We all know the tastiness of our favorite yellow colored fruit, the banana. Bananas are popular all over the world for their delicious flavor and their nutritional benefits.
If you own a pet hamster, you may be thinking of feeding it some banana. Before you do so, you need to have some knowledge about this fruit and its’ suitability for hamsters. We all know how sensitive the hamsters’ digestive tract is, which is why it is important to be super careful.
So, let’s find out if it’s okay to feed bananas to your pet hamster, and if so, how much is an appropriate amount?
Contents
Banana Nutritional Information
Bananas are known for the energy boost they provide us. They are packed with health benefits, nutrients, and fiber that can help to keep our digestive system running smoothly.
It’s useful to know the exact amount of nutrients present in bananas. It is always a good idea to check out such information before feeding anything to your hamster.
On average, one medium sized banana, contains about:
- 105 calories
- 27 g carbohydrates
- 3 g fiber
- 3 g protein
- .4 g fat
- 6 mg calcium
- 76 IU vitamin A
- 3 mg vitamin C
- .31 mg iron
- 14 mcg folate
- 0.5 mg riboflavin
- 5 mg vitamin B6
- 5 mg manganese
- 17 mg magnesium
- 24 mg phosphorus
Now, the high levels of nutrition present in bananas is evident. It has a good doze of vitamin C and B, and lots of fiber which will be very beneficial for your pet hammy. But we must take into account that it also has a high calorie level compared to many other fruits.
While banana is certainly not unhealthy for your furry friend, you have to remember that hamsters should never eat too many calories.
So, can hamsters eat banana and what is the proper recommendation for feeding it to them?
Can Hamsters Eat Bananas? How Often Should They Eat It?
The simple answer is yes, your hamster can eat and enjoy a banana but only as an occasional treat. Also, the serving amount and the number of times you offer it is also important.
Your little hammy is going to love banana and see it as a yummy treat. But that does not mean you should give it to your hamster every day.
Ideally, you should only give your pet hammy banana once in a week. Also remember not to feed it banana if it already had something sugary or high in calories, on that same day.
It is best to also keep other fresh fruits and vegetables like cucumber in their diet. You should introduce banana to your hammy after it is already used to eating healthy, nutrient dense, low-sugar and low-calorie foods. Then, start by giving it a tiny piece of banana. Just once or twice a week at most should not be exceeded.
Serving Size of Banana for Hamsters
Hamsters cannot and should not eat food in the portions we do. For them, even the smallest portion of a food is actually enough.
When feeding banana to your pet, give it a quarter of a teaspoon in every serving. That is going to be adequate to satisfy their cravings, keep them happy, and also provide them the nutrition they need.
Do not leave any uneaten banana in the cage because it rots quickly, and you don’t want it to go in your hamster’s stomach. Also, hamsters love to store excess food in their cheek pouches so you should keep a check on them. Banana can easily rot in their mouth if kept for prolonged periods, leading to tooth decay and other health issues.
Can Banana Make my Hamster Sick?
There are no risks associated with feeding banana as long as it is in moderate amounts as recommended. But if your hamster over-eats bananas, it does have a possibility of making it sick.
One-way bananas can make your pet hammy sick is that it may be too heavy and cause a stomachache and possibly diarrhea. Hence, we repeat- you must make sure you do not overfeed banana to your pet hamster. Always stick to the recommended 1/4th of a teaspoon serving.
Although, they have plenty of fiber and can even treat constipation, bananas can also cause your hamster to get dehydrated. Furthermore, there is a natural risk in hamsters towards diabetes, and excessive bananas can also heighten this risk.
Lastly, bananas and their high calorie count can make your hamster over-weight quickly- which can further cause more health complications.
Should hamsters have a banana peel?
Did you know that banana peels actually have as many of the nutritional elements that the fruit does? In fact, many cultures endorse eating banana peels to gain the complete benefits of this fruit.
When it comes to hamsters, banana peels are okay to eat if they are organic. You must also make sure that they are cleaned and scrubbed properly. The issue is that bananas are often sprayed with pesticide or repellents, making the peel possibly toxic for consumption.
If you find that your hamster is enjoying the banana peel, you can give it in the tiniest amounts. Just make sure that it is a completely safe option.
Can all Hamster Breeds Have Bananas?
You must know that not all hamster breeds are the same, and some are more prone and sensitive to health conditions than others.
Generally, you can feed bananas to hamsters as advised. But you will have to be extra-careful with some breeds. If you have a Syrian or Roborovski hamster, it can easily and safely consume the banana portion once or twice every week.
However, if you own a smaller hamster breed such as Chinese hamster, Russian Campbell Dwarf hamster or Winter White Dwarf hamster, then you should minimize the serving even further.
If you decide on feeding banana to these breeds, we advise you to feed it less than once a week and make it extremely occasional.
We hope this guide was helpful and you can now make more informed decisions when it comes to feeding bananas to your pet hammy. Remember, your furry friends’ health always comes first.
