Avocados are one of the most beloved fruits due to their nutritional value and incredible taste. However, many foods that humans eat may not be as beneficial to animals. So, can hamsters eat avocados?
Hamsters can eat avocado as it doesn’t contain ingredients toxic to them. However, avocados are high in energy (calories) which may not be good for them. Additionally, avocados have little nutritional value for hamsters. Although avocados aren’t toxic, you should avoid giving them to your hamster.
Hamsters may not be picky eaters, but their digestive system is! They must follow a strict diet to stay healthy, including avoiding sugar and calories. In this article, I’ll cover everything there is to know about feeding your hamsters avocado.
Is Avocado Toxic to Hamsters?
The list of toxic foods to hamsters is a long one. Their digestive systems aren’t designed to process ingredients that many humans eat regularly. For instance, theobromine — found in dark chocolate — is highly toxic to hamsters.
Some fruits don’t fare any better with hamsters. Citrus fruits are harmful because of citric acid, which causes digestive issues in hamsters. Even fruits high in lactose and fructose (natural sugar) can easily cause diabetes in hamsters. Glucose — the sugar found in the bloodstream — is safe.
Based on this, avocados should be a perfect treat for our pet hamsters. In this aspect, they are. Avocados don’t contain theobromine or citric acid. Plus, they’re not high in sugar. Therefore, avocados aren’t toxic to hamsters.
However, you shouldn’t grab an avocado and feed it to your hamster just yet. It might seem like a perfect fruit for a hamster’s diet, but it can be more harmful than beneficial.
Some Reasons Why Hamsters Should Avoid Avocado
Some hamster owners don’t give avocados to their hamsters because of persin. Avocados and their leaves contain persin, which is poisonous to some animals. While hamsters don’t fall under this category, you should still avoid giving them avocados.
Since an avocado’s central part is soft and mushy when ripe, the first sign of concern is the hamster’s cavities. Soft fruits and food can get stuck in hamsters’ cheek pouches which they use to store food. Additionally, plaque can accumulate all over hamsters’ long teeth, leading to tooth decay. If you feed your hamster avocado, you should clean its teeth afterward.
Avocado’s Nutritional Value and Its Effect on Hamsters
Avocados are extremely high in energy because of their high amount of fat. It’s one of the fruits with the most calories per ounce/gram. As an article published in Molecules states about avocados, “the pulp of this fruit contains about 60% oil, 7% skin, and approximately 2% seed.”
High amounts of oil can harm animals, especially small ones like hamsters.
Some research indicates that defatted avocados can be beneficial. A 2020 research used freeze-dried defatted avocado paste on 30 golden Syrian hamsters. The results showed that this diet reduced “dyslipidemia values in hamsters.” However, ordinary households don’t have defatted avocados.
On its official website, the US Department of Agriculture provides a list of nutritional values for avocados. An average avocado found in California and Florida is about 7 oz (201 g) and contains 322 calories! It also has around 1 oz (29 g) of fat.
Generally, hamsters need around 20 calories daily. You’d need to give a tiny amount of avocado to a hamster so as not to surpass its daily calorie dose. We’re talking about 0.35 oz (10 g) of avocado.
The amount also depends on the breed and size. Dwarf hamsters will need a smaller amount than Syrian hamsters, for instance. Moreover, if a hamster already has an existing health condition, that can affect the amount you need to give.
Overall, it’s not worth feeding your hamster avocado as the tiniest amount may overfeed its caloric intake.
What About Seed and Skin?
Hamsters aren’t strangers to eating insects in the wild. Their long and sharp teeth can handle tougher surfaces. Indeed, they require harder treats to chew on, like nuts or chewing toys, to make their teeth less sharp. The avocado seed seems like a perfect chewing exercise, but is it?
Because avocado seeds are so big, they’re not recommended for hamsters to eat. They can be too difficult to chew and may cause dental problems. Also, hamsters may choke on avocado skin because it’s chewy and tough.
Better Alternatives Than Avocado for Your Hamster
A hamster’s diet requires a well-balanced intake of:
- Protein
- Fiber
- Fat
Although fat and sugar aren’t healthy, you should include them occasionally in your hamster’s diet. The problem occurs when hamster owners include too much fat and sugar.
The best option is a commercial hamster mix. It contains the foundational dietary requirements of any hamster. Hamsters also love:
- Pellet food (no sugar)
- Seeds
- Nuts
These are all healthy options, but ensure they’re not too hard for your hamster to chew.
You should also give some fruits to your hamster occasionally. Give them only a tiny amount daily. Remember, no citrus fruits, like oranges or clementines.
Here are some fruits your hamster will enjoy eating:
- Grapes
- Apples
- Strawberries
- Bananas
- Peaches
- Blueberries
- Pears
- Plums
Hamsters also need some vegetables in their diet. Again, provide only a tiny amount of vegetables daily.
These are some vegetables you can give to your hamster:
- Kale
- Spinach
- Carrots
- Peas
- Celery
- Squash
- Cucumber
Lastly, give your hamster cooked chicken meat once a week as it’s high in protein.
Note: If you notice any changes in your hamster’s eating habits or diarrhea, it’s a sign you need to reduce the quantity of some food. It’s also possible you gave your hamster something it can’t digest.
Final Thoughts
Technically, hamsters can eat avocado, but there’s more harm than good. Avocados contain large amounts of fats, meaning you can only feed your hamster about 0.35 oz (10 g) of avocado daily.
Avocados aren’t toxic to hamsters like citrus fruits are, but they’re not that beneficial either. They’re far more beneficial for humans than for hamsters.
If you decide to give your hamster an avocado, check and clean its teeth after its meal.
Better alternatives than avocado for hamsters are:
- Apples
- Grapes
- Bananas