Most pet hamsters descended from a litter of Syrian hamsters delivered to america from Aleppo in 1930. Their wild counterparts are omnivores that eat all kinds of meals, from seeds to nuts to bugs. That broad description would appear to point that almonds are secure for them to eat, significantly since wild hamsters now feed on agricultural crops of their native lands. These animals could have encountered almonds within the wild. So, hamsters can have an occasional almond, however a number of caveats exist. Some are widespread sense and what you’d anticipate; others are surprising however nonetheless price figuring out.
The Dietary Worth of Almonds
Almonds are a wholesome snack for individuals, boasting many potential cardiovascular and digestive advantages; it’s no marvel you’d need to share them together with your pet. A 1-ounce serving of unroasted almonds accommodates about 76.5 g of magnesium, 76.3 g of calcium, and 6 g of protein. They’re additionally wealthy in phosphorus, potassium, and vitamin E.
Consultants suggest that hamsters get between 15 to twenty% protein. That would appear to place almonds excessive on the checklist of wholesome meals. Nonetheless, it’s not a slam dunk with regards to hamsters. Whereas they’re excessive in minerals and fat-soluble nutritional vitamins, they lack many different very important vitamins. That places them within the deal with class as a substitute of being a major a part of their weight loss plan, regardless of their well being advantages.
The Issues With Feeding Almonds to Hamsters
There are two foremost issues with regards to feeding almonds to hamsters; the primary is fats. Almonds are 50% fats, with a 1-ounce serving containing 14.1 g of fats. Weight problems is simply as harmful for tiny pets as it’s for cats, canine, and people. Do not forget that treats should only make up a maximum of 10% of your pet’s diet, and the fats content material of almonds implies that these are one deal with that needs to be saved to an absolute minimal.
The opposite subject is the way in which during which the almonds is likely to be packaged. It’s common for almonds to be roasted and salted, and that is positively a no-no on your hamster.
FAQ
Are Some Almonds Toxic?
You might need heard about toxic almonds, and there’s some fact to this. There’s a selection referred to as bitter almonds, that aren’t generally present in supermarkets. One of these almond accommodates larger quantities of a substance referred to as amygdalin, which is answerable for their bitter taste. When metabolized by the physique, amygdalin is transformed into cyanide, which we all know is toxic.
Curiously, it’s not simply bitter almonds that include this substance; common almonds include it as properly, however in a lot smaller quantities, as do the stones of apricots and peaches, and apple seeds. However don’t begin throwing away your apples; the quantity of apple seeds you would want to devour to get a worrying degree of cyanide could be greater than anybody might ever handle in a single sitting!
How Poisonous Are Candy Almonds?
Those we eat are from one other selection and, thus, have a distinct focus of amygdalin. They common 25.2 mg/kg, whereas bitter almonds are off the charts at 1,062 mg/kg. Not that they’d in all probability get pleasure from them, however you should definitely by no means feed bitter almonds to your hamster, or another pets.
Last Ideas
You may give your hamster an almond as a particular deal with. Nonetheless, it should be unsalted and unflavored. The excessive caloric and fats content material of those nuts makes them unsuitable as an everyday deal with. We suggest sticking with a commercial diet and treats formulated particularly for rodents like hamsters. That’ll guarantee your pet is getting full and balanced vitamin to fulfill their dietary wants.
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