Is it possible for a hamster to roast seeds

The basis of the diet of a hamster is cereals. However, in addition to grains, the composition of the finished feed often includes seeds. Usually the pet eats them first and with great pleasure. Most often, sunflower seeds are placed in industrial feeds, but not because others are not allowed. They are just the cheapest. At home, you can diversify the menu of the rodent yourself. It remains for the owner to figure out which seeds can be given and which ones are deadly, whether fried seeds can be given to a hamster, in what quantity and how often to give such a delicacy.

Allowed:

• sunflower;
• pumpkin;
• linen;
• melon seeds;
• squash seeds;
• watermelon seeds;
• sesame.

Forbidden: apple, apricot, cherry pits.

Seeds: raw or roasted

The most common and inexpensive are sunflower seeds. But the owner, wanting to pamper his pet with this delicacy, is faced with the fact that it is not so easy to find raw seeds for sale. Everywhere they sell fried ones, which have a richer taste. They are not dangerous for health, but under the influence of high temperature, many vitamins are destroyed. Therefore, raw seeds are much healthier. In this form, hamsters eat them in nature.

You can give hamsters roasted seeds only if oil or salt was not used during roasting. Better if they were just dried in the oven.

Experienced hamster breeders use raw seeds for sprouting. Sprouts are useful for rodents. Most often, sunflower and flax seeds are taken for this purpose.

Seeds as medicine

Hamsters are given pumpkin seeds not only as a treat, but also as a mild anthelmintic. Only raw seeds containing cucurbitin will be effective against parasites. A good alternative to over-the-counter anthelmintics, which can be toxic to tiny rodents. Zucchini seeds are similar to pumpkin seeds in composition, they are also detrimental to parasites, and stocking them is not difficult.

Flaxseed normalizes bowel activity, prevents constipation, makes the skin shiny and healthy. This effect gives a high content of fiber and omega-3 and 6 fatty acids. Sesame seeds have a similar effect. However, both flax and sesame are given little by little, as a medicine, due to their high fat content. And only in its raw form, heat-treated sesame loses its beneficial properties.

Watermelon seeds: the subject of controversy

Since the pulp and peels are contraindicated for small pets, the owners doubt whether hamsters can have watermelon seeds. In vain, because the pulp is dangerous due to excess water and sugar, and the peels accumulate poisonous nitrates. Seeds can be given if they are washed and dried beforehand. Melon seeds are also prepared so that they are not sweet.

Possible harm to seeds:

high calorie content

If you pour purchased food into the feeder, you will notice that the hamster eats the seeds first of all, and with great appetite. If you give such a nutritious product without restriction, it will lead to obesity. A fat hamster has a short lifespan and can suffer from diabetes and other diseases.

excess fat

Sunflower seeds are half fat, and the rest of the seeds contain a lot of oil. With excessive use, the rodent’s liver can not withstand the load, which shortens the life of the pet.

husk

In industrial feeds, all the seeds are unpeeled, so it never occurs to the owner to shell the seeds before giving them to the hamster. The process of cracking the shell is an additional entertainment for a rodent bored in a cage. On large seeds, the hamster grinds its teeth. It would seem that there is only one benefit from the husk.

However, much depends on the type of animal. For dwarf individuals, the husk threatens with trouble: melon seeds, pumpkins are so large that they can get stuck when trying to stuff them into the cheek pouches. The peel of sunflowers can injure the cheek pouches with a sharp edge, leading to inflammation and abscesses.

Therefore, it is better to give Djungarian hamsters peeled seeds, or strictly by the piece, so that the animal eats the delicacy right away, and does not try to stock up for future use. Hamster attempts to stuff another seed into a stuffed mouth look funny, but such entertainment is dangerous for a pet. Do not let dwarf hamsters get to a whole handful of delicacy. You can fill the cheek pouches to a dangerous limit with almost any seeds, even watermelon.

Forbidden Seeds

It would be a big mistake to assume that the hamster eats everything, and he can be given any food. The owner may give the rodent a deadly treat by accident. We are talking about seeds, or rather, bones containing hydrocyanic acid.

Cherries, sweet cherries, apricots, apples, plums – allowing a hamster to eat juicy fruits, you must definitely remove the seeds from them. These fruits contain amygdalin in the bone, a glycoside that turns into dangerous hydrocyanic acid in the body. This is what gives almonds their characteristic bitter taste.

In rodents, the metabolism is many times faster than in humans, and the body weight is incommensurably less. Therefore, the smallest dose of poison is dangerous for the animal, which a person will not even notice. Apricot kernels are the most dangerous – they have the highest content of hydrocyanic acid, and besides, they are sold in a peeled form, as a cheap substitute for almonds.

Neither almonds nor apricot kernels should be given to a pet!

Apple seeds are insidious: few people know about hydrocyanic acid and consider them a useful product, a source of iodine. There is really little amygdalin in apple seeds – three times less than in apricots. But risking your pet’s health by allowing him to eat the core of an apple is not worth it.

Conclusion

Seeds are not food, but a delicacy. In order for them to bring only benefit to the hamster, you should give them correctly:

• Not every day (2-3 times a week).
• Little by little. The amount depends on the size and age of the animal. So, a young Syrian can be given 5-6 sunflower seeds, and an elderly Dzhungar is enough for one or two.
• Provide exercise.

Seeds can be used to encourage and train your pet, because hamsters love them. It is also a good bait in case the pet has escaped from the cage. A varied and complete diet contributes to the longevity of animals. Therefore, feeding a hamster with seeds is not only possible, but also necessary.