So, can hamsters eat pomegranate safely? No, hamsters will love to eat a pomegranate, but pomegranate seeds are not safe for hamsters. The biggest reason is that pomegranate seeds are rich in sweetness. Sweetness is directly proportional to sugar content, which causes diabetes and other life-threatening diseases in the hamsters.
Now you might be wondering that pomegranate is all-natural, so what’s wrong? To clear all your confusion, let’s dive deep into the concept.
Nutritional Value Of Pomegranate
To understand why we are not recommending pomegranate as a treat for your hamster, you will have to learn about the nutritional value of the fruit first.
Without any further delay, let’s jump to the nutritional information of the pomegranate:
- Protein 1.67 g
- Vitamin C 10.2 mg
- Iron 0.3 mg
- Potassium 236 mg
- Manganese 0.119 mg
- Zinc 0.35 mg
- Magnesium 12 mg
- Thiamine (B1) 0.067 mg
- Energy 346 kJ (83 kcal)
- Dietary fiber 4 g
- Carbohydrates 18.7 g
- Fat 1.17 g
This is the amount of nutrition, minerals, and vitamins that 100g of pomegranate seeds contain. You don’t need much knowledge of nutritional sciences to see that these are a lot of nutrition for 100g.
Hamsters’ bodies cannot handle this much amount of nutrition at once. Honestly speaking, these nutritions are excessive for any living being, let alone hamsters.
Risks Of Feeding Pomegranate
We saw the nutritional chart of pomegranate seeds, but what does this actually mean?
Down below, I have explained the risks that can occur if your hamster consumes pomegranate seeds:
Diabetes
Most first-time hamster owners are unaware that hamsters are also prone to diabetes. Moreover, the consumption of high-sugar content foods is the main reason behind diabetes in hamsters.
If you didn’t know this earlier, then you should check the symptoms of diabetes in your hamster right away.
Following are the symptoms of diabetes in the hamsters:
Frequent Urination
This symptom is noticeable when diabetes in the hamsters is left untreated for long. In the worst-case scenario, your hamster will urinate after every 20 minutes. Furthermore, an unpleasant smell coming from the bedding of your hamster will certainly indicate diabetes.
Dehydration
The most common symptom of diabetes in hamsters is dehydration. Although hamsters naturally drink a lot of water, they get more thirsty if they have diabetes. Look closely at how much water your hamster is drinking per day. If it is emptying the water bottle multiple times a day, then immediately consult with your vet.
One thing you should also look for is leaks in the water bottle. Sometimes there are very small leaks in the water bottle, which are discovered upon observing carefully.
Thick Yellow Claws
The most prominent symptom of diabetes in hamsters is yellow nails. Diabetes not only yellows hamsters’ nails it also makes them thick. These nails can be very painful for your hamster. Therefore, take it to the vet if you see irregularity in your hamster’s nails.
Weak Bones
Another risk that feeding pomegranate seeds can pose is weakening the bones of your hamster. Although weakening of bones is pretty common with aging in hamsters, pomegranate seeds can shorten the process. This is due to the excessive amount of minerals present in the seeds of the pomegranate.
For that reason, if you want your hamster to live longer and peacefully with you, keep pomegranate away from it.
FAQs
The following commonly asked questions covering pomegranate and hamsters may be helpful for you:
If it is only one seed or two, look for any indigestion signs. Usually, consuming small amounts of pomegranate seeds only leads to diarrhea in the hamsters. If your hamster’s health is deteriorating drastically, visit the vet without wasting any time.
Yes, although this is rare but true. Some hamsters can show signs of allergic reactions after consuming pomegranate. These reactions include swelling of the mouth and itching.
Hamsters And Pomegranates Wrapped Up
Feeding pomegranate seeds to your hamster as a treat might sound like a good idea. However, if you look at the nutritional value of the pomegranate, you will realize it’s entirely the opposite. Pomegranate is not a good fruit to be consumed excessively by humans. On the other hand, even small amounts of a pomegranate can cause big problems for your furry friend.
Some major risks of feeding pomegranate seeds to your hamster include diabetes, weak bones, and thick yellow nails. One thing to note here is that if your hamster has accidentally consumed one pomegranate seed, the worse that can happen is diarrhea.
