Can Hamsters Eat Cheese as Part of Their Regular Diet?

Can hamsters eat cheese? Cheese is suitable for hamsters as an occasional treat rather than a regular part of their meals. It offers a good amount of vitamins and minerals. However, because of its salt and fat content, excessive intake can lead to health issues.

Health Benefits of Cheese to Hamsters

Cheese contains a variety of nutrients that can help improve different body functions in hamsters. It is a good source of calcium, which is crucial for maintaining sturdy bones and teeth.

Vitamin D can be found in cheese too. This nutrient helps with proper calcium absorption, which lessens the danger of bone problems like rickets.

Cheese provides a healthy dose of vitamins A and K to hamsters. These vitamins are essential for strengthening the immune system and reproductive health, respectively.

Hamsters are full of energy, so their body requires sufficient amounts of carbohydrates and protein. Cheese is packed with these nutrients, so it will keep your hammy from tiring out or feeling lethargic.

Dangers of Feeding Cheese to Hamsters

Although cheese provides several nutrients to your pet, never offer it frequently and in large quantities. It has certain attributes that can cause problems if feeding in moderation is thrown out of the window, including:

High Salt Content

Many types of cheese are loaded with sodium, such as feta cheese, halloumi parmesan, and processed cheese. Skip feeding them to your hamster as treats because they can make your pet sick.

High-sodium food can cause hammies to develop several health issues. Renal problems like kidney stone formation are one of the likely outcomes.

Hamsters’ bodies are unable to break down the salt properly. So it forms into clumps, which hinder them from urinating properly.

Having too much salt can also potentially lead to dehydration. It saps water from your hamster’s body, resulting in excessive loss of fluids.

Stick to feeding your hamster low-sodium cheese to avoid these health issues. Some good options are cottage cheese, mild cheese, and ricotta cheese.

High in Fats

Some cheese varieties contain higher concentrations of fat than others. These include cream cheese, Double Gloucester, and Stilton. They do not make healthy treats for hamsters since they can cause unwanted weight gain.

Obesity is a serious health issue in hammies. It makes them more prone to acquiring debilitating ailments like cardiac disorders, diabetes, and liver problems.

Goat cheese is a suitable low-fat choice for hamsters. Other types of cheese, such as Monterey Jack, have fat-free versions. They can be fed to your pet as long as their sodium content is also low.

May Trigger Lactose Intolerance

Can hamsters eat dairy? Some hamsters are lactose intolerant, so feeding them dairy products should be avoided. If you are unsure if your pet has this condition, feed him cheese in tiny amounts.

Then wait and see if your hammy exhibits signs of lactose intolerance. The most common symptoms to look out for are diarrhoea and vomiting. Do not feed your hamster cheese in the future if it suffers from these side effects.

Toxicity Risk

Many worried hamster owners ask: “What food is toxic to hamsters?” Flavoured cheeses are dangerous to hamsters because they contain toxic ingredients.

Cheeses with herbs tend to contain alliums like garlic and onions. Other types of cheese contain alcohol and chocolate.

Moulds that are naturally grown in some cheeses for flavour are also harmful to hamsters. The bacteria can wreak havoc in your pet’s digestive system and body.

For this reason, blue cheeses like Cabrales, Gorgonzola, and Roquefort are off-limits to your hammy.

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What Type of Cheese Can Hamsters Eat?

As we have mentioned above, low-sodium and low-fat cheeses are the most appropriate choices for hamsters. Let us take a look at other cheese varieties and see if they are suitable for your pet:

Ideal Serving of Cheese to Hamsters

Hamster food should be largely composed of pellets mixed with a minimal quantity of grains and seeds. A small portion of your pet’s meals must contain fresh produce like fruits and vegetables.

Treats like cheese should only make up 5% of your hammy’s diet. The amount of cheese will depend on the size and breed of your pet.

With that in mind, let us answer these frequently asked questions:

• Can Syrian Hamsters eat cheese?

  Syrian Hamsters can occasionally have cheese with their meals. Since they are a large breed, feeding them 2 small cubes of cheese biweekly will do.

• Can Roborovski Hamsters eat cheese?

  Roborovski Hamsters can eat cheese but in smaller portions. Although they are large breeds, they have smaller bodies compared to Syrian Hamsters. So limit their cheese consumption to 1 tiny cube every fortnight.

• Can Dwarf Hamsters eat cheese?

  Feeding cheese to Dwarf Hamsters should be strictly kept to a minimum. Offer them no more than 1 small cube once a month.

  Never overfeed them with cheese because their tiny bodies are more susceptible to developing health issues.

After mealtime, check your pet’s enclosure for hidden pieces of cheese. Hamsters have a habit of storing extra food in their cheek pouches. Then they store it inside their cage.

Stashed cheese will be exposed to the elements. This will eventually lead the food to rot and turn mouldy.

If your hamster eats spoiled cheese, it might become extremely ill. So make sure to get rid of any uneaten cheese your hamster has concealed.