Tomatoes

Can Hamsters eat Tomatoes? That question will certainly cross your mind if you’ve a hamster for a pet or are thinking of adopting one. Though different varieties of pet foods are available that’ll be adequate to supply your pet with her daily nutritional requirements, she’ll like it if you introduce some novelty in her routine diet regimen.

Now does hamsters eat tomatoes and is it safe?

Although, hamsters eat tomatoes without mincing any words, it can be stated explicitly that tomatoes are not a very healthy food option for hamsters. There are certain kinds of veggies and fruits that you should refrain from giving your pet hamsters and tomato is one such fruit. Tomatoes have a high acid content which can eventually prove fatalistic for the rodent.

Tomatoes are abundant in vitamin C and Lycopene that can lead to your hamster suffering from wet tails or diarrhoea. Hamsters also find tomatoes difficult to digest because of the unusual acidic content.

Never Offer Tomato Leaves or Large Portions of Tomatoes

When you’re offering tomatoes for the first time make it a point not to give any leaves along with it. Leaves will most likely lead to dehydration or make it ill. Most domesticated hamsters have been reported to suffer from dehydration when fed with tomatoes. And how’d you make out whether the rodent is dehydrated? Recognizable symptoms include sunken or depressed eyes, indolence or sluggishness, and loss of appetite.

The Basics Should Hamsters Eat Tomatoes

If you wish to test out whether your pet rodent has a penchant for tomatoes, then start out with just a spoonful of the same. Vets recommend offering a maximum of half spoon of the fruit and that too, it should be given just once weekly. In other words, it should be fed along with other food items as a choice food item or a treat. Tomatoes should never be included regularly in her diet. If you observe that your hamster is not quite keen or enthusiastic on nibbling on the fruit, then it’s a sign that she doesn’t like it. Hence you should completely refrain from feeding the rodent this fruit. Moreover, since tomatoes don’t have any significant health benefits for hamsters, you’ll be better off giving her other nutritious food items including but not limited to carrots, green beans, broccoli, zucchini, turnip, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, buckwheat, and lentils.

Conclusion

Since tomatoes are not a recommended food item for your hamster, you should stay away from supplying tomatoes to her. And even if you want to give the fruit, then see to it that you offer only a very tiny portion, a half teaspoon to be precise.