Can Hamsters Eat Walnuts?

It is so much fun for pet owners to watch their little hamsters nibbling and enjoying their food and treats. When it comes to nuts, there are a few nuts which are safe for your hamsters, while there are a few which are very toxic for them. When it comes to walnuts, you might be wondering ‘can hamsters eat walnuts’? The answer is yes, hamsters can eat walnuts.

The main thing to keep in mind when feeding walnuts to your little hamsters is the quantity of the nuts you are feeding them. Here is everything you need to know about feeding walnuts to your hamsters.

Syrian hamsters are basically desert hamsters. These hamsters are giant and robust and can digest some amount of fats, like the ones which walnuts contain. You can give our Syrian hamster one walnut just once a week, as too much of these fatty nuts can lead to obesity and diabetes in your hamsters.

Campbell’s Dwarf hamsters are a smaller species of hamsters which cannot digest the fat content in walnuts. While there is no such harm if you give your dwarf hamster just one walnut very occasionally, it is best to avoid feeding walnuts to your Campbell’s dwarf hamsters altogether.

Winter whites dwarf hamsters are also another species of dwarf hamsters which cannot digest too much fat or salt in their diets. These hamsters are very susceptible to developing diabetes and obesity, so it is best that you don’t feed them walnuts at all.

Robowski hamsters are another species of desert hamsters. Due to their larger size and stronger digestive systems, these hamsters can eat walnuts occasionally as a treat. You can give your Robowski hamsters one walnut once a week only.

Chinese hamsters are another species of tiny, dwarf hamsters. These hamsters cannot digest the fat and salt content in walnuts, so it is best that you do not feed any walnuts to your Chinese hamsters.

There are several kinds of hamsters which still survive in the wild in places all over the world. These hamsters are scavengers and basically, have an omnivorous diet. In the wild, these hamsters survive on a diet of fruits, wild berries, vegetables, leaves, stalks, nuts, seeds, and grains. However, every once in a while, these wild hamsters will also snack on small insects, frogs, and even lizards, if they can get their hands on them!

Domestic hamsters have a far more balanced and nutritious diet, depending on how their owners feed them. You should keep your pet hamsters on a healthy, balanced diet of exceptional hamster food which you will find in pet stores. Along with this, you can also give your hamsters the occasional safe foods as treats. These include little chopped up pieces of fruits, vegetables, and berries. They can even eat leaves, plants, seeds, nuts, and grains.

What are the health benefits of feeding walnuts to your hamsters?

If you are careful about the number of walnuts you are feeding your hamsters, it can be a delicious and nutritious treat for your little pets. Walnuts contain calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, manganese, and Vitamin A and K.

Calcium is obviously high for your little hamsters for strong and healthy bones and joints. Other than that, calcium can also help in preventing diabetes, high blood pressure, and also against certain types of cancers.

Phosphorous is also an excellent ingredient for building strong and healthy bones for your hamsters. However, phosphorus also helps to develop, maintain, and also repair the tissues and cells in your hamster’s body.

Magnesium is essential for bone health and proper bone formation for your hamsters. It also helps in preventing diabetes and maintaining good heart health in your hamsters.

Manganese is a potent antioxidant, which means that it helps your hamsters destroy the harmful free radicals which their body creates. By destroying these harmful free radicals, your hamster is healthier, has a robust immune system, and can ward off diseases easily.

Vitamin A is also a potent antioxidant and is thus vital for your little hamsters. By eating walnuts in moderation, your hamsters get their healthy dose of antioxidants, which is great for their body.

Finally, the Vitamin K present in walnuts is perfect for bone metabolism and in regulating the blood calcium level in your hamster’s body.

What are the risks of hamsters eating walnuts?

Even though walnuts have so many amazing nutritional properties, it is not healthy for your hamsters as a part of their regular diet. The reason is that walnuts contain a lot of fats which are not suitable for your hamsters. Since hamsters are already prone to developing diabetes and obesity, the fat content in walnuts can be quite harmful to them.

Can hamsters eat walnut shells?

Well, hamsters technically do not eat the walnut shells. However, they do enjoy cracking open the walnut shells and getting to the real treatment in the middle. You can give the walnut with their shell to your hamsters, as it is a fun game for them to open the shells themselves and finally eat the walnut.

Can hamsters eat roasted and salted walnuts?

No, hamsters cannot eat roasted or salted walnuts. As for roasted walnuts, many of the nutritional benefits of the walnuts disappear as soon as you bake them. And hamsters cannot digest too much salt, simply because of how tiny they are. If you have to feed walnuts to your hamsters, make sure they are the unsalted, raw, and organic variety only.

How many walnuts can hamsters eat?

As for your Syrian and Robowski hamsters, you can give them one walnut once a week. However, you should altogether avoid feeding walnuts to your Campbell’s dwarf hamster, Winter whites dwarf hamster and Chinese hamsters.

Conclusion

As long as you give them walnuts in moderation, they can be an excellent treat for your Syrian and Robowski hamsters. However, avoid feeding walnuts to your dwarf hamsters, simply because of the high-fat content in walnuts. As you already know, your hamsters are very susceptible to developing diabetes and obesity, so it is best to feed them these treats in moderation, or not at all.

Keep your hamsters on a healthy diet of exceptional hamster food and give them these treats occasionally only.