards.
Short-Term Consequences Of Eating Pretzels
If your hamster consumes pretzels once or twice, then it will impose the following short-term consequences:
- Dehydration
If your hamster consumes more than one pretzel at a time, it will immediately experience dehydration. Hamsters need to drink a lot of water to quench their thirst. Drinking too much water will upset their stomach.
- Electrolyte imbalance
Eating large quantities of pretzel also disturb electrolyte balance in the body of hamsters. Electrolyte imbalance is vital to maintain water levels in the body.
Impairment in the normal balance of electrolytes will cause the nervous system to become dysfunctional.
Do You Know?
Hamsters can eat a variety of foods, we have researched lots of them. Check out this One: Can Hamsters Eat Turkey?
How Often Can We Give Pretzel To Hamsters?
Can hamsters eat pretzels? Yes, they can, but we should not make pretzels a part of their regular diet as junk food.
They would love it and want to have it more, but we cannot risk our little partner’s health. So what we can do is give them pretzel treats occasionally but before offering them pretzels, take care of the following things:
- Make sure that your hamster is not lactose intolerant.
- Some breeds of hamsters do not like pretzels, so observe their behavior while giving them pretzel treats.
- The safe amount of pretzels for hamsters depends on age. Do not give pretzels to baby hamsters. A little bit of pretzels once a month is sufficient for adult ones. If you provide too many pretzels, it will damage your buddy’s health.
Alternatives Of Pretzels For Hamsters?
Can hamsters eat pretzels? This query has been answered. So let’s discover more beneficial food or snack that can be fed to hamsters in place of pretzels. Here is the list of some alternative snacks:
- Strawberries
- Grapes
- Apple
- Peaches
- Peas
- Watermelon
- Vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, and spinach
- Sweet potatoes (remove the skin of the potato before giving it to hamsters)
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
What To Do If Your Hamsters Consumes Too Many Pretzels?
If your hamsters eat pretzels once or twice, you should give them lots of water to compensate for dehydration.
Clean the water pot daily and refill it daily with chlorine-free water. If hamsters consume excessive pretzels, immediately consult a vet for a check-up.
Most of the time, they vomit after overeating, but if the hamster is not vomiting, give him plenty of water and observe their stool for some days.
If the stool is abnormal or there are some behavioral changes, ask your vet to find the best solution.
Final Thoughts
Can hamsters eat pretzels? Technically, yes, but under strict supervision. However, they are not recommended because their ingredients pose a greater risk to hamsters’ overall health.
Please give them a lot of water to compensate for the adverse effects of dehydration. Use fruits, leafy vegetables, and seeds as snack alternatives for pretzels.
Beware if the hamsters eat excessive pretzels; immediately get him to the vet; otherwise, his condition will worsen.
