Can Hamsters Eat Oranges?

There are about 5 breeds of domestic hamsters which make trendy house pets. Two of them are the large species of hamsters like Syrian and Roborovski hamsters, while the rest are species of Dwarf hamsters (Campbell’s dwarf hamsters, Chinese hamsters, and Winter Whites Dwarf hamsters). As a pet owner, you should know precisely what kind of foods are safe for your little hamsters, and which ones are toxic for them.

If you are wondering ‘can hamsters eat orange,’ then you should know that the answer is No. Here is what you need to know about oranges and your hamsters.

What you need to know about oranges

Oranges are citrus fruit, just like tangerines and limes. While oranges can be a healthy and tasty snack for humans, for their hamster pets, it is quite the opposite.

The acidic content in orange is too high for your hamster’s delicate digestive systems. There are many other kinds of safe fruits you can feed your hamsters as a treat, so you should typically steer clear of oranges.

Can you feed oranges to your hamsters?

Generally, the answer is no. as you already know, your hamsters cannot possibly digest all the creamy foods that you eat, and you need to be very careful about the kind of foods you are feeding your pet hamsters.

When it comes to oranges, you should altogether avoid feeding this fruit to your hamsters, as the acid content is too high, and it may harm your hamster’s health.

What happens if your hamster eats a little bit of orange?

In case you accidentally feed a small piece of orange to your hamsters, you don’t need to panic! While oranges are generally not suitable for your hamsters, it should not cause any significant harm to them if they eat it just once.

However, if you notice any health changes in your hamster, such as vomiting or diarrhea, you should take your hamster to the vet immediately.

If you really want to feed orange to your hamster, then you should start off with a really tiny piece of it. Remember to remove the peel as well as the seeds, as these are toxic for your little hamster.

Give your hamster a tiny (paw sized amount) of orange, just to see how they react to it. Most probably, your hamster will find it way too acidic and reject it! At this point, you should remove the uneaten piece of orange from its cage safely so that the orange does not rot inside.

As a rule, do not feed orange to your hamster, as the acid content is too high and will simply cause distress for your little pets.

Conclusion

In case your hamster eats a small piece of orange, you can take him to the vet to get a check-up. Other than that, you should simply avoid feeding oranges to your hamsters, as it is not a safe food for them.

Keep your hamsters fit and healthy by giving them their regular hamster food from pet stores, and you can always feed them the occasional safe food as a treat, but avoid oranges!