What’s better than a slice of sweet pineapple? As you’re snacking on pineapples, you might be wondering whether or not you can share the fruit with your hamsters. Your hamsters deserve the best in life, which is why you’re probably thinking of sharing all of your snacks and meals with them.
Fortunately, your hamsters can eat pineapples. This fruit is actually beneficial for your hamsters because they offer the following health benefits:
Promotes Eyesight
Similar to humans, your hamsters’ eyesight deteriorates as they age. The older your hamsters get, the more prone they are to several eye problems.
One way to keep your hamsters’ eyesight healthy is by feeding them pineapples in limited quantities. Pineapples are packed with vitamin A that can help improve and maintain the eyesight of your hamsters.
Prevents Inflammation
Inflammation is the response of your hamsters’ bodies when they detect intruders. This is their own way of protecting their tissues and cells from germs and bacteria. However, chronic inflammation can cause pain and discomfort. In worse cases, chronic inflammation can severely damage your hamsters’ joints.
Pineapples contain an enzyme called bromelain that can prevent chronic inflammation in hamsters. This enzyme can also protect your hamsters from certain respiratory diseases and keep their hearts healthy.
Supports Healthy Body Growth
Pineapple also contains a lot of nutrients, namely potassium, phosphorus, and calcium. All of these nutrients are necessary to support healthy body growth of your hamsters.
Prevents Scurvy
Scurvy is a health condition caused by a dietary deficiency of vitamin C. Scurvy can cause plenty of symptoms in hamsters, namely swelling and discoloration of the gums, poor healing of wounds, and problems fighting infections and illnesses.
Pineapples have high vitamin C content that can protect your hamsters from scurvy. Vitamin C can boost the immune system of your hamsters, improve their energy levels, and reduce chronic inflammation in their bodies.
Improves Digestive System
Pineapple also contains dietary fiber that’s essential to support a healthy digestive tract in hamsters. By giving your hamsters pineapple, they’ll have regular bowel movements and have a lesser risk of constipation.
What Happens When You Overfeed Your Hamsters With Too Much Pineapple?
Although pineapples are healthy for your hamsters, giving them too much of the fruit can also lead to several health risks, such as:
Sore Mouth
Pineapples have high levels of natural acids that can cause sore mouth in your hamsters. When left untreated, a sore mouth can become the reason why your hamsters will lose their appetites and eventually experience nutritional deficiencies.
Urinary Complications
The alkaline enzymes found in pineapples can cause urinary complications in your hamsters. This can cause painful urination in your hammies.
Obesity And Diabetes
Because of the presence of natural sugar in pineapples, over feeding the fruit to your hamsters can also trigger obesity and diabetes. Keep in mind that hamsters have smaller digestive tracts and their bodies require more time to process sugars from their diet.
Diarrhea
Your hamsters’ digestive tracts aren’t used to eating large amounts of fruits. This is the reason why overfeeding your hamsters with pineapples can also cause diarrhea. Diarrhea can worsen into a wet tail, a common health condition among hamsters that can be fatal when left untreated for the next 12 to 24 hours.
Can Hamsters Eat Pineapple Skin?
No, you should never give pineapple skin to your hamsters. Pineapple skin is spiky, and feeding any to your hamsters can choke them or puncture their intestines. Make sure to de-skin the pineapple before giving any to your hammies!
How About Pineapple Seeds?
No, hamsters should never have pineapple seeds. Aside from being a choking hazard, pineapple seeds don’t contain any nutrients at all. Stay on the safe side and remove all of the seeds of the pineapple when you’re feeding the fruit to your hamsters.
Can Hamsters Drink Pineapple Juice?
No, your hamsters should never have pineapple juice. The process of creating pineapple juice includes removing the nutrient content of the fruit and adding tons of additives and preservatives to the mixture. This can upset the stomach of your hamsters, so save the pineapple juice all to yourself!
Can Hamsters Eat Pineapple Leaves?
No, because pineapple leaves are tough to chew and taste very bitter. Giving any to your hamsters will only cause stomach problems.
Can Hamsters Eat Pineapple Core?
No, never give your hamsters the pineapple core. This part of the fruit is very hard, making it very challenging for your hamsters to digest it. Not to mention that the core doesn’t taste as good as the flesh of the fruit. Therefore, it’s best if you avoid feeding your hamsters with the pineapple core.
How Much Pineapples Can Hamsters Eat?
The answer to this question is: not much at all! The digestive tracts of your hamsters are very sensitive, and feeding them too much pineapple can cause several health risks.
For baby hamsters, don’t give them any amount of pineapples. Yes, pineapples are healthy and satisfying snacks, but baby hamsters should be fed with their mother’s milk during this time of their lives. Feeding them with fruit can become a choking hazard and trigger diarrhea.
For adult hamsters, feeding them with two ½ inch squares of pineapple is adequate. This amount is enough for your hamsters to enjoy the health benefits of pineapples minus the side effects.
How Often Can Hamsters Eat Pineapple?
Your hamsters should only be given pineapples once a week. Pineapple is high in sugar, and giving your hamsters pineapples too often can cause diabetes and obesity.
When feeding pineapple to your hammies, make sure that you don’t give the fruit on the same day that you offer them other sugary snacks or treats. For example, if you gave them apples on Monday, opt to feed them pineapples on the next two days. This will help neutralize the sugar intake of your hamsters.
Partner With A Vet
If you’re having problems incorporating pineapple into your hamsters’ diets, talk to a vet first. Never attempt to alter your hamsters’ diets if you’re unsure what you should or shouldn’t do.
Because of the experience under their belts, a vet can help you incorporate pineapple into your hamsters’ diets in the safest, easiest ways possible!