250 replies to this topic

[Taxonomist]

This is the old version of the thread.  The new, updated version can be found HERE

 

Spoiler

Acknowledgments
A special thanks goes out to Christmas_hamster, Jordyn, HoppingHammy, and LunarFlame for all of their assistance and the knowledge they invested in this project. Without these users, this thread would not have been possible.

Revision History
LunarFlame's original "Hamster Food List" thread
Jordyn and CaliforniaCole's "How Much Fresh Foods?" thread

This is the third version of the hamster food thread. The previous two versions are linked above for reference. This version is very similar to the second version. Only a few minor content changes have been made. Most notably, a "Nuts and Seeds" category has been added.

Current Version
Changes to this version (from previous versions) were made by CaliforniaCole and The Taxonomist.

Introduction
Hamsters thrive on a high-variety diet. Unfortunately, when it comes to commercially-available hamster foods, there seems to be a trade-off between variety and quality. Higher-quality hamster diets (including Hazel Hamster, Oxbow, Mazuri, and Carefresh Complete Menu) tend to be composed mostly or entirely of processed pellets. These pellets do have their place, as they provide appropriate amounts of protein, fat, and fiber. But if fed alone, they can be boring for hamsters, who are natural foragers.

Because of this, it is necessary to supplement your hamster's diet with a variety of fresh / whole foods. All hamsters should be fed seeds (ideally, at least 2 - 3 different types) and vegetables. Meats, insects, fruits, and nuts are highly beneficial additions for most hamsters, because they add nutrients like protein, antioxidants, and healthy fats to the diet. Feeding recommendations for such additions are found in the charts below.

Disclaimer
Any food you give to your hamster is at your own risk. The foods on this list should generally be safe for most hamsters. However, there is no way to guarantee that any single food is absolutely safe for all hamsters. This list is intended as a guideline. Neither Hamster Hideout nor any of its members assume responsibility for the outcome of feeding any food.









Sources
http://chemistry.abo...e-poisonous.htm
http://hamsterhideou...showtopic=23446
http://emedicine.med...816781-overview
http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/poison
http://www.exoticpet...ian/onions.html
http://www.livestron...ey-beans-toxic/
http://www.uptodate....anide-poisoning
http://en.wikipedia....omine_poisoning
http://needham.patch...are-bad-for-you

 

Further Information

Why Not Iceberg Lettuce?

 

Edited by Taxonomist, 07 September 2014 - 05:49 AM.
Linked to HH-hosted images

[CaliforniaCole]

This thread came out great! 
Another big thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge so we could make this possible. Taxonomist . . . You're so awesome for coming up with the idea to revise the pinned threads and coming up with this new and very organized format.

Edited by CaliforniaCole, 03 March 2013 - 09:44 AM.

[Creative Hamster]

Nice work Taxonomist and CC! I really love this updated list, it looks much more organized and easier to read. Yay, gotta print this out to add to my hamster info book

Edited by Creative Hamster, 02 March 2013 - 09:38 PM.

[tbiM20]

Very very nice! The table makes it really easy to read too.

[dusty]

Amazing and most useful! Thanks to all the contribution and hard work! I have uploaded and relinked the images to HH so that everyone can view them without the problem of photobucket being blocked at certain locations.

[tinypixie]

Tax and CC, this is an incredible thread! The work you put into it really shows. I almost want to print it out!

There was a question about lentils a while ago, some people believed they were safe, and otheres said "not unless they are sprouted."

I was wondering if you had any information on lentils as to why they could be safe?

Edited by tinypixiexoxo, 04 March 2013 - 01:08 AM.

[HoppingHammy]

Thank you both so much for all of the time and work you invested in making this so up-to-date and awesome! It's greatly appreciated!

[ILuvMySyrians]

Great work, guys! very organized and informative!

[Taxonomist]

Tax and CC, this is an incredible thread! The work you put into it really shows. I almost want to print it out!

There was a question about lentils a while ago, some people believed they were safe, and otheres said "not unless they are sprouted."

I was wondering if you had any information on lentils as to why they could be safe?

The reason lentils are sometimes mentioned as being "toxic" is because they are high in chemicals called lectins. Lectins are a special type of protein. Certain groups claim that these lectins cause all sorts of health problems, ranging from diabetes to depression to death. There does appear to be some objective truth to the matter (I know, I know, Wikipedia is not a source), but the extent of the problem seems to be unknown. Sprouting lentils will indeed reduce their lectin content, but it also substantially lowers their protein content (which makes them kind of useless to feed as a protein boost).

The problem with all of this in regards to hamsters is that 90% of a hamster's natural diet is also extremely high in lectins. All grains, seeds, and nuts are sky-high in lectins, because they're a defense mechanism for plants. It makes no sense to say that lentils are toxic...but to go ahead and feed hamsters sunflower seeds or millet or oats. Heck, even regular hamster kibble would be bad, because it's made of flour (which comes from a grain!). Singling out lentils for being bad, but still feeding other seeds is logically inconsistent. It's like ranting about how unhealthy candy is, but constantly guzzling down soda.

This is a prime example of why we need to be careful about applying human health issues to hamsters. We're different animals with different natural diets. Hamsters are natural seed-eaters, we are not. Although I can't exactly prove this, doesn't it make sense that maybe hamsters would have evolved some mechanism for dealing with lectins?

Now, I'm not saying that we should go ahead and start feeding hamsters things that are toxic to humans. But we need to not jump to conclusions.

I suspect that whoever came up with the idea that lentils are "toxic" did a quick Google search and failed to read / critically think about the results. They just saw all of these bad things about lectins [for humans] and extrapolated from there.

Let's pretend for a moment that the lectins in lentils are a problem for hamsters, and somehow the other grains and seeds are safe. Lectin issues come from eating large quantities of high-lectin foods. The feeding recommendation for lentils is only a few a week. It seems unlikely that they would cause problems in that low of a dose.

Whew, that turned out a bit rambly. I hope that makes sense. Let me know if it doesn't, and I can try to explain better.

[princesshamster]

This is awesome! Great job!

[Plushie]

Phenomenal work, everyone! Diet is so important in maintaining any animal's health and it's great that you've put up guidelines in an easy to read, informative, and thorough post.

[Biscotti]

Thank you Taxonomist for taking the time to compile this list and make it so easy to read. Thanks to the people that contributed information as well, well informed posts like this is one of the things I love best about HH.

Also, great post on the issue of lentils and lectin. I had trouble explaining to some people and get them to understand the nuance of extrapolating nutritional issues from one specie to another, and how the amounts you feed compared to the whole diet matters (and other similar topics). So you've put it much better than I could.

[emiee7]

Two things. One i honestly don't think dwarfs should have the yogurt. And two, how do you give the pasta. Dry? Cooked?

[Allison]

Plain yogurt is fine to give to dwarfs because it is low in sugar compared to the fruit flavored ones. Pasta is usually given dry to help wear down their teeth.

[Taxonomist]

Two things. One i honestly don't think dwarfs should have the yogurt. And two, how do you give the pasta. Dry? Cooked?

Why shouldn't they have yogurt? Yogurt is a great source of healthy bacteria that can aid in digestion. It's something that can be given before antibiotics to prevent stomach upset.

Pasta can be given either dry or cooked. Dry, it serves as a chew toy. Cooked, it's a tasty treat.