What can your hamsters eat safely is a question that even the most experienced hamster owner cannot answer correctly. Of course, you should offer various food to your hamster, but never without research. Before introducing any new food item to your hamster, you need to ensure that the food item is safe and suitable for your pet hamster. In this article, we will help you to understand whether peanut butter is safe for your hamster.
Yes, peanut butter is safe for hamsters, but only in moderation. Many hamsters love the taste of peanut butter. Adding a tiny bit of peanut butter is the most straightforward process to add protein to your hamster’s diet. Add the peanut butter on the sticks of carrots or wood before giving it to your hamster.
We now know that hamsters can eat peanut butter, however not daily. Too much of anything is not good. Suppose your hamster is consuming more than the required amount of peanut butter at any one time. The peanut butter can become suck inside a hamster cheek pouch. This is because of the peanut butter’s sticky texture. When feeding your hamster, ensure that he or she is not saving it for later. It’s a treat that should be enjoyed in the company of you, so you can check that they are eating it there and then.
How Much Is Peanut Butter Good for Your Hamster?
Offer peanut butter to your hamster as a treat or a snack. Peanut butter should not be on the main daily diet list. However, peanut butter is a good choice if your hamster needs to enhance its protein consumption level. Peanut butter is probably the only food item with good high protein content and is suitable for your hamster. Still, before serving peanut butter as a protein supplement, you should talk to your vet first. Too much protein is not ideal for hamsters. However, most of them stay healthy while they are on a regular diet.
Peanut butter also has a couple of added vitamins, like niacin, Vitamin E, and Vitamin B. Even though these vitamins help the hamsters health, most hamsters do not require an extra dose of vitamins.
The Recommended Amount For A Healthy Adult Hamster
- Amount: once a week, a size similar to the tip of a fingernail or a little fingernail.
The best way to determine the amount of peanut butter you should offer your hamster is to ask your veterinary professionals about it. You can ask about the frequency and the amount of peanut butter you should give to your pet. As a general rule, offer a little bit of peanut butter only once or twice a week. Still, it is always better to ask for the opinion of the vet.
What Type of Peanut Butter Is Safe for Hamsters?
Plain and organic peanut butter is the one you should choose for your hamster. While buying peanut butter, try to find something that only includes the peanuts and nothing else. While plain peanut butter is safe for the hamsters, the variations that contain sugar, palm oil are not entirely safe for your hamster. Added salt in the peanut butter can also create health issues for hamsters as too much sodium is bad for your pet hamster. Also, check whether the peanut butter is separating naturally when kept in the jar. If your peanut butter does not separate naturally, that means they contain additives. Buy the peanut butter that is healthy for you, and it will also be beneficial to your hamster.
Is Crunchy Peanut Butter Hamster Safe for a Hamster?
Yes, the crunchy peanut butter is safe for your hamster. You have to make sure that the crunchy peanut butter does not contain any added salt or sugar. There is not a vast difference between the creamy and the crunchy peanut butter. The added pieces of peanuts should not matter at all.
Benefits of Offering Peanut Butter to Your Hamster
So, if you plan to give your hamster a taste of peanut butter, you should understand the benefit this food item offers. The following benefits of peanut butter will help you to bust the myths and understand the health benefits.
Reducing Weight
Peanut butter is an excellent way to reduce the bodyweight of your hamsters significantly. So, if you do not want your hamster to grow bigger and bigger, you should offer them a bit of peanut butter now and then.
Good for Their Health
The diet of the hamsters should contain 16% protein and 5% fat. The fun thing is that peanut butter has both of these elements. Another fact is that peanut butter can help to improve the immunity system of hamsters. Peanut butter is loaded with potassium and vitamin B6, which can help your hamsters to form muscles. A little dose of peanut butter can solve cardiovascular issues. It also has the power to reduce diabetes significantly.
The Risks
Knowing the benefits of serving peanut butter is a good thing. But that does not mean you should not know the risks of it. One of the most significant risks of giving your hamster peanut butter is allergies. Food allergies among animals are uncommon but not unheard of. Also, if you do not correctly check the ingredient list of the peanut butter, your pet hamster can get significantly ill after consuming it.
Another factor that you should check is whether the peanut butter contains an element named lectin. It is one of the compounds that is associated with health issues like arthritis. Along with that, lectin can also lead to problems, like inflammation.
How to Store the Peanut Butter?
Store the peanut butter in the refrigerator immediately after buying it. You can also keep the peanut butter in a room of moderate temperature. However, if the room has moderate light exposure, the peanut butter may lose its nutritional value. But, before you serve the peanut butter to your pet, make sure to keep the peanut butter out of your fridge until it is warm enough. Too cold peanut butter may create an aversion to this particular item.
Conclusion
All in all, peanut butter is safe for your hamster when you offer it to them in moderation. However, if you feed your hamster a significant amount of peanut butter, it can cause severe health issues, like severe digestive problems, choking, and even death. Always keep in mind that the health of your hamster is in your hands. If you want your hamsters to have a long and happy life, you should keep the peanut butter amount in moderation.
