When it comes to watermelon, we humans drool over it. This is such a yummy and delicious fruit that makes us healthy and fit from the inside too. But the sweet taste of watermelon may not be so good for the hamsters. We hereby will discuss this matter in this guide.
Can the hamster eat watermelon in summer?
The fruit is available mostly in summer and the juicy sweet fruit makes people go drooling over it due to its freshness and taste. Hamsters too can share the goodness of this fruit along with their human masters. All the different types of hamsters like the dwarf ones, the Syrian, or the Robo, all hamsters can have watermelon. It does not harm them in any way.
How much watermelon can a hamster eat?
Watermelon should be given to the hamster in moderation. The pet should not have more than one teaspoonful of fruit. Hamsters are small creatures and so is their tummy. So the tummy gets filled easily with a small amount of food. Giving them food in small portions is the right way to let them enjoy the item and also be enriched with the goodness of the food. Too much amount of anything will cause them diarrhea.
For the adult hamster, a teaspoonful of watermelon is good but for the young ones, even that will be excess. So you should give them half a spoonful of watermelon for one-time feed.
Also, you must remember to deseed the fruit before offering it to the hamster. The small seeds of the watermelon could not be managed by the pets and they can get choked by it. The amount of fruit can be given to them as treat and it should be given to them only once a week.
How watermelon can benefit the hamster?
Watermelon contains a good amount of water, so the name given to this fruit is justified. The fruit is almost 100% water which ensures that whenever the pet hamster will have a deficiency of water in its body or some kind of dehydration problem, you can just feed it watermelon and the problem will be solved.
Other than hydration, watermelon helps your pet in other ways too. This fruit is low in calories and thus, there is no chance of the pet getting obese after eating this fruit. Though too much feeding of watermelon may cause diarrhea or other stomach problem and you should keep that in mind.
Watermelon contains carotenoids which boost the heart health of the pet hamster. It also makes the pet safe from various diseases and allergies as vitamin C is present in watermelon. Collagen production is boosted due to the presence of vitamin C. As the nerves and veins work better the blood circulation also improves and the hamster lives a long and healthy life.
Any kind of infection will also be prevented when you will feed the hamster watermelon. The vitamin C present in that fruit also takes care of the immunity system of the pet.
How can you start giving watermelon to your hamster?
If you have not given your pet hamster any fresh fruit or vegetable then try to give a small spoon of watermelon so it gets adjusted to eating fruits. It is a wise way to start a fresh diet from watermelon as it will create interest in the hamster regarding fruits and vegetables. Additionally, this is a tasty fruit and will make the pet love its taste.
Hand feeding the first piece of watermelon is a good idea. The first piece of watermelon may not be well accepted by the pet hamster so providing this piece from your own hand will create trust in the mind of the pet. It will accept the fruit and later will love it for its taste.
Can hamsters eat watermelon seeds and rind?
The juicy and fragrant piece of watermelon is a treat to your pet hamster but the rind and seeds of the fruit are not good for it. The rind, other than being too hard and tasteless for the little creature, contains amino acid which has a sharp flavor. It is present in the form of citrulline in the rind of a watermelon.
Seeds are, however, sometimes eaten by the hamsters. The bigger breed of hamster, which is Syrian, can consume some seeds of the watermelon. They do not get choked by these as they are having bigger-sized heads.
But for the smaller breed of hamsters, eating the seeds will be an uncomfortable and sometimes even difficult task along with the risk of getting choked. So offering the fruit without seeds will be the best idea when you have a dwarf or Robo hamster as a pet.
Can you give watermelon juice to your hamster?
Giving juice of any fruit is not ideal for pets. If you give them the whole fruit or vegetable cut into small pieces then it would be much more helpful for them to have the benefit of these things. But giving them the juice of watermelon or any other fruit will remove the dietary fiber part from it.
Watermelon contains less amount of fiber, but that is necessary for the health of the hamster. The dietary fiber keeps the gut health of the pet good, and also the digestive system remains healthy.
Also, the juice of any fruit is too high in sugar and thus, can cause several health problems for the pet hamster. It can fall sick due to diabetes. Obesity can become a problem too. Though watermelon in fruit form will not cause obesity in the hamster, its juice of it may make the hamster obese, as this pet has a tendency to weight gain.
What kind of watermelon would be good for the hamsters?
When you give watermelon to your pet, make sure that it is free from pesticides. Get it from organic sources and rinse the fruit well before cutting. The pieces should be small or if you are giving it to a baby hamster then the pieces could be smashed. The hamster would love the taste and also you can be ensured that it is having a tasty treat.
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