Which fruit is red in color, widely popular as an aphrodisiac, and is loved by people of all ages? Strawberry, indeed. If you are one of those people who loves strawberries a lot, you would want to feed them to your hamster. After all, you would want your hamster, too, to experience strawberry’s rich taste. But can hamsters eat strawberries? Are strawberries healthy for hamsters? Can they cause any health-related problems? What should you know before giving your hamster strawberries? Read this blog post and find out.
Strawberries
Before we find out if your hamster can eat strawberries, let’s look at what strawberries are and where they come from.
Even though strawberry’s name leads us to believe it is a berry, it’s not actually the case. In botany, only fruits that develop from single flowers with single ovaries are considered berries. So, fruits like bananas, cucumbers, grapes, and eggplants are considered berries. But strawberries and raspberries, which form from flowers with multiple ovaries, are not considered berries, even if their names lead us to believe otherwise. Strawberries and raspberries are considered aggregate fruits. (Also read: Can hamsters eat raspberries?)
Origin
The earliest mention of strawberry comes from the Roman poets Virgil and Ovid from the first century AD. But they only mention strawberries as being used for ornamental and medical purposes. They did not mention it as a fruit that was widely consumed for its rich taste. Even though they might have still eaten wild strawberries, they may not have been so tasty as the ones today. So, the ancient Romans did not cultivate it (Source: The University of Vermont).
It took thirteen centuries for the strawberry to transition from a wild crop to a domestically cultivated crop. And we have to thank the French for this transition. They are the ones who started cultivating strawberries in their gardens. Charles V, the French king who ruled from 1364 to 1380, had almost 1,200 strawberry plants planted in his garden (Source: Wikipedia).
But strawberry wasn’t native to Europe alone. It was native to North America as well. When the European explorers landed in North America, they found strawberries growing there. The native Americans crushed the strawberries, mixed them with cornmeal, and baked them into strawberry-flavored bread. The colonists who tried this bread liked its taste. So, they created their own version of this bread and called it strawberry shortcake (Source: Queensland Strawberries).
Nutritional content in strawberry
A strawberry can be a healthy treat for your hamster. It contains a lot of essential vitamins and minerals. The nutritional content in 100g of strawberries is listed below:
Can hamsters have strawberries? Are strawberries safe for hamsters to eat?
Strawberries can be very healthy for your pet hamster when used as an occasional treat.
Health benefits of strawberries
1. Strawberries contain significant amounts of Vitamin C, which is required for the development, growth, and repair of body tissues. It also helps heal wounds and enhances the immune system of your furry friend.
2. Strawberries contain sufficient amounts of calcium and potassium and a little bit of iron. Calcium keeps the teeth and bones strong. So, it is indispensable for rodents like hamsters, whose teeth keep growing until they die. Potassium is also an important mineral your hamster needs. It keeps your hamster’s heart healthy and reduces blood pressure. Iron is necessary for blood production. It also plays a role in regulating your hamster’s body temperature and several other body functions.
3. Strawberries are ranked among the top 20 fruits in antioxidant capacity (Source: WebMD). They contain different antioxidants. Antioxidants are chemical compounds that offer a free electron to free radicals. Free radicals are dangerous molecules that may be produced in the body due to internal or external factors. Free radicals are highly unstable molecules. To become stable, they need an electron, which they normally steal from body cells or membranes. In worst-case scenarios, free radicals could even trigger an undesirable mutation by damaging the DNA in cells, thereby causing cancer. But once it gets an electron it needs, a free radical becomes non-toxic to cells in the body. But antioxidants prevent all these from happening by offering electrons to free radicals and neutralizing them.
Strawberries contain an anthocyanidin called Pelargonidin, which is responsible for their red color. It possesses powerful antioxidant capabilities and helps fight against diabetes. A study done on rats indicates that Pelargonidin can prevent the occurrence of neuropathic hyperalgesia (increased sensitivity and extreme response to pain) caused due to diabetes (Source: National Library of Medicine). Another study indicates that Pelargonidin normalizes blood glucose levels and insulin levels in diabetic rats. It also counteracts hemoglobin glycation, where glucose molecules get stuck to hemoglobin molecules and increase the production of free radicals in the body (Source: ScienceDirect). Thus, Pelargonidin protects the blood cells from damage.
Ellagitannins and ellagic acid present in strawberries fight against bacteria and inhibit cancer cell growth (Source: ScienceDirect).
The Proanthocyanidin present in strawberries acts as an antioxidant and fights against harmful microbes. It also protects the body against cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, and certain types of cancer (Source: ScienceDirect).
4. Almost 91% of strawberries is water. Moreover, every 100g of strawberries contains 2g of dietary fiber. Both water and fiber make your hamster’s bowel movement smoother and prevent constipation. Due to its high water content, strawberries also help your hamster stay hydrated, particularly if it doesn’t drink enough water.
5. The sugar content in strawberries is also pretty low. A 100g serving of strawberries contains only 4.7g of sugars. Since strawberries contain both soluble and insoluble fibers and have low sugar content, they don’t raise blood sugar levels much. Indeed, the Glycemic index (which measures the relative ability of carbohydrate foods to increase blood sugar levels) of strawberries is only 40, which is well below the average Glycemic index range of 56 – 69 and significantly less than the high Glycemic range of 70+ (Source: Mayo Clinic & Healthline). Thus strawberries can help prevent diabetes and obesity.
6. Strawberries have also been found to inhibit the growth of cancer and tumor cells in Hamsters’ cheek pouches (Source: National Library of Medicine).
Risks
1. Strawberries are one of those fruits that are most contaminated with pesticides. Every year, EWG (Environmental Working Group) compiles the Dirty Dozen, a list of fruits and vegetables that are most contaminated with toxic pesticides. For the past six years, the fruit that has topped the list is strawberry (Source: Eat This, Not That!). Among the strawberries that EWG tested, over 90% contained traces of at least one pesticide. More interestingly, 30% showed traces of at least ten toxins (Source: Insider). And since hamsters are tiny creatures, their bodies can show adverse reactions to even small amounts of pesticides. So, if you plan to feed strawberries to your hamster, opt for organic strawberries.
2. The water and fiber in strawberries can help prevent constipation in your hamster and keep his digestive tract healthy. But if fed too much, it can lead to diarrhea, bloating, etc.
3. Strawberries can cause obesity in hamsters if fed too often because, over time, their sugar content can add up.
Different breeds of hamsters vs. strawberries
Different hamster species differ significantly in size. So, the amount of strawberries that hamsters can eat depends on their species.
Can Chinese dwarf hamsters eat strawberries?
Strawberries can be sweet treats for your hamster. Precisely because of that, you shouldn’t feed strawberries to Chinese hamsters, which are prone to diabetes due to their small size. Chinese dwarf hamsters are better off eating vegetables, which normally have less sugar than most fruits (Source: Petkeen).
Can Campbell dwarf hamsters eat strawberries?
Just like Chinese dwarf hamsters, Campbell dwarf hamsters, too, are prone to diabetes. And the sugar content in strawberries is high enough to cause diabetes in these tiny creatures. So, avoid feeding them strawberries. If you really want to feed strawberries to your Campbell hamster, consult a vet to find out the right quantity.
Can Russian dwarf hamsters eat strawberries?
Russian dwarf hamsters are similar in size to other dwarf hamsters. So, don’t give them any strawberries.
Can Roborovski hamsters eat strawberries?
Roborovski hamsters are the smallest dwarf hamsters. But they are also the most active pet dwarf hamsters. You would hardly see them standing in one place when they are awake; they would always keep running here and there. So, they can digest the sugars in the foods they eat faster than other dwarf hamsters. Hence, they are not prone to diabetes. Therefore, it should be okay to feed them a small piece of strawberry once a week. But this piece shouldn’t be bigger than 10% of their diet.
Can Syrian hamsters eat strawberries?
Syrian hamsters are the largest breed of hamsters. So, they can eat strawberries safely without facing any health issues. But it should be fed only in moderation – a tiny piece of strawberry once or twice a week. But this piece should be smaller than 10% of his diet.
Things to watch out for
Can hamsters eat strawberry leaves?
Strawberries are members of the rose family, just like apples, apricots, pears, cherries, etc. One important property of this family is that all members of the family produce hydrogen cyanide, which is poisonous. But the way they manifest this poison differs from one species to another.
When a strawberry is picked, this poisonous gas is released through the stem and the leaves to deter pests. A freshly picked strawberry leaf or stem might still contain hydrogen cyanide (Source: Our Everyday Life). Even though the amount might be very less, you cannot be 100% sure that nothing would happen to your hamster if he ate a fresh strawberry leaf or stem. But the good news is that the poison fades away with time. So, dried leaves are normally safe (Source: Outdoorhappens). So, you can give them to your hamster.
It is difficult to say what might happen to your hamster if you feed fresh leaves. Maybe nothing will happen, or maybe your hamster will suffer from diarrhea, but it depends on the current health condition of your hamster. So, if you are planning to feed fresh strawberry leaves to your hamster, consult a vet beforehand.
Can hamsters eat strawberry stems?
Just like strawberry leaves, strawberry stem might also contain a small amount of hydrogen cyanide. So, consult a veterinary doctor before feeding strawberry stem to your little pet.
Can hamsters eat strawberry seeds?
Strawberry seeds are not known to be poisonous. So, your hamster can eat them (Source: Vet Explains Pets).
Can hamsters drink strawberry juice?
Strawberry juice can contain preservatives and sweetening agents.
Strawberries and pesticide
As discussed in the earlier part of this blog post, strawberries are often contaminated with pesticides. Since hamsters are tiny creatures, their little bodies cannot tolerate even small amounts of pesticides. So, buy organic strawberries for your hamster. If you don’t want to spend more money just for an occasional hamster treat, make sure you wash the fruit thoroughly with water to get rid of the pesticides. According to CSE (Centre for Science and Environment), washing with cold water removes 75% – 80% of the pesticide residues (Source: Green matters). So, don’t shy away from washing strawberries (and their leaves) before feeding them to your hamster.
To wash the strawberries properly, place them in a colander and hold them under running cold water for 10 – 20 seconds. Then gently pat them with a dry towel.
Strawberries can go bad quickly if there is moisture. So, cut the strawberry into small pieces after washing it and serve them immediately to your hamster. Don’t wash the strawberries in advance.
Importance of cleaning properly
As we discussed before, strawberries can go bad quickly after you wash them. So, remove any uneaten pieces of the fruit within 12 hours. Hamsters have a habit of hiding food in their cheek pouches and storing it later in their cages. So, check your hamster’s cage for any traces of stored strawberry pieces and remove them promptly.
You should also keep fresh water for your hamster to drink every day.
Importance of a balanced diet
A strawberry can be a healthy, sweet treat for your hamster. Most probably, your pet hamster would love its taste. But you should remember that a hamster’s diet should be a balanced one. It should contain fresh vegetables, hamster pellets, hay, etc. Moreover, an adult hamster’s diet should contain 12% – 24% proteins. So, overfeeding a hamster on strawberries would leave him with less place in his stomach to eat other food items. This would deprive the hamster of important nutrients that he needs to survive. Moreover, the sugar in strawberries could add up over time, causing obesity and diabetes.
So, strawberries (or any other fruit for that reason) should normally not make up more than 10% of a hamster’s diet. Don’t give your hamster more than one fruit treat on any day either because the sugar content can add up.
Summary – Takeaways
Strawberry is a healthy snack for your little furry friend.
- Strawberries are ranked among the top 20 fruits in terms of antioxidant capacity. They contain enormous amounts of antioxidants like Pelargonidin, Ellagitannins, ellagic acid, and Proanthocyanidin. So, they kill bacteria, inhibit diabetes, and can protect your hamster from cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, and some types of cancer.
- They contain sufficient amounts of Vitamin C, which is required for the overall well-being of your hamster.
- They contain important minerals like calcium, potassium, and iron. These minerals keep the bones and teeth of your hamster strong, reduce blood pressure, and help create red blood cells.
- They contain a lot of water and some amount of dietary fiber, which make your hamster’s bowels smoother and prevent constipation.
- The Glycemic Index of strawberries is 40, which is very low when compared to many other fruits. So, they can regulate blood sugar levels. Therefore, they help fight against obesity and diarrhea.
How to feed strawberries to your hamster?
Strawberry contains less sugar and has a low Glycemic Index. But if your hamster eats too much of this sweet fruit, the fiber in it can cause bloating, diarrhea, etc. And diarrhea can quickly become dangerous for little hamsters. So, it is not recommended to feed any strawberries to your dwarf hamster. On the other hand, Roborovski and Syrian hamsters can eat strawberries without any problem. To feed strawberries to your hamster, you can follow the below steps.
- Strawberries rank at the top among fruits that are most contaminated by pesticides. So, buy organic strawberries whenever possible. Wash the strawberries thoroughly in cold water for 10 – 20 seconds before feeding them to your hamster.
- Strawberries can get spoilt very quickly, even if there is a small amount of moisture. So, don’t wash the strawberries in advance. Wash them only just before you want to feed them to your hamster.
- Cut the strawberry into small pieces to avoid choking.
- Remove any uneaten pieces of the fruit within 12 hours. Check your hamster’s cage to find out if your little pet has stored any pieces of strawberry in his secret storage area. If so, remove them within 12 hours.
- Strawberry plants produce a chemical called Hydrogen Cyanide which they release into their leaves once a strawberry is plucked. But this dangerous substance fades away from the leaf with time. So, don’t feed fresh strawberry leaves to your hamster. Wait for the leaves to dry a little bit and then, you can feed them to your hamster.
- Observe for any changes in the stool of your hamster for up to 24 hours after the first time he eats a strawberry. If there are any changes, consult a veterinary doctor.
