Are you wondering if your hamster can eat corn or not? There is no straightforward answer to this question. Roborovski and Syrian hamsters can eat corn moderately, but dwarf hamsters like Campbell dwarf hamsters and Winter White dwarf hamsters cannot have it as they are more vulnerable to obesity and diabetes. It is essential to mention here that corn adds no nutritional value to the diet of hamsters.
Still confused? Let’s have a closer look at the whole idea so you can decide more easily.
Benefits of Corn for Hamsters
Corn is a rich source of vitamins and minerals like Vitamin B, Magnesium, and Manganese, along with dietary fibers which are essential for normal bowel functioning. It can be a good snack for your hamster if they are not dwarf. Corn also contains water, sugar, and starch. It is a cheap energy source for hamsters due to its low cost and for the same reason, it is present in most commercial hamsters’ diets.
Risks Associated with Feeding Corn to Hamsters
As mentioned earlier, dwarf hamsters cannot eat corn because of health risks. Due to its large sugar and starch content, it can cause diabetes and obesity in dwarf species. Species like Roborovski and Syrian can be fed with corn but should be restrained to a few seeds 4-3 times a week. Corn is not a high-quality energy source, so you shouldn’t add it to hamsters’ regular balanced diet.
Therefore, as a parent, you should keep in your mind that your hamster will choose unhealthy food only because it’s delicious. You should ensure that your hammy should not become habitual of eating less healthy treats like corn. These treats could affect the intake of a valuable and essential part of the diet.
How Can You Prepare Corn for Your Hamster?
You should prepare your hamster’s corn to treat at home because purchased canned corn or cream corn have very high sodium levels that can put extreme pressure on the kidneys of your little hammy and can cause kidney failure and eventually death. There are several ways of preparing harmless corn for your hamster.
There are several ways of preparing corn for your hamster at home. You can simply boil them and put them inside your hamster’s bowl. Other than that, you can also give them dried corns. Melted frozen corn is also not recommended because it has large sodium content as well. You should only feed preservatives-free, natural, and home-prepared corn to the hamsters.
Alternatives of Corn for Your Hamster
As corn is not an ideal part of your hamster’s diet. You must be wondering about other options. Here are some healthy alternates of corn:
- Dandelion greens
- Asparagus
- Kale
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Cauliflower
- Peanuts (without salt)
- Peanut butter
- Hay
- Sweet potatoes
- Lettuces
- Green leafy romaine
- Cucumber
- Red pepper
- Green pepper
- Celery
- Bok choy
- Beans
- Legumes
- Apple chunks
- Pear
- Blueberries
- Bananas
- Bread
- Strawberries
- Rice
FAQs
Yes, hamsters can eat baby corn. It can be a very delicious treat for your hamster. Baby corn has a very different character from regular corn. Your hamster is going to appreciate that surely. Only fresh baby corn should be fed to hamsters because purchased canned or pickled baby corn contains large sodium content, which is harmful to hamsters.
Yes, most commercial brands have corn in them as it is considered a cheap source of energy for hamsters. But high-quality brands like Oxbow Essentials, Healthy Handfuls Gerbil, and Hamster do not have corn. Feeding these products to your hamster will ensure that your little fellow is getting a highly nutritious diet.
No, the hamsters cannot eat sweet corn because it is tough to digest and has a high sugar content that can increase the risk of diabetes and obesity in hamsters. It is recommended that you should stick to the normal corn as your hamsters treat.
Hamsters Eating Corns Concluded
Your hamster can eat corn but as a diet. Feeding dwarf hamsters corn is prohibited because it can cause severe health complexities. Only species like Campbell and Roborovski can have corn treat but only a few seeds 3-4 times a week. Corn should be considered a treat because it does not add any significant value to the nutrition table of your hamster.
As a guardian, you must make sure that consumption of these types of treats should not overshadow the consumption of essential and healthy elements of your hamster’s diet. Corn treats should be prepared at home. Purchased items contain preservations and excess amounts of sodium which are toxic for your hamster.
