When you have just lately bought a hamster and have a pet canine in your house, you could 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 use for each animals.
Is Canine Meals Unhealthy for My Hamster?
There are just a few causes that you just shouldn’t feed your hamster pet food, and we’ll take a look at every of them now.
Pure Weight loss plan
The largest motive to keep away from feeding your hamster pet food is that canines and hamsters have totally different pure diets. Whereas each animals are omnivores able to consuming vegetation and animals, canines are a lot nearer to the carnivorous aspect. They’ve solely grow to be omnivores from dwelling with people. As much as ⅔ of the dog’s diet may 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 slightly increased than what you’ll find in hamster food. Manufacturers like Hill’s Science Weight loss plan Grownup Massive Breed Rooster & Barley Recipe Dry Canine Meals have 20% protein or extra. Hamster meals like Higgins Sunburst Connoisseur 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 wanting nearer on the two pet meals we’ve talked about earlier, you may see that the pet food has a a lot increased fats content material than the hamster meals. This increased fats content material can result in coronary heart illness and weight problems in hamsters. As a result of being chubby can scale back your hamster’s lifespan, it’s greatest to keep away from meals with high-fat content material and follow 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 on your hamster, canine treats make an incredible occasional deal with on your pet. A canine deal with like Milk-Bone Mushy & Chewy Beef & Filet Mignon Recipe Canine Treats is appropriate on your hammy as a result of they often include many fillers like corn and soy. These components will not be nice on 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 exhausting, they usually might 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’ll often recognize 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 might help your hamster develop sturdy bones. Vitamin B12 can enhance our pet’s power ranges, assist combat 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 type as a result of it comprises an excessive amount of fats and animal proteins. Nevertheless, 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 monthly to make sure they keep wholesome and don’t placed on extra weight. In between treats, ensure they eat loads of Timothy hay to get the fiber they want.
Summing Up
In the event you caught your hamster munching down on a few of your canine’s meals whenever you weren’t wanting, they need to be advantageous. Nevertheless, you shouldn’t give your hamster pet food on goal as a result of it’s not according to their dietary wants, and it might rapidly result in well being issues if offered often. You possibly can give your hamster the occasional canine deal with, but it surely’s in all probability higher to stay to meals that hamsters are purported to eat, like Timothy hay, grass, fruits, and greens.
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