Can Hamsters Eat Hazelnuts?

Nuts are something that anyone would enjoy. They are yummy treats that contain so many nutrients as well. As a result, this would be an excellent healthy snack to satisfy the hamsters’ hunger. Having said that, the high-fat contents of the nuts would be a real concern for the hamsters, and due to that, you need to serve them in moderate quantities.

So, to answer the question of whether you can feed hazelnuts to hamsters, yes, it is possible to offer hazelnuts to the hamsters. Having said that, you need to decide on the number of hazelnuts depending on the hamster’s breed. So, in this article, we will be discussing everything you need to know about feeding hazelnut hamsters.

What are hazelnuts?

Hazelnuts usually grow on trees. It is used in all sorts of food varieties. For example, you may use them to make chocolate bars. Furthermore, you may use hazelnut oil for cooking as well. In fact, hazelnuts are available in Nutella as well.

The nutrient value of hazelnuts?

Hazelnuts contain vitamin E, manganese, copper, and other minerals, as well as mono- and polyunsaturated fats.

Health benefits of nutrients which are found in hazelnuts

Hazelnuts are a great source of vitamin E. Vitamin E helps the hamsters maintain their eyesight. Generally, hamsters have poor eyesight. So, it would be a fine idea to feed hazelnuts to hamsters so that their eyesight would be improved. Additionally, it would help the hamsters improve the condition of their fur.

Furthermore, hazelnuts have a great deal of iron, and it would be quite useful to make their immunity efficient as well. Besides, it would make the hamsters resistant to diseases and infections too.

Hazelnuts are a great source of fiber, too. The fiber content aids the hamsters’ digestion. It will have a great impact on the hamsters’ entire digestive system. Furthermore, hazelnuts come with antioxidants as well. They help the hamsters fight the radicals, which may result in cancer in the hamsters. Furthermore, it may aid in the prevention of premature aging in hamsters. This means it would help them to extend their lifespan.

Hazelnuts are rich in potassium as well. So, feeding hazelnuts to hamsters would help them control their blood pressure. Finally, it would prevent any potential disease from occurring in the hamsters. Hazelnuts have great folate contents, and that is quite a crucial component for creating white blood cells in hamsters.

Bear in mind that folic acid plays a major role in converting carbohydrates into energy and in producing DNA. Hazelnuts are enriched with zinc too. Zinc is a vital nutrient that helps the hamsters stay protected from infections and injuries.

On the other hand, hazelnuts have calcium contents that help the hamsters form healthy bones as well as teeth. Hazelnuts have vitamin B contained in them. That will provide immense energy for the hamsters, which will help them get through the day.

Health risks (disadvantages) of hazelnuts

Just like feeding hazelnuts has so many benefits, it may pose some risks to the hamster’s health as well. This could be prominently spotted when you overfeed hazelnuts to hamsters. For example, if you feed too many hazelnuts to hamsters, it will result in obesity among them. Needless to say, hazelnuts are rich in fat, which means they could make the hamsters obese.

In addition to the above, hamsters may suffer from diabetes if you happen to supply hazelnuts in excess. The high fat content of hazelnuts would make them prone to diabetes. Hazelnuts are quite large, and if you serve them without first chopping them, the hamsters may choke. Lastly, if the hamsters keep eating hazelnuts exclusively without eating others, chances are that it may pave the way for nutrient deficiency in the hamsters.

Can hamsters eat shelled hazelnuts?

In moderation, hazelnuts are not only safe for your hamster but also beneficial for the rodent. They can be given boiled, raw, or even in their shell, but they shouldn’t be salted or otherwise flavored.

Can Hamsters eat Roasted Hazelnuts?

You could serve roasted hazelnuts to hamsters without issue. However, when you offer roasted hazelnuts, ensure that they are not burned. Further, you have to let them come to room temperature as well. Don’t ever offer hot Hazelnuts for your hamsters as it would be troublesome for them.

Can Hamsters salt Hazelnuts?

I don’t recommend offering salted hazelnuts to hamsters. Hamsters won’t be able to handle salt contents, as it would be difficult for them to handle those. It could make them sick. Instead, you need to choose unsalted, unroasted hazelnuts, as they would suit the hamsters the best.

Can Hamsters eat Sweetened Hazelnuts?

My recommendation is not to serve sweetened hazelnuts to your hamsters. sweetened hazelnuts comprise added sugar and the rest of the other sweeteners, which would badly impact the health of the hamsters.

Read also : Can Hamsters Eat Acorns?

Can Hamsters eat Hazelnut Shells?

Hamsters usually cannot eat the hazelnut shells because they are tough. That said, hamsters love opening the shells of the nuts. However, hamsters find it difficult to open the hazelnut shells. If they happen to try opening the hazelnut shells, chances are that it may end up hurting them. So, when you feed Hazelnut, make sure that you open the hazelnut shells and then offer them to the hamsters.

Few things to consider when you feed hazelnuts

When you give hazelnuts to hamsters, you need to hold the hazelnuts closer to them. Once you follow that step, it will make them familiar to you and create a strong bond between the hamsters and their owner. When you offer freshly roasted hazelnuts, ensure that you offer them in small quantities. Next, check whether they like eating those. If they don’t enjoy eating those, you can discontinue feeding them hazelnuts.

Furthermore, when you select hazelnuts, ensure that they are fresh. If you chose an old hazelnut, it would not carry the same nutrients that a fresh hazelnut would. Further, don’t overfeed hazelnuts to hamsters and instead offer them in moderation. Ensure that you choose the right-sized hazelnuts, as chances are that the bigger hazelnuts may choke the hamsters.

Needless to say, these nuts must also be washed beforehand. You must wash these well as they may contain some of the chemicals or pesticides that would negatively impact the hamster’s health. You can consider feeding hazelnuts along with foods such as pumpkin seeds, cabbage, carrots, etc. So, make use of these tips to allow the hamsters to gain the maximum benefits from eating hazelnuts.

How should you serve hazelnuts to your hamster?

You can ideally serve hazelnuts with your hands. Once you use your hands to serve hazelnuts, hamsters will feel more confident in having those. Keep in mind that these are scary pets by nature. So when you use your hands to feed them, they will feel more confident to try those out.

How often can a hamster eat hazelnuts?

It would vary depending on the hamster’s breed. For example, if you have a Syrian hamster, you can consider feeding it about one hazelnut once a week. Don’t feed them more than that. On the other hand, if you have a Campbell dwarf hamster, you can give them about one hazelnut once every two weeks. Campbell dwarf hamsters are tiny when compared with regular hamsters. They are prone to diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Due to that, you need to feed them a very small quantity of hazelnuts.

If you own winter white dwarf hamsters, you can give them about one hazelnut once every two weeks. This is also a very small breed when compared with the regular hamster breeds. Thus, you can feed them less. If you own a Robowski hamster, you can feed it one hazelnut once a week. Robowski hamsters are also a larger species and pretty similar to Syrian hamsters. Hence, they can handle some amount of fatty acid.

If we briefly touch on the Chinese hamsters, they are also a dwarf hamster species, which means you can serve them one hazelnut every two weeks. Chinese hamsters are big fans of consuming nuts and fruits. However, it would be best to offer hazelnuts in small amounts, as they have a weak digestive system and a small body.

How many hazelnuts at a time?

You need to feed them a small amount of hazelnut at a time. Hamsters have a great deal of minerals, protein, and some other vitamins. As a result, giving hamsters too many hazelnuts will make them sick. If by any chance your hamster has eaten too many hazelnuts, you need to immediately take them to the vet. Some of the side effects they may develop from overeating include lethargy, passing watery stools, vomiting, etc.

Are hazelnuts toxic to hamsters?

Hazelnuts are undoubtedly edible to hamsters. The health of your hamster can benefit from the high protein, fiber, vitamin E, thiamin, magnesium, copper, manganese, omega-6, and omega-9 content of hazelnuts.

However, hazelnuts, like all nuts, are high in fat and calories, so be sure to limit how much you give your hamster. For smaller breeds, such as dwarf hamsters, one nut will do, and half a nut will do.

Can baby hamsters eat hazelnuts?

It is a no to this question, as baby hamsters cannot eat hazelnuts. Instead, you need to provide them with hamster breast milk. You need to consider waiting to serve hazelnuts until they are at least a few weeks old. That being said, you need to offer those in a very small quantity, as they also have a very weak digestive system.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How many Hazelnuts can Syrian Hamsters eat?

You can offer one hazelnut once a week for the Syrian hamsters.

How many Hazelnuts can Robo Hamsters eat?

Robo hamsters can eat about one hazelnut, as aforesaid.

How many Hazelnuts can Dwarf Hamsters eat?

You could provide either one hazelnut or half a hazelnut in general.

Bottom line

To wrap up, hazelnuts would be a healthy snack for hamsters as long as you offered them at moderate levels. You could provide either one hazelnut or half a hazelnut, depending on the hamster breed. Hazelnuts provide so many health benefits, such as forming healthier bones and healthier hearts, making digestion effective, etc. In addition to that, they can further improve the immunity of the hamsters too.

Your beloved hamsters will only experience side effects if you overfeed them. So the key takeaway from this article is to provide hazelnuts at moderate levels for your hamsters. and then enjoy watching them feed on those.