Fresh produce vs dry "hamster treats"

RCalabraro · 08-31-2011, 01:05 PM

First...I have noticed that the nights I don't give Tiberius fresh green leafy vegetables, he is definitely less perky the following night. He really loves his green leafies. Also I noticed a lot of owners give their hamsters "pet store" treats instead of fresh fruits and vegetables from the farmer market. I am an advocate of giving hammies fresh fruits and vegetables, because they have higher vitamin content than the dried stuff, and they MUST be tastier. After all, wouldn't you rather eat a fresh, crisp, juicy apple instead of a dry one? Furthermore, I believe that the fresh stuff is more like an animal would be eating in the wild.

Second... I have found it very difficult to find carrots with high sugar content. Most of the carrots grown in commercial farms (in the USA anyway) are grown in the South, where there isn't a harsh winter to force the carrot plant to convert its starchy roots into sugar. Although there's nothing wrong with these carrots, the sweet carrots definitely taste better. I want to give Tiberius as little processed food as possible (like dried or canned fruits with added sugar) but I know he has a sweet tooth and I want him to be happy and have yummy food. If you know what you are doing, nutritious can be yummy too!

Any advice anybody has on finding sweet carrots would be appreciated!

Ron

**Roxie** · 08-31-2011, 01:23 PM

You need to be careful about the amount of fresh fruit/veg you give a hamster, too much can cause stomach upsets.

RCalabraro · 08-31-2011, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roxie

You need to be careful about the amount of fresh fruit/veg you give a hamster, too much can cause stomach upsets.

I did not realize this. Thanks.

Ron

RCalabraro · 08-31-2011, 01:54 PM

Here is a good website about fresh fruits and veggies:

http://www.petwebsite.com/hamsters/h...vegetables.htm

I've been giving Tiberius fresh green leafy vegetables almost every night since January. I have definitely noticed that he seems perkier when he gets them. I feel bad for him when he doesn't get his "salad" and I feel terribly guilty about it. He is so well-behaved and if he doesn't get excellent nutrition, I feel like a bad owner.

Ron

RCalabraro · 08-31-2011, 01:57 PM

My supermarket sells "mesclun mix." This is what Tiberius is accustomed to having every night since the winter:

Mesclun - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sometimes I throw in some Romaine lettuce too. I will watch him more closely to make sure he does not get too much fresh produce. Although the exact opposite seems to be the case; he seems to be less perky without his greens.

Ron

fluffymunchkins · 08-31-2011, 02:32 PM

Its lovely you put so much effort in to finding fresh veg and fruit for him

Hamsters do love it, although i admit I don't feed it that much, maybe once a week.

It doesn't have much if any nutritional benefits, so I tend to feed protein rich food like chicken and mealworms for the youngsters. And baby food or milky weetabix for the older ones x

RCalabraro · 08-31-2011, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fluffymunchkins

Its lovely you put so much effort in to finding fresh veg and fruit for him

Hamsters do love it, although i admit I don't feed it that much, maybe once a week.

It doesn't have much if any nutritional benefits, so I tend to feed protein rich food like chicken and mealworms for the youngsters. And baby food or milky weetabix for the older ones x

Although fresh veggies don't have a lot of calories, they are rich in vitamins and minerals. Vitamins in particular tend to diminish when vegetable products are dried and that is the main reason I try to find fresh stuff. The green leafies in particular have lots of vitamins, as well as the fresh fruit.

To be honest, though, the main reason I do it is to make him happy. Eating all dried stuff like that has to get old after awhile. We have a nightly routine: he wakes up, he gets at least an hour in his ball, then he goes back in his cage and gets to eat his fresh stuff. He is so smart too; he comes right to me as soon as he sees me, and after he gets out of his ball he seems to express no interest at all in getting out of his cage. It is so cute to see him stuff a whole almond into his cheek!

Ron

essentiallysue · 08-31-2011, 05:59 PM

I have always given my dwarf hammies fresh produce twice a day. They also have another dish of their hamster mix. So they can choose. They always eat their fresh food first. They know how much they need and never overeat. I toss out what is not eaten when I serve their next meal. I also add chopped fresh chicken, egg, Mozarrella cheese, chopped nuts, and sometimes strained baby food and Tofu.

The fresh vegetable I use are usually broccoli, kale, romaine, cauliflour, green beans, cucumber, and spinach, collards or turnip greens, whatever I have on hand. If it's not fresh, they don't eat it.

RCalabraro · 08-31-2011, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by essentiallysue

I toss out what is not eaten when I serve their next meal.

This is the main thing to look for. Tiberius likes to bury some of his veggies. I go poking around for them. Luckily I know where he likes to stash!

Ron

LoveMyHams · 08-31-2011, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roxie

You need to be careful about the amount of fresh fruit/veg you give a hamster, too much can cause stomach upsets.

If you've been feeding him the veg consistently, and no stomach problems, you can probably keep it up, or go to every other day. Do watch for loose stools though.