Not all dwarf hamster food is equal
Dwarf hamster food usually comes in the form of hamster mixes but the occasional fresh food is also fine. However, not all fresh food can be fed to dwarf hamsters as they may be toxic. Different species of dwarf hamsters also have different food requirements. For example, Russian dwarf hamsters such as Winter Whites and Campbells are not able to eat many fresh fruit because fruit are mostly high sugar and these hamsters get diabetes easily. Some people prefer not to feed their Russian dwarves fruit because they think it may cause diabetes. Roborovskis, on the other hand, can enjoy a seedless grape now and then (like my hamster in the photo ^_^)
Some food is toxic for hamsters and pets
And then there are the foods that are toxic or unhealthy for all types of hamsters. The obvious ones are human junk food like potato chips, chocolate, and candy. But there are also food that are seemingly harmless but are still very bad for your hamster. For example, Avocadoes contain a substance that can cause heart failure in pets when eaten in large quantities. Bitter almonds contain cyanide which can be highly toxic to small pets.
Dwarf hamster safe food list
To help you pick the right dwarf hamster food, here’s a list of food for dwarf hamsters that are safe. Unlike other lists on the internet, I have 1) checked that they are safe from various sources12 2) given these food to my hamsters and can confirm that they are safe. I will update the list as I find more food. If a food is not on the list and you would like me to check, please leave a comment below!
Important: Please feed these food in moderation. They should never be used to replace a hamster food mix or pellet
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Grains, seeds and nuts:
- Barley
- Cashew
- Flaxseed
- Millet
- Oats
- Peanut
- Pumpkin seed
- Quinoa
- Sesame seed
- Sunflower seed
- Walnut
Vegetables:
- Asparagus
- Basil
- Bean sprouts
- Bell pepper
- Broccoli
- Carrot
- Celery
- Choy sum
- Cooked potato
- Corn
- Cucumber
- Green bean
- Kale
- Okra (a.k.a ladies’ fingers)
- Spinach
- Watercress
- Wheatgrass
Others:
- Brown rice pasta
- Boiled egg
- Mealworm (yikes, but they love it)
- Grasshopper
- Crickets
- Cooked plain salmon
- Cooked plain chicken
- Tofu
- Yogurt
Fruits
You may notice that I didn’t include any fruit. That’s because most fruit is high in sugar and bad for Russian dwarves which get diabetes easily. This is why I think some fruits are okay for diabetic or diabetes-prone hamsters. Don’t give these to your winter white, campbell’s, hybrid, or Chinese hamsters if you’re worried.
- Apple (without seeds)
- Banana
- Blackberry
- Blueberry
- Cantaloupe
- Coconut
- Cherry
- Grape (without seeds)
- Guava
- Honeydew
- Lychee
- Papaya
- Peach (without pit)
- Pear
- Plum (without pit)
- Starfruit
- Strawberry
Once again, if there is anything that’s not on the list but you would like me to check, please leave a comment below. Thank you for reading!
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References and further reading: