Can Hamsters Eat Apricots?

You will often see your little hamsters looking longingly at the food you are munching on, and you might wonder if you can feed some to your hamsters. If you are wondering ‘can hamsters eat apricots? Then you should know; yes! Hamsters can eat apricots.

However, your little hamster pets digestive system is very different from that of people, so you need to be really careful about what and how much you feed them. Here is everything you need to know about feeding your hamsters apricots.

Syrian hamsters are a larger, more robust species of hamsters with a stronger digestive system. If you are wondering if you can give your Syrian hamsters apricots, then the answer is yes! However, since apricots are delightful fruits, you should give them a small, dime-sized piece of apricot just once a week.

Campbell’s’ Dwarf hamsters, unlike Syrian hamsters, are quite small, with weaker digestive systems. It is best not to feed apricots to this species of hamster. However, you can give them a tiny, paw-sized piece of the fruit just once every two to three weeks.

Winter white dwarf hamsters are the same, and you can give them a tiny piece of apricot just to see if they like it or not. If possible, avoid feeding them too much of this fruit due to its high sugar content, since these hamsters are very susceptible to developing diabetes and obesity.

Roborovski hamsters are similar to Syrian hamsters. You can feed these hamsters a small piece of apricot, about a quarter teaspoon serving just once in a week and not more!

As for Chinese hamsters, they are also a kind of dwarf hamster species. You should avoid feeding them too much of this sweet fruit since you don’t want to risk your little pet developing diabetes or obesity. A small, paw-sized portion of apricot once every two or three weeks if fine for your dwarf hamster.

Hamsters are still found in the wild in several countries all over the world. In the wild, these hamsters are scavengers and hunt for their food. They mostly survive on a mixed diet of berries, fruits, and vegetables, grains, nuts, and seeds. However, if they can get their hands on it, hamsters will also eat insects, small frogs, and lizards.

Your pet hamsters are best kept on a healthy, balanced diet of exceptional hamster food. Of course, just for a change of taste, you can give your little hamsters some kinds of fruits and vegetables, nuts and grains too. It is vital that you know what sort of foods you can feed your hamster so that you don’t end up overfeeding your hamster or causing any health risks to them.

What are the health benefits of feeding apricots to your hamster?

Apricots are low in calories, high in fibers, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Feeding your hamster the occasional apricot treat can be very beneficial for their health.

Since apricots are high in fibers, the fruit is excellent for your hamsters’ digestive health and gut. If your hamsters are suffering from constipation or dehydration, a tiny piece of apricot can help them have a healthy bowel movement once again.

Vitamin A in apricots is excellent for your hamsters’ eye health. A tiny piece of apricot every once in a while can help your hamsters enjoy good eyesight and prevent dry eyes and blurry vision.

Vitamin C in apricots is an excellent source of antioxidants. Adding the occasional apricot in your hamsters’ diet can help your hamsters immunity, making them stronger and healthier. It also helps remove the free radicles from their body, which helps in eliminating toxins as well.

What are the health risks of feeding apricots to your hamster?

The most significant risk of feeding apricots to your little hamsters is the fact that apricots have high sugar content in them. Since you already know that your hamsters are susceptible to developing diseases like diabetes and obesity, it is best that you do not give too many apricots to your hamster pets.

You will notice that your hamsters have a habit of hoarding away foods in their cheek pockets and around their cages. The apricots can rot and cause significant problems for your hamsters so you will need to clean out the cage regularly carefully.

Can you feed dried apricot to your hamster?

While there are many dried fruits that you can safely feed your hamsters, when it comes to dried apricots, you should absolutely keep your hamsters away from them!

The reason behind this is because dried apricots are very sugary, sweet, and extremely sticky. Your hamsters have a habit of storing food in their cheek pockets. However, they do not produce much saliva in the cheek pockets. The sticky, sugary dried apricot can get stuck in their cheek pockets and even rot, causing a lot of problems for your little pet.

Is it okay for hamsters to eat apricot seeds and leaves?

Apricot seeds are way too large for anyone to eat, so when you feed little pieces of apricot to your hamsters, be sure to always remove the seed first before giving it to your furry friends. As for the apricot leaves, you can try and feed a little piece to your hamster to see if they enjoy it or not. However, be sure to wash the sheets very well before giving it to them so that you can remove away any chemicals or pesticides.

How much apricot can you feed your hamsters?

Your Syrian hamsters and Roborovski hamsters are more giant and more robust. You can give them a dime sized piece of apricot once every week, but do not feed them anymore!

Dwarf hamsters are best not given apricots since they are very sugary fruits. However, if you have to, you can feed a tiny, paw-sized amount of apricot to your dwarf hamster just once every two or three weeks.

Conclusion – Can hamsters eat apricots?

When it comes to apricots, you have to be very careful as to how much you are feeding your hamsters. It is best not to feed apricots to your Dwarf hamsters. Overfeeding apricots to your hamsters can cause them to develop diabetes and obesity. It is best to feed your hamsters with a healthy mix of exceptional hamster food and occasional fruits and vegetables.