Are any of these leaves safe for hamsters?

[Scarlett Empress]

I know there are lots of flowers and herbs hamsters can eat but my sister feeds a whole variety of leaves to her rabbits and I wondered if any of these were hamster-safe - these are the ones I can remember!

Strawberry
Raspberry
Blackberry
Hawthorn
Hazel
Rose

She also dries a lot of these so they can have them in winter too, and was thinking of getting a dehydrator, so if I can feed them to my hamster too, I might consider chipping in part of the cost!

[BrainGirl]

They should all be safe, but in moderation. Some of those are considered to have medicinal properties and might upset something, nutrient balances are whatever by taking them. Watch for thorns on the undersides of the blackberry and raspberry leaves, and make sure that the leaves you harvest are from unsprayed plants. I've harvested rose leaves for my chinchillas and I wash them in clean water while fresh, then spread them on dehydrator trays. They dry quickly

[Scarlett Empress]

Thanks BrainGirl! Yes I will watch out for thorns - I know they don't bother the rabbits but wouldn't want to give Smokey anything thorny. We grow things in the garden for the rabbits, so we can be sure they are not sprayed at all.

I will only be giving her tiny bits, just for a bit of variety really.

[herbi7]

Dandelion leaves are ok too I think...

[cypher]

Definitely herbi, they love those!

[BrainGirl]

Dandelions are awesome and very healthy, but start small as they have the strongest medicinal properties of the bunch! They are diuretic for one thing and can have a slight laxative effect. They're also supposed to affect the liver and in fact it's something I give to one of my chinchilla girls who has liver damage. It should be fine to give as the effect is generally small but it's something to keep an eye on

[cypher]

The leaves are diuretic but it's mostly the root that has a laxative effect, you're right though of course BrainGirl, it is quite a powerful medicinal herb so a little goes a long way!

[Scarlett Empress]

Thanks everyone, she has tried dandelion leaves and does like them, but she only gets a tiny one, or a small piece of a bigger leaf - just as well, competition for dandelions is stiff in this household, what with the rabbits and the budgie loving them too!

[BrainGirl]

If I ever run out of wild dandelions there's a specialty grocery that sells them as salad greens I can always turn to