Category: hamster

Hamsters are popular pets that are a lot of fun to own. One of the most fun things about hamsters is that there is a wide variety of foods that they are able to eat, so you can play around with foods to find your hammy’s favorites. If you’re currently in summertime stone fruit season, then you may be wondering what stone fruits are safe for your hamster. Plums are popular stone fruits that are typically easy to find in stores during stone fruit season, but are they safe for hamsters? The good news is that hamsters can eat plums.

Can Hamsters Eat Plums?

Yes, plums are a safe food for hamsters! There are a few things to keep in mind when offering plums to your hamster, though. Plums are high in sugar, which can lead to stomach upset and, in the long run, lead to obesity and serious medical conditions. They are also a relatively acidic fruit, which can also lead to stomach upset. It’s advised to limit plums to only a couple of bite-sized pieces once per week.

Can Hamsters Eat Dried Plums?

While hamsters can technically eat dried plums because they are not a toxic food, it’s generally recommended to stick to fresh plums. Dried fruits are very high in sugar, and they are a more concentrated version of the fresh fruit. This means there is a higher risk of digestive upset in hamsters that eat dried plums instead of pieces of fresh plums.

You also might recognize that dried plums are also known as prunes. Prunes are known for their ability to reduce constipation due to high concentrations of sorbitol having a laxative effect. If your hamster overeats prunes, then they are likely to develop diarrhea, which can be severe if they eat a significant amount. The diarrhea can quickly cause dehydration in such a small pet.

Are Plums Good for Hamsters?

Plums are not-toxic to hamsters but are not ideal due to the high sugar content. If your hamster is already on a good, balanced diet they have no nutritional need for plums. However, a small amount of fresh produce is encouraged from time to time as a treat. It is best to give a range of fruits and vegetables and a small amount of plum fruit can certainly be part of the rotation. As with any food, it is best to introduce slowly and monitor for any digestive upsets.

In Conclusion

Plums are a safe food for most hamsters. They should be fed in moderation in very small quantities, no more than once weekly. If overfed, plums can cause digestive upset, even leading to dangerous diarrhea. If your hamster is overfed plums frequently, then they can lead to obesity and other diseases associated with obesity and consuming too much sugar.

Featured Image Credit: Africa Studio, Shutterstock

The post Can Hamsters Eat Plums? Vet-Reviewed Nutritional Facts & FAQ appeared first on Pet Keen.

How good is a hamster’s eyesight? This is a question that many hamster owners and enthusiasts find themselves asking. The short answer is: not very good during daytime and better with low light conditions. Hamsters have well-developed senses of smell and hearing, which help them navigate the world. However, there’s much more to this story. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the fascinating world of hamster anatomy, focusing on their eyesight and providing useful tips to ensure your furry friend stays healthy.

Basic Hamster Eye Anatomy

Hamster eyes are unique in their structure, which is perfectly adapted to their nocturnal lifestyle. They are small and protruding, and their location gives hamsters a field of view of approximately 270 degrees.¹ This characteristic is essential for these prey animals, as it helps them spot potential predators quickly.

At the back of their eyes, they have the retina, where the photoreceptors (light-sensitive cells) work. There are two types of photoreceptors: rods and cones. Put simply, rods are responsible for night vision and cones for color vision. Hamsters’ retinas have approximately 97% rods and 3% cones, which explains their nocturnal habits.

Hamster Vision Range

When it comes to a hamster’s visual field, it extends approximately 270 degrees, which compared to the 180 degrees humans have, it is quite impressive. On the other hand, hamsters’ visual acuity is quite poor. It is estimated that they can see approximately with a visual acuity of 20/2000. The visual acuity of normal humans is 20/20. The translation to this is that a hamster must be approximately 100 times closer to an object to see it as sharply as we do.

Color Perception

The world from a hamster’s perspective is not as color rich as ours. Studies suggest that while hamsters can perceive some colors, their color perception is far less vivid and rich compared to humans. Their color vision is believed to be in the blue and green spectrums. This limited color perception is due to the types of cone photoreceptors in their eyes. Nonetheless, it’s a fascinating glimpse into how these adorable creatures see the world around them.

The Importance of Other Senses

While vision plays a key role in a hamster’s interaction with their environment, other senses are equally critical for their survival and everyday activities. We’re now shifting our focus from their eyesight to other sensory systems – their acute hearing and remarkable sense of smell, paramount for communication, finding food, and sensing danger.

Smell

The sense of smell is not just important, but vital for hamsters. It’s their primary way of understanding and interacting with the world. Hamsters use their advanced olfactory abilities to distinguish between a variety of scents. This allows them to identify food sources, even in complex environments. It’s also a crucial tool in social interactions, helping them recognize potential mates or detect the presence of rivals. Moreover, hamsters use scent-marking to establish their territory, leaving behind a unique aroma that communicates ownership to other hamsters. Their sense of smell also alerts them to potential dangers, such as the presence of predators, ensuring they remain safe in their habitat.

Hearing

Hamsters are gifted with a great sense of hearing. This auditory sensitivity allows them to perceive high-frequency sounds that are completely beyond the human hearing range. Such a heightened hearing ability serves as a critical survival mechanism, alerting them to possible threats that may be lurking nearby. The slightest rustle or squeak can send a hamster scurrying for cover. This auditory acuity also enables them to communicate with each other using ultrasonic vocalizations that are imperceptible to us humans.

Touch

Touch, particularly through their whiskers, plays a significant role in how hamsters explore and navigate their surroundings. These whiskers, also known as vibrissae, are packed with nerve endings, making them highly sensitive to changes in their environment. As hamsters are primarily nocturnal and have limited vision, they rely heavily on these whiskers to maneuver around. The whiskers provide tactile feedback, helping hamsters detect and avoid obstacles, locate entrances to burrows, and even find their food. These tactile appendages essentially act as a hamster’s ‘hands’, giving them a sense of touch that guides them through their daily activities.

Caring for Your Hamster’s Eyes

While understanding a hamster’s senses is necessary for their well-being, it is also vital to pay attention to their eyes and their care. Hamsters’ eyes are crucial for their interaction with the world. This section will provide essential tips and guidelines on how to maintain your hamster’s eye health, ensuring they live a comfortable and healthy life.

Regular Check-ups

Ensuring the health of your hamster’s eyes starts with regular check-ups. These don’t necessarily require a trip to the vet each time; instead, they can be done at home during your routine interaction with your tiny companion. Observe your hamster’s eyes closely for any changes in appearance or behavior. Signs of redness could indicate irritation or inflammation. Cloudiness in the eyes might be a sign of cataracts, a condition more common in older hamsters. Discharge from the eyes is often a sign of an infection or possible injury. In any of these cases, it’s crucial to consult with a vet promptly to ensure your pet gets the necessary care and treatment.

Clean Environment

A clean environment is vital to prevent eye infections and other health issues in hamsters. Their living area, particularly their cage, should be cleaned thoroughly on a regular basis. This includes removing old food, washing the cage with a pet-safe cleaner, and replacing the bedding. Bedding should be soft and dust-free to avoid irritating your hamster’s eyes. It’s also crucial to keep the cage in a well-ventilated area to prevent the buildup of ammonia from urine, which can also cause eye irritation. By maintaining cleanliness, you reduce the risk of bacteria growth and potential infections, contributing to the overall well-being of your hamster.

Balanced Diet

Feeding your hamster a balanced diet is another key aspect of maintaining their eye health. Hamsters must be fed a commercial formulated diet recommended by your vet. Diets based on seeds are not nutritionally complete and can cause health problems. Occasional treats should be high in protein and low in fat.

If you are considering giving your hamster any new foods, always introduce them gradually to avoid upsetting your hamster’s digestive system, and most importantly, make sure your vet gives you the green light for whichever dietary addition you are planning to make.

Conclusion

Life from a hamster’s perspective is quite different from ours. While they may not have the sharpest eyesight, they make up for it with their other senses. As pet owners, understanding these differences allows us to better care for our little friends and appreciate the unique ways they interact with the world.

Featured Image Credit: Vinokurov Alexandr, Shutterstock

The post How Good Is a Hamster’s Eyesight? Vet-Verified Facts appeared first on Pet Keen.

Throwing up is not a pleasant experience for anyone, particularly because the sign indicates that something is wrong. If you’re a dog or cat owner, it can be especially scary when your pet vomits. But if you’re a hamster owner, you might have never seen your pet throw up and are wondering if they even can.

Hamsters are physically incapable of throwing up, so if it looks like your hammy is vomiting, they are likely just emptying their cheek pouches.

If you would like to learn more about why hamsters don’t vomit and how you can tell when they’re sick, read on!

What Prevents Hamsters From Throwing Up?

It’s not only hamsters that can’t vomit—it’s the case for nearly all rodents. A 2013 study¹ examined three species from the three major groups of mammals in the Rodentia family:

The researchers used chemicals that could cause vomiting, but the rodents in the study did not gag or vomit. The reasons for this inability to throw up are physical and neurological.

It was discovered that rodents have fewer muscles in the diaphragm which sits underneath the lungs. Additionally, the stomach is not designed to move contents upward effectively. The researchers also found less nerve, shoulder, mouth, and throat activity, which are all normally linked with throwing up.

This all means that both the bodies and brains of rodents make it physically impossible for them to vomit.

Why Can’t Rodents Vomit?

No one knows exactly why rodents are designed not to vomit, but it’s believed that the ability to vomit was replaced with different defense mechanisms.

For example, many rodents eat clay when sick. A 2009 study showed that sick rats that ate clay actually had a better recovery as they ate more and lost less weight.

Why Does Your Hamster Sometimes Look Like They Are Vomiting?

If you’re new to hamster ownership, it might be a little disconcerting to see what looks like piles of vomit come out of their mouths.

But this is just your hammy pushing stored food out of their cheek pouches. The name “hamster” comes from the German word, “hamstern,” which translates to “hoard,” and this is exactly what hamsters do.

Their elastic cheek pouches stretch to store large amounts of food. So, hamsters stuff them full of food to be transported to their abode where they can eat their food in safety.

Domestic hamsters haven’t lost this instinct even though it isn’t technically necessary. You’ll notice your hamster stuffing their cheeks full of the food that you’ve provided, only to carry it around for a bit and then push it all out in a different location in their habitat.

It does look like they are throwing up sometimes, but it’s perfectly natural behavior.

What Should You Not Feed Your Hamster?

While hamsters are typically good at figuring out what they should and shouldn’t eat, you should still know what you shouldn’t feed your pet. Since they can’t throw something up that might make them unwell, you must ensure they don’t have access to anything harmful.

Beyond these, there are a few foods that are fine for hamsters in small amounts occasionally, but must prepared in a specific way:

What Can Make Hamsters Choke?

Keep your hamster safe by moving potential choking hazards out of reach. For example, certain types of bedding can cause choking. Cotton is one of the worst culprits because it can get stuck in their teeth, is difficult to chew and swallow, and is known to be deadly for hamsters. Avoid bedding floss or anything else made with cotton. Electrical cords are double the danger—there’s the risk of electrocution and the possibility of choking.

Before you let your hamster out to explore, you’ll need to hamster-proof the area. Move all cords out of your hamster’s reach, as well as anything small, such as pellets, toys, marbles, or whatever else they could potentially swallow.

How Can You Tell If Your Hamster Is Sick?

Your hamster will display several signs when they have ingested something that they shouldn’t have.

If your hamster exhibits any of these signs, you must bring them to your veterinarian or closest emergency animal hospital. Once a hamster shows signs of distress, they can quickly deteriorate.

Conclusion

Since hamsters are incapable of throwing up, you’ll need to keep anything that they can choke on or that is toxic for them out of reach. You might also be interested to know that hamsters (and all rodents) cannot burp, but they do fart!

You should always pay attention to your hamster and their behavior, particularly if they aren’t acting like their usual selves. Knowing that they can’t vomit makes feeding them the right food even more important, so you can ensure to keep your hammy healthy and safe.

Featured Image Credit: Victor FlowerFly, Shutterstock

The post Can Hamsters Throw Up? Vet-Approved Facts & Explanation appeared first on Pet Keen.