Can Hamsters Eat Oreos? Everything You Need To Know
Hamsters are adorable to keep as pets. They’re really sensitive creatures needing external care that begins with their diet. A lot of times, owners ask themselves if it is safe to provide their pet hamsters with certain food. To be precise, a lot of questions about them eating Oreos have been popping up.
So, can hamsters eat Oreos? No, they cannot. Oreos contain an excessive amount of sugar, caffeine, and fat that can be harmful to hamsters health-wise. So if you want to allow them to grow healthier, it’s best if you avoid giving Oreos to your pet hamster!
However, if you want to treat your hamster, there are better and safer options. In this article, I’ll talk about the different foods that you can feed to your hamster, as well as the reason for those you cannot. So let’s check them out!
Can Hamsters Eat Oreos?
![Can Hamsters Eat Oreos](https://caringtinypets.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Can-Hamsters-Eat-Oreos.jpg)
Hamsters are cute little creatures surviving on veggies and other healthy diets. High sugar foods such as chocolates, cookies, and Oreos are toxic and sometimes can be even deadly to their digestive system.
These sugar-plus foods negatively influence their health. It may lead to dangerous diseases such as heart failure, malnutrition, and excessive fat, which can also lead to stroke.
You must be wondering if a hamster can digest cocoa or chocolate. How about vanilla? Will my hamster eat a Vanilla Oreo? Unfortunately, the answer remains the same.
Vanilla Oreos, like chocolate Oreos, have too much fat and sugar in them to be considered safe for hamsters. You shouldn’t give them vanilla Oreos as well.
A hamster has two stomach pockets. The first one is used for storing the food they take for a brief amount of time. The second one is where the digestion process truly begins. There, the food breaks down and nutrients from the food are carried throughout the body.
How Can Oreo Be Harmful?
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An Oreo contains palm oil, corn syrup, cocoa, and eggs as this research suggests. All of which contain high protein, fat, and sugar that cannot be broken down by the digestive system of a hamster. This means after eating an Oreo, the digestive system is blocked and cannot process the food. Which can lead to severe disease and death.
Another research suggests hamsters are allergic to chocolates as a whole. Regardless of Oreo or not, any type of chocolate or cocoa can be deadly for their health. Oreo also contains high concentrated milk fat, which the hamster can’t digest, leading to strokes as well.
Can Hamsters Eat Chocolates?
![Can Hamsters Eat Chocolates](https://caringtinypets.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Can-Hamsters-Eat-Chocolates.jpg)
No. Chocolates contain theobromine, a chemical that hamsters are unable to digest due to their slow metabolism and complex digestive system. This substance can cause diarrhea, loss of appetite, frequent urination, and even death.
If your little furry friend ate a bar of chocolate by any chance, you must seek emergency medical attention.
Many people are unaware of the fact that chocolates can be extremely toxic to hamsters. They end up feeding chocolates and other cocoa products such as Oreos, Nutella, M&Ms, White chocolates, and Chocolate cookies to hamsters, which have been proven to be deadly.
Can Hamsters Eat Gluten-Free Products?
![Can Hamsters Eat Gluten](https://caringtinypets.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Can-Hamsters-Eat-Gluten.jpg)
Gluten-free products aren’t necessarily bad for hamsters. They may survive well with it. But too many gluten-free products can be bad. Gluten products like wheat and barley contain protein and nutrients important for hamsters to grow.
So while they can eat gluten-free foods, it’s still advisable you give them wheat, barley, and bread to ensure they’re getting proper nutrients to survive.
Is It Safe For Hamsters To Consume Dairy Products?
![Is It Safe For Hamsters To Consume Dairy Products](https://caringtinypets.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Is-It-Safe-For-Hamsters-To-Consume-Dairy-Products.jpg)
This is a very tricky question that requires in-depth explanations. Some dairy products are considered high risk for hamsters due to their fat and high lactose. These products are milk, ice cream, chocolates, and high-fat cheese.
However, some dairy products can also be considered beneficial to their health and growth. Products such as low-fat cheese can be given to hamsters as a treat! They love cheese, and cheese contains low sugar, which is also one of the best sources of protein.
You should be careful about this. Too many dairy products can lead to diarrhea because hamsters are lactose tolerant. Here is a research paper detailing how many nutrients hamsters need. If the dairy product has a similar proportion of nutrients noted in the link, it can be given to your pet hamster.
What Is Safe For My Hamster?
![What Is Safe For My Hamster](https://caringtinypets.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/What-Is-Safe-For-My-Hamster.jpg)
If you really want to give treats, you try and create a healthy food diet for hamsters. You are advised to give them apples or other fruits, maybe even carrots, if you like them because hamsters just love them! They can be given as a treat too!
Other than that, you may also try broccoli, blueberries, bananas, and maybe low-fat cheese sometimes as a treat. Maintaining a proper diet for a hamster will ensure growth and development!
FAQs
We covered a lot of topics relating to hamsters eating Oreos in this article. But there are still a few unanswered questions. Let’s dive into them through frequently asked questions.
1. Can I Give My Hamster Ice Cream As A Treat?
It’s better to avoid foods like ice cream, chocolates, and other junk food which contain excessive fat for your hamster’s best interest.
2. What Are Foods That Hamsters Like?
Green leaves and fruits such as cabbage, and apples are the delicacies of hamsters. They love to have them on their diet.
3. If My Hamster Eats A Small Pinch Of Chocolate, Is It Too Harmful?
A small amount may not be as deadly as a whole bite. But it’s still advisable to seek medical attention. If it’s a bar of dark chocolate, it is recommended to seek immediate attention.
Conclusion
It is really cute to have a hamster as a pet. But being so little and fragile, their digestive system is a lot different than ours. They need intensive care and a healthy diet to maintain growth. It is important we feed our pets the proper diet.
And hamsters cannot eat Oreos or cocoa-related products because of their complex digestive system. Thus be cautious of what you’re feeding your pet. But don’t neglect your own health too!