The dietary taboos for hamsters mainly include the following types of foods:
High - sugar Foods: Hamsters can't digest high - sugar foods such as bananas, grapes, and chocolate. These foods can cause hamsters to become obese, suffer from indigestion, and have diarrhea.
Nuts and Seeds: Nuts and seeds like peanuts, almonds, and walnuts contain high levels of fat and protein. They can strongly stimulate a hamster's digestive system, potentially increasing the burden on its liver and gastrointestinal tract.
Caffeine - containing Foods: Chocolate, coffee, etc. contain theobromine and caffeine. These components can strongly stimulate a hamster's heart, potentially leading to irregular heartbeats, convulsions, and even sudden death.
Pungent Vegetables: Pungent vegetables such as onions, garlic, leeks, and ginger can damage a hamster's red blood cells, resulting in anemia. They can also irritate the gastrointestinal tract, causing vomiting and diarrhea.
High - moisture Vegetables: High - moisture vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers are difficult for a hamster's gastrointestinal tract to adapt to due to the excessive water content. This can easily lead to diarrhea.
Salty or Spicy Foods: Foods with salty or spicy components such as potato chips and pickled foods can potentially damage a hamster's kidneys and even endanger its life.
Fruit Pits: Fruit pits such as apple cores and pear cores contain cyanide, which is toxic to hamsters and can cause symptoms of poisoning.
Suggestions for Alternative Foods: To ensure the health of hamsters, you can choose low - sugar fruits such as apples (with the core removed), carrots, cucumbers, etc., and feed them in moderation. Also, make sure to remove excess moisture from the food to avoid diarrhea. In addition, providing clean water is the best option, and regularly clean the water container to keep the water source clean and hygienic.