My hamster ate a tiny bit of chocolate, is he okay?

[tommywx]

Hey everyone

I was looking in the fridge for a small treat to give my hamster because he's bored. I gave him a tiny bit of a carrot and one chocolate coated wheeto out of the cereal box. Stupidly, I didn't research hamsters and chocolate before Ifed it to him. I read that it's very dangerous to hamsters and dogs. Will my hamster be ok?

I fed him one of these --> http://36.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly...54xo1_1280.png

[Shannonmcn]

One chocolate weeto probably won't be deadly since there isn't a lot of actual chocolate in them, hamsters do have some tolerance for chocolate so it isn't instantly deadly (the theobromine in chocolate is actually poisonous to all animals including humans, dogs just have a particularly low tolerance for it) but you don't want to take a risk that there is just enough chocolate in something to do real damage. So no more chocolate weetos ever and keep an eye on your ham for signs of distress. Theobromine can cause heart attacks and fits so you're watching for difficulty breathing or walking.

Always check before feeding them a new food, bookmark the safe food list or print one out and have it handy.

[tommywx]

Thank you very much! He seems quite hyperactive already like I read hamsters might become when chocolate is fed to them. I'll let him runon his ball for a few minutes so he can wear himself out.

[Shannonmcn]

I wouldn't actually. If he's hyperactive that is a sign it's affecting him and since I did just mention HEART ATTACKS it is best to keep him from exerting himself.