Hamsters don’t eat fish in the wild, but they are omnivores. That means they’ll eat foods from all food groups — vegetables, fruits, grains, meats and other proteins.
Technically, you can feed your hamster tuna. But by and large, there are safer and healthier alternatives.
If you do feed tuna to your hamster, make sure you do so cautiously as a rare treat. Let’s explore more details about the healthfulness of tuna and how to safely feed it to your hamster.
Contents
Nutritional Information of Tuna
Below is a table comparing one 79-gram (3-ounce) can of Starkist chunk-light tuna in water with the same amount of boneless raw tuna fish.
Table Comparing Nutritional Information of Canned and Fresh Tuna
| Nutritional Component | Starkist canned tuna | Raw boneless tuna fish |
| Calories | 70 | 85.9 |
| Protein | 16 grams | 19.26 grams |
| Fat | 0.5 grams | 0.39 grams |
| Carbohydrates | ||
| Fiber | ||
| Cholesterol | 35 milligrams | 30.81 milligrams |
| Calcium | 3.16 milligrams | |
| Iron | 1.5 milligrams | 0.61 milligrams |
| Potassium | 150 milligrams | 0.35 milligrams |
| Sodium | 320 milligrams | 35.55 milligrams |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.273 milligrams | 0.74 milligrams |
| Vitamin B-12 | 2.19 micrograms | 1.64 micrograms |
| Omega-3 fatty acids | 160 milligrams | 200 – 1500 milligrams (varies depending on type of tuna) |
The most notable differences here are the:
- extremely high sodium levels in canned tuna compared to fresh tuna
- high protein content in both types of tuna.
- presence of calcium in fresh tuna
- higher amounts of omega-3s in fresh tuna.
When we examine the nutritional content, fresh tuna is clearly the healthier option for your hammy.
Health Benefits of Tuna
Tuna is high in protein, which is an essential part of any animal’s diet. Protein maintains a hamster’s body and promotes healthy muscles, hair, skin and immunity.
Omega-3s are also good for hamsters, promoting eye health, reproductive health, cancer prevention and healthy skin.
Health and Safety Concerns
Hamsters are prone to obesity and diabetes. The fat content of tuna is quite high. Tuna must never be a consistent part of a hamster’s diet for this reason.
Additionally, sodium in canned tuna approaches dangerous levels for hamsters.
A big safety concern for fresh tuna is choking. Tuna has tiny and wiry bones, hard for humans to see, and they’re a serious choking hazard for hamsters. The bones in canned tuna, on the other hand, are soft and malleable enough that hamsters will just eat them along with the meat.
Feeding Tuna to Hamsters
Hamsters should have no more than ½ teaspoon of fresh tuna every week or two. Salted foods, such as bacon and pretzels for example are always a problem for hamsters. Because of high sodium levels in most tuna, it’s best to play it safe and give them no more than ¼ teaspoon of canned tuna over the same amount of time.
The tuna must be:
- never be seasoned or oiled.
- fully and completely cooked.
- completely boneless — manually remove all fresh-tuna bones!
If you want to give them this special treat, just make sure you take all necessary safety precautions to keep your hammy healthy and secure!
