When you have not too long ago bought a hamster and have a pet canine in your house, you might surprise in case your canine and your new hamster can share the identical meals. The quick reply is no, they’ll’t, however preserve studying to see if there are any exceptions to this rule and any particular manufacturers you should utilize for each animals.
Is Canine Meals Unhealthy for My Hamster?
There are a couple of causes that you simply shouldn’t feed your hamster pet food, and we’ll have a look at every of them now.
Pure Weight-reduction plan
The largest motive to keep away from feeding your hamster pet food is that canine and hamsters have completely different pure diets. Whereas each animals are omnivores able to consuming vegetation and animals, canine are a lot nearer to the carnivorous aspect. They’ve solely turn into omnivores from residing with people. As much as ⅔ of the canine’s weight loss program could be animal meats and proteins, with greens and grains making up solely a tiny half. In distinction, the hamster will eat subsequent to no animal proteins and spend most of their life fortunately consuming Timothy hay, grass, greens, and different grains.
Protein
The protein content material in pet food is usually somewhat greater than what you’ll discover in hamster meals. Manufacturers like Hill’s Science Weight-reduction plan Grownup Giant Breed Rooster & Barley Recipe Dry Canine Meals have 20% protein or extra. Hamster meals like Higgins Sunburst Gourmand Mix Gerbil & Hamster Meals solely comprises about 15% protein, which solely makes up a small a part of the hamster’s weight loss program.
Fats
By trying nearer on the two pet meals we’ve talked about earlier, you may see that the pet food has a a lot greater fats content material than the hamster meals. This greater fats content material can result in coronary heart illness and weight problems in hamsters. As a result of being obese can cut back your hamster’s lifespan, it’s finest to keep away from meals with high-fat content material and keep on with Timothy hay, grasses, and greens.
Fiber
One other distinction between hamster meals and pet food is that pet food doesn’t include almost as a lot fiber as hamster meals. Hamsters require loads of fiber of their weight loss program and might get constipated in the event that they don’t have sufficient.
Issues Your Hamster and Canine Can Each Take pleasure in
Corn and Soy
Whereas most moist and dry pet food manufacturers have an excessive amount of fats and animal protein to be appropriate to your hamster, canine treats make an incredible occasional deal with to your pet. A canine deal with like Milk-Bone Delicate & Chewy Beef & Filet Mignon Recipe Canine Treats is appropriate to your hammy as a result of they often include many fillers like corn and soy. These components will not be nice to your canine, however your hamster will love them, and they’re nearer to the components they naturally eat.
Chew Toy
Canine treats additionally are usually very arduous, and so they will help your hamster put on down their entrance tooth in order that they don’t get uncontrolled. Timothy hay is the first means your hamster will put on down their tooth, however they are going to often admire tasty meals like a canine deal with.
Nutritional vitamins and Minerals
Many canine treats just like the Milk-Bones additionally include some nutritional vitamins and minerals that may profit your pet. The components embrace nutritional vitamins A, D, and E, in addition to calcium and phosphorus, which will help your hamster develop robust bones. Vitamin B12 can increase our pet’s power ranges, assist battle weight problems, and promote a powerful metabolism.
How Can I Feed My Hamster Canine Meals?
As talked about earlier, pet food isn’t appropriate for a hamster in both moist or dry kind as a result of it comprises an excessive amount of fats and animal proteins. Nonetheless, a number of canine treats are appropriate, so whereas they’ll’t share the identical meals, they’ll bond over an incredible snack.
Not like your canine, who can eat a number of treats within the blink of an eye fixed, your hamster will nurse a single deal with for a number of days. If solely offered often, these treats can add selection to their lives whereas offering one thing to chew. We suggest serving canine treats to your pet not more than as soon as per thirty days to make sure they keep wholesome and don’t placed on further weight. In between treats, be sure that they eat loads of Timothy hay to get the fiber they want.
Summing Up
For those who caught your hamster munching down on a few of your canine’s meals while you weren’t trying, they need to be tremendous. Nonetheless, you shouldn’t give your hamster pet food on function as a result of it’s not consistent with their dietary wants, and it may rapidly result in well being issues if offered repeatedly. You would give your hamster the occasional canine deal with, however it’s in all probability higher to stay to meals that hamsters are presupposed to eat, like Timothy hay, grass, fruits, and greens.
Featured Picture Credit score: ariesa66, Pixabay
