Can Hamsters Eat Potatoes?

If you are a hamster owner and wondering whether you should allow the hamsters to eat potatoes, this is the article you need to go through. So, this article will help you clear all the doubts you have with regards to feeding potatoes to hamsters and letting them consume those. So, to briefly answer the question of whether hamsters can eat potatoes, yes, they can have small amounts of cooked potatoes.

Having said that, you should refrain from feeding hamsters fried potatoes, seasoned potatoes, or even raw potatoes. Hamsters can eat certain fresh foods, and potatoes are one of them. So, this article has covered almost everything you need to be aware of on this subject; the advantages and disadvantages of feeding the hamsters with potatoes etc. So, let’s get into it right away.

Nutrient Value of potatoes

In terms of the nutrient values of the potatoes, 100g of potatoes would contain about 87 calories, 1,9 g of protein, and 0,9 g of sugar. In addition to that, there will be 20,1 g of carbohydrates and 0,1 g of fat, including 100 g of boiled potatoes. Finally, it contains 1.8 g of fiber and 77% of water. Bear in mind that these nutritional values are for 100g of boiled potatoes and not for raw potatoes.

Health benefits of nutrients which are found in potatoes

There are so many health benefits to eating potatoes for hamsters. In fact, hamsters gain almost the same health benefits as humans gain from consuming potatoes. If the hamsters ate potatoes in the right quantity, it would help them gain antioxidants, which would help them protect themselves from the bad effects of aging. Besides, it would secure the hamsters from disease, such as cancer.

In addition to that, potatoes contain dietary fiber as well. Dietary fibers would boost the digestive systems of the hamsters. Apart from that, potatoes contain vitamin C and vitamin B as well. Vitamin C is essential for hamsters because it improves their overall health and well-being. On the other hand, vitamin B would help the hamsters to boost their energy levels as well. Lastly, potatoes contain plenty of protein as well. Protein plays a major role in helping the hamsters to grow stronger and healthily,

Health risks (disadvantages) of potatoes

In addition to the aforesaid health benefits, there could be some negative impacts of feeding potatoes to the hamsters too. For example, if you over-supply them with potatoes, it would make them suffer from diseases such as diabetes. Diabetes could turn out to be a major health concern. As such, you need to be very careful when feeding potatoes to hamsters.

In addition to that, over consumption of potatoes would make hamsters obese too. in fact this is not surprising as over eating of any food would make anybody obese be it an animal or a human. Obesity would be a concern for the hamsters as it would ultimately make the hamsters sick at some point of time.

Apart from the above, if the hamsters happen to eat too many potatoes, it may probably result in stomach-related issues. Keep in mind that if you allow the hamsters to eat potatoes that are not properly cooked, they may turn out to be poisonous. As such, it is critically important that you cook the potatoes properly and then allow them to cool. Lastly, if you let hamsters eat large pieces of potatoes, it would be difficult for the hamsters to handle. Keep in mind that hamsters cannot vomit, and chances are that they may suffer from choking if you let them eat bigger-sized potatoes. Hence, always chop them into pieces and then allow them to eat them.

Can hamsters eat potatoes leaves?

Hamsters cannot eat potato leaves . So, you should avoid letting them eat those if you happen to see them consuming any.

Can hamsters eat potatoes stalks?

No, in my opinion, hamsters do not eat potato stalks. So do not try to feed them potato stalks.

Can hamsters eat potatoes tops?

I don’t recommend feeding potato tops to the hamsters as they are unsafe. If you happen to feed the hamsters with potato tops, chances are that they may result in upsets in the intestinal tracts. Ultimately it would make them suffer from diarrhea etc.

Can hamsters eat potatoes Plant?

Hamsters cannot eat potatoes or plants raw as they contain a toxin called solanine. Solanine is an element which would be fatal for most of the animals, including both humans and hamsters as well.

Can hamsters eat potatoes skins?

If someone is wondering whether it is okay to feed potatoes with skin to the hamsters, yes it is possible. In fact, it would be a great source of fiber for them. Having said that, you need to serve this either boiled, baked, or roasted, and hamsters would love to eat those.

Additionally, potatoes with the skin on are a fantastic source of fiber. Your hamster may occasionally enjoy a tasty treat of boiled, baked, or roasted potatoes. However, potatoes that have been spiced, fried, or that have been raw are unsafe for hamsters to consume.

Can hamsters eat dried potatoes?

Hamsters can consume dried potatoes , but in small portions only. However, I don’t recommend letting dwarf hamsters eat dried potatoes. Furthermore, when you provide dried potatoes, you can provide just a tiny piece of dried potato just once or twice a week. Usually, many people use heat to make dried potatoes, and it is safe for the hamsters to consume them. Again, it is noteworthy that you should feed them at moderate levels only.

Can hamsters eat raw potatoes?

No, hamsters cannot eat raw potatoes. In fact it could be toxic for the hamsters and you need to avoid using those on your beloved hamsters.

Can hamsters eat cooked potatoes?

Hamsters are big fans of eating cooked potatoes. In fact, you could feed boiled, baked, or roasted potatoes to the hamsters and they would consider that a fine treat for them. Having said that, you need to avoid supplying the hamsters with seasoned, fried potatoes as they won’t be safe for them. If by any chance they happen to eat those, they may suffer from obesity and stomach upsets. Furthermore, chances are that they may even result in death as well.

Can hamsters eat canned potatoes?

If someone is uncertain whether it is okay to feed canned potatoes to the hamsters, yes, you may use them for the hamsters. However, you still need to ensure that you allow them to eat the canned potatoes in moderate quantities only.

Few things to consider when you feed potatoes?

If you are planning to start fresh by feeding the hamsters with potatoes, I suggest you get the pet doctor’s opinion before you try them out on the hamsters. If your hamsters have experienced any medical condition before, this step is very important. Keep in mind that you should avoid using potatoes for the hamsters who are suffering from obesity and from diabetes in particular.

Furthermore, when you introduce potatoes to your hamsters, make sure that you do it gradually. Ideally, give them a small bite of potatoes first. Next, check how they respond to that and see whether they develop any side effects of eating those.

How you should serve potatoes to your Hamster?

You need to ensure that you wash the potatoes before cooking them, and it is very important that you keep that in mind. That way, you can rely on the fact that there will be no pesticides or chemicals remaining on the potatoes. If you cook them without washing , chances are that those chemicals will badly affect the hamsters. In addition to that, you need to always cook potatoes without using any salt or any other additives. When feeding them , you need to ideally feed them along with pumpkin seeds, cabbage, and carrots.

How much potatoes at a time?

You need to feed the hamsters about ¼ of a teaspoon of cooked potato occasionally. Don’t feed them potatoes as a regular diet. Ideally, you can consider feeding potatoes once every two weeks. Potatoes should not be used on baby hamsters, older hamsters, or sick hamsters.

Furthermore, the quantity of potatoes you should give to hamsters would vary depending on the hamster breed. No matter what, you always need to ensure that you don’t oversupply potatoes for them. That being said, Syrian hamsters can handle eating a little bit of potatoes more than other hamsters, but not robo hamsters or dwarf hamsters.

Are potatoes toxic to hamsters?

If the hamsters happen to eat raw potatoes, it may turn out to be toxic for the hamsters. In fact, raw potatoes contain a toxin called solanine, and it would have a fatal impact on most mammals, including hamsters.

Can Hamsters Eat Roast Potatoes?

Hamsters can eat roast potatoes, and you could simply put them in the oven and then feed the hamsters. It would be a fine treat for the hamsters. However, I suggest you give only the inside filling of the roast potatoes to them.

Can hamsters eat potato skin / potato peels?

Potato peels usually contain high nutritional value. Having said that, I don’t recommend letting the hamsters eat the skin as it is not safe. Potatoes contain high nutrients. However, those nutrients would be neutralized when there is starch available for the hamsters. Starch is contained in the potato peels, and due to that, you need to avoid letting the hamsters eat those.

Can hamsters eat potato starch?

Hamsters cannot eat potato starch, and if they happen to eat them, it could badly impact on the health of the hamsters in a negative manner. As such, I suggest you avoid feeding the potato starch to the hamsters.

Can hamsters eat potato waffles?

Hamsters cannot consume potato waffles. To further elaborate on this, hamsters have a digestive system that is quite weak. Hence, they would not be able to handle the processed food quite well.

Can hamsters eat potato bread?

Hamsters can eat potato bread, but only in small quantities. However, it would be safer for you to avoid using those as much as you can. It is noteworthy that potato bread would have a more harmful effect on them than it would have a positive impact on them. It goes without saying that hamsters are prone to diseases such as diabetes, so it would be best to refrain from using them on the hamsters.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can hamsters eat potato chips?

Hamsters cannot eat potato chips. Potato chips are usually made using oil, salt and other additives which are not in favor of the hamsters. In fact those would be toxic for the hamsters. If they happen to eat those it is very likely that it will have a negative impact on the hamsters digestive system. For example it would results in health-related issues such as diarrhea. For these reasons, you need to avoid feeding hamsters potato chips.

Read also : Can Hamsters Eat Pringles Safely?

Can hamsters eat mashed potatoes?

You can feed the hamsters mashed potatoes if they are cooked properly without adding any salt or other addictive ingredients. However, you always need to feed the hamsters in moderate quantities and not in excess.

Can hamsters eat French fries ?

No, hamsters should not eat French fries. Usually, French fries are made in oil, which is, of course, not healthy for the hamsters. It is not necessary to mention that the hamster’s digestive system is very weak and it would not be easy for the hamsters to consume salty foods such as fries. Instead, you can consider feeding them fresh fruits. To sum up, don’t feed French fries to the hamsters.

Conclusion

So, to recap, hamsters would find potato treats as a special treat. Keep in mind that you should never use it as a regular treat. Instead, use it as an occasional treat. It is vital that you keep in mind to avoid using fried or seasoned French fries that include salt, butter, or oil, as it will not be safe for the hamsters to try those out. If you are uncertain whether you could feed the hamsters with potatoes, you can always go for a vet doctor’s opinion and follow the guidelines as he instructs.