Can Hamsters Eat French Fries? All Risks And Rewards

Do you love French fries and though your hamster will like them too as a treat? But before you share your French fries with your hamster, you need to know are French fries safe for hamsters? In this post, you’ll know if hamsters can eat French fries or not.
Can Hamsters Eat French Fries

Can hamsters eat French Fries – No, hamsters can’t eat French fries because they contain a high amount of oil and salt. These things are not healthy for your hamster as they can lead to various health issues.

To learn about feeding French fries to hamsters, read this post till the end!

Why Are French Fries Bad for Hamsters?

Most hamster foods don’t contain a high amount of salt or oil. Both these items are rich sources of fats, to which your little furry buddy isn’t used to. Foods rich in fats aren’t good for your hamster’s health because they can lead to obesity and hypertension. These conditions, if they remain unchecked, can even kill your hamster.

Besides these, many more health issues can occur, which can make your hamster sick. Common health issues that can occur in hamsters by eating French Fries include:

Congestive Heart Failure

If you give French fries to your hamster, you’re disturbing his normal heart functioning and increasing the risk of congestive heart failure. Foods that contain a high amount of salt can disturb normal blood pumping. The heart rate can increase to dangerous levels. Under such situations, it’s not a surprise that your hamster can die due to congestive heart failure.

It’s essential to feed him food that contains less salt to keep your hamster safe. Exclude French fried from his diet and add more vegetables, fruits, and other healthy items.

Allergies

Sudden food changes can cause severe food allergies in hamsters. If your hamster is used to eating a balanced diet, then French fries can make them severely sick. The sudden addition of French fries to their regular menu can initiate a serious reaction in your hamster’s body. It will make him sick, lethargic and a behavior change may also occur.

Diarrhea

Like other oily foods, French fries can cause diarrhea in your hamsters. Dehydration will make your hamster weak and inactive. In cases of severe dehydration, death can occur.

Will Your Hamster Die If You Give Him French Fries?

If your hamster has eaten a few French fries, he can recover from the side effects of the high oil and salt. If he consumes French fries in large quantities and without any interval, the problem will occur. 

Too many French fries will make it hard for your hamster to maintain the body parameters, blood pressure, weight, etc., in normal ranges. When these parameters are severely disturbed, your hamster can die. So, French fries can kill your hamster if your hamster eats them often in high amounts.

FAQs

Can Hamsters Eat Raw Potatoes?

No, hamsters can’t eat raw potatoes. No animals and even humans can’t eat raw potatoes due to the presence of a toxin known as solanine. If your hamster eats a piece of raw potato, he can die from solanine poisoning. To keep your hamster safe, don’t allow them to go near raw potatoes and take a bite out of curiosity.

Can Hamsters Eat Cooked Potatoes?

Yes, hamsters can eat cooked potatoes, but they shouldn’t contain oil, salt, or any kind of toppings. You can’t give seasoned potatoes that you made for yourself to your hamster too. But if the potatoes are plain, they are safe for your hamster.

Hamsters and Fries Summed Up

Understanding safe food items are important to extend your hamster’s life expectancy. French fries are unhealthy for your hamster and can decrease your hamster’s years with you. So, it’s better to avoid them and replace them with healthy and safe food items to make your hamster live longer! 

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a little about me
Hi, im Sofia
Hi, im Sofia

I'm a mother of 2, hamster enthusiast, animal lover, and blogger. I have had five hamsters in my life, each with their own personality!

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