Can Hamsters Eat Shrimp?

Humans are big fans of eating shrimp. That said, can hamsters eat shrimp? Is it safer for them to eat shrimp? The short answer to that is yes. Of course, hamsters can eat shrimp, but in moderation. Shrimp is a commonly used seafood across the globe. Shrimp has 128 species, and many people tend to farm them due to the increase in demand they get.

You could eat shrimp as an appetizer. Besides, many people tend to use it as part of salads as well. Not only that, you may also use it as a main dish. Cooking shrimp is a very easy task to do. However, do you think hamsters love eating shrimp? Do they gain health-related benefits by eating those? We will find out more about this in this article.

What is shrimp?

Shrimp is more like a shellfish type that you may come across around the world. You can obtain them either by farming them or from the ocean. It is noteworthy that Americans eat over 1 billion shrimp every year. There are 128 different types of shrimp. Furthermore, shrimp would have more than ten legs. Shrimps are fascinating creatures, and yes, hamsters would just love feasting on those.

Nutrient Value Of Shrimp

Shrimps are renowned for their high nutritional value. So, if we look at a 100-gram serving of shrimp, it would usually come up with 415 kcal of energy. Furthermore, it will contain 24 g of protein. A 100-gram serving of shrimp would have about 0.28 g of total fat. Apart from that, it will also contain 189 mg of cholesterol.

Additionally, it may also have 111 mg of sodium and minerals such as iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, etc. To be precise on the quantities they will have about 0.51g of iron, 39 m of Magnesium, 259 mg of potassium 237 mg of phosphorus,0.2 g of carbohydrates, etc.

Health Benefits Of Nutrients Which Are Found In Shrimp

Shrimp have high protein contents, which is quite a useful nutrient for the hamsters to develop well. In addition to that, it will be quite useful for the metabolic pathways of the hamsters too. Second, shrimp will have some iron content as well. It is another important nutrient that will protect the hamsters from anemia. Shrimp’s zinc levels keep the hamsters protected from pathogens. To elaborate further on this, it will boost the immunity of the hamsters so that they can combat the diseases.

Shrimps also produce magnesium, which plays an important role in maintaining bone health in hamsters. In addition to that, it would further help the hamsters maintain their cardiovascular health, too. Shrimps are enriched with vitamin B as well. It is something that will keep the hamsters active.

Omega-3 fatty acids are one more component of shrimp. They are quite useful for maintaining the health of the hamsters. Shrimps have a pigment called astaxanthin, and it is this pigment that gives them their red color. It is an antioxidant that would protect the hamsters from cancer. Besides helping the hamsters, it has anti-inflammatory properties too.

Health Risks (Disadvantages) Of Shrimp

Hamsters are omnivores, which means they can feed on a wide variety of foods. So, if you feed shrimp solely to hamsters, it would result in nutritional imbalances for the hamsters. Shrimp don’t contain all the nutrients that hamsters require, and due to that, there would be an imbalance of the nutrients. In addition to nutrient imbalance, it may result in obesity as well. Shrimps usually have small fat contents. However, if you keep feeding them, it will make them suffer from obesity.

Ultimately, it would make them prone to other health issues. High blood pressure is another adverse effect that your hamsters may experience due to overfeeding. Shrimps have a high sodium content. Those high sodium contents would pave the way for the high blood pressure of the hamsters. Thereafter, it would make them prone to other diseases as well.

Can hamsters eat dried shrimp?

Yes, hamsters can eat dried shrimp without a doubt, and they are completely safe for the hamsters. You can find them being sold as protein supplements in pet stores quite a lot. Dried shrimp are enriched with protein. However, they would be extremely salty as well. When giving dried shrimp, however, you should ideally use pet-grade, single-ingredient dried shrimp.

Can hamsters eat frozen shrimp?

Certainly, you can feed frozen shrimp to the hamsters. That being said, you need to thaw them properly and then offer them for adoption. Once you thaw the shrimp, you need to boil them well until they are full. That way, you can be assured that it will remove all the bacteria, parasites, or tapeworms present there as well.

Can hamsters eat breaded Shrimp?

No, avoid giving breaded shrimp to the hamsters. Breaded shrimp are usually fried in hot oil. So, it will be too greasy for the hamsters. Hamsters have a small gastrointestinal system, which is very weak. So when they eat oily food, it would result in upsets in the hamsters’ gastrointestinal systems.

Can hamsters eat cooked shrimp?

You can offer cooked shrimp as long as they are boiled. You could simply use shrimp and water to boil them. However, when boiling them, ensure that you don’t add any salt. If you end up adding shrimp, it can make the hamsters lose fur and turn out to be fatal for the hamsters. Ensure that you boil them for about 10 to 15 minutes. Keep in mind that uncooked shrimp may turn out to be harmful to the hamsters. In addition to that, ensure that you don’t add any kind of seasoning to the hamsters. Instead, go for plain, unsalted shrimp, as they would suit the hamsters the best.

Can hamsters eat river shrimp?

Usually, river shrimp would be ideal for the hamsters. When it comes to saltwater shrimp, they usually have a high sodium content. This is not healthy for the hamsters. So you can consider giving them freshwater shrimp instead, as it would be healthy.

Can hamsters eat raw Shrimp?

My advice is to avoid giving raw shrimp because they may contain food-borne bacteria. In addition to that, they may also contain parasites, which may be present in raw seafood. To feed the hamsters, it is best to use fully cooked shrimp.

Can Hamsters eat pink/white/brown/red shrimp?

Yes, of course, hamsters can eat pink, white, brown, and red shrimp. The color of the shrimp does not matter at all. However, offering those in moderation is the key.

Few Things to Consider When You Feed Shrimp

First, you need to decide whether you want to use saltwater or freshwater shrimp. Keep in mind that the sea contains approximately 80% of all shrimp. As aforesaid, saltwater shrimp have high sodium levels, which are not good for the hamsters. So, go for the freshwater shrimp, as it would be the healthier option.

You need to be mindful of the mercury and sodium contents of the shrimp as well. They don’t have high mercury content. However, their high sodium content would be detrimental to them, especially if fed for an extended period of time. You should, of course, serve shrimp in moderation. Shrimps have high protein levels, vitamin B, and minerals such as calcium and iron. So, when you serve shrimp, ensure that you offer them in moderate quantities. You should never include this in their main meal. Instead, consider using this only as a snack.

How You Should Serve Shrimp to Your Hamster?

You need to serve shrimp as an occasional treat only. Shrimps are a delicious treat, and they would provide so many benefits, which we discussed above. Further, when you offer shrimp, you need to ideally serve them personally without leaving them in their food bowls. Once you do this, it will help you create a bond with the hamsters. When you freshly introduce shrimp to hamsters, make sure that you offer them in small quantities. Furthermore, once you’ve offered them, see if they have any allergic reactions.

You might try giving your hamster pre-cooked shrimp since shrimp might be harmful if they aren’t cooked through. Serve cooked shrimp that have been deveined and shelled so that there are no rough edges. To check whether they will eat it, try placing it in their food dish with some vegetables.

If you plan to prepare raw shrimp, ensure they are fully cooked and have lost their pink color. Any form of raw seafood may include harmful microorganisms that could sicken your hamster.

Don’t season the shrimp in any way; it should just be basic, unsalted shrimp.

If you decide to attempt feeding your hamster shrimp, you must keep a watchful eye on him while doing so, just as you would when introducing any new food to his diet.

How Often Can A Hamster Eat Shrimp?

You can occasionally feed shrimp to your hamsters. As mentioned above, you should never include this in your regular diet.

How Many Shrimps at A Time?

The number of shrimp you should feed hamsters would vary depending on the hamster’s breed. For example, if we look at the Syrian hamsters, they just love eating shrimp. However, you still need to give them a very small quantity of shrimp. Ideally, you need to give them around a teaspoon of shrimp once a week. Robo hamsters, on the other hand, are small in comparison to Syrian hamsters.

As a result, you should feed the Robo hamsters fewer shrimp. To be more precise, you can feed them around a teaspoon of shrimp once every two weeks. Avoid overfeeding them with shrimp, as it would create unnecessary problems for the hamster’s overall health and well-being.

If you have a dwarf hamster such as a Winter White dwarf hamster, a Chinese hamster, or a Campbell dwarf hamster, you can consider offering one teaspoon of shrimp once a month. These are very small hamsters, and they cannot eat more than these.

Are Shrimp Toxic To Hamsters?

Yes, freshwater shrimps are completely safe for hamsters to consume. Having said that, keep in mind that the shrimp that you get from the ocean may turn out to be harmful. You can commonly come across this if you provide those in large quantities. The only drawback of feeding salty shrimp is their high sodium levels, which could result in several adverse effects on the hamster’s health. In a nutshell, freshwater shrimp would be completely safe for the hamsters, and you need to still offer those at moderate levels.

What kinds of shrimp you can serve for the hamsters?

You can feed almost all kinds of shrimp to the hamsters. There are so many shrimp varieties available on the market, and hamsters can eat almost all of them. However, the key factor is to offer shrimp in small quantities. All the varieties of shrimp have the same nutritional values, so you don’t need to worry about the shrimp’s color for the hamsters or any other factor when feeding them.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How much shrimp can a Syrian Hamster eat?

Syrian hamsters are a large hamster breed. So you can consider feeding them about 1 teaspoon of shrimp once a week.

How much shrimp can a Robo Hamster eat?

When compared to Syrian hamsters, robo hamsters require a smaller amount of shrimp to be fed. Robo hamsters are a smaller hamster breed. So, you can provide one teaspoon of shrimp, but once every two weeks only.

How much shrimp can a Dwarf Hamster eat?

You can feed one teaspoon of shrimp once every month. Dwarf hamsters are the smallest hamster breed. As a result, you can feed them a teaspoon of shrimp once a month. Make sure that you refrain from overfeeding these, especially for dwarf hamsters, as they are prone to various health conditions when compared with the other hamster breeds.

Bottom Line 

As you can see, hamsters can eat shrimp without a doubt. So, I hope you got answers to all the questions you had about feeding shrimp to your beloved hamsters. We have covered here how to offer shrimps for the hamsters, the number of shrimps you should offer for the hamsters, the health related benefits and the health related risks they may have, etc.