We know hamsters as cute, furry pets that eat pellets and chew sticks. But in the wild, they’re naturally omnivores and eat a large variety of foods, from grains to nuts and berries.
While watermelon isn’t part of a hamster’s natural diet, every hamster we’ve ever met loves it. It’s a refreshing, sweet and delicious fruit that practically no hammy can resist!
There’s good news for hamsters everywhere. Watermelon isn’t only delicious, but it’s also a safe and healthy option for them when eaten in moderation.
Like all fresh foods, it’s important that watermelon and other sweet fruits supplement your pet’s regular diet. Watermelon isn’t a balanced enough food to be a staple.
Let’s learn more about the nutrition and health information of watermelons!
Contents
Watermelon Nutritional Information
A half-cup of raw watermelon (about 76 grams) contains the following nutrients:
- Calories: 22.8
- Protein: 0.46 grams
- Fat: 0.11 grams
- Carbohydrates: 5.75 grams
- Fiber: 0.30 grams
- Sugar: 4.71 grams
- Calcium: 5.3 milligrams
- Iron: 0.18 milligrams
- Magnesium: 7.6 milligrams
- Phosphorus: 8.35 milligrams
- Potassium: 85 milligrams
- Sodium: 0.76 milligrams
- Zinc: 0.08 milligrams
- Vitamin C: 6.15 milligrams
Watermelon is a healthy and refreshing fruit that is so juicy, it’s literally 90% water! The remaining 10% is filled with those good vitamins and minerals.
Health Benefits of Watermelon
What do these micronutrients actually do for a hamster?
- Vitamin C fights asthma, protects from scurvy, boosts the immune system and can help heal wounds and strengthen cells and blood vessels.
- Fiber can keep your hamster’s digestive system in good working order.
- Potassium keeps blood pressure low and helps prevent cancer, heart disease and bone disease.
- Iron helps make red blood cells and keeps them healthy.
- Calcium is good for bone and tooth health.
Rehydrating a Sick or Injured Hamster
If your hamster is suffering from dehydration and has a hard time drinking water, watermelon can be a great option to help them get the water they need. Sometimes, a sweet treat can be a very effective way to rehydrate your pet.
Just remember that watermelon still can’t serve as a daily treat, so you’ll have to find a variety of ways to keep your hamster hydrated. If you’re in this situation, you should consult with your veterinarian.
Health Concerns of Watermelon
There are some very good reasons for limiting the amount of watermelon you feed to your hamster.
Dried Watermelon
Avoid feeding dried watermelon to your hammy. It’s sticky and difficult to clean. If it gets stuck in your hamster’s teeth, it can lead to rot and decay.
Watermelon Seeds
It’s best to not feed them to your pet. There isn’t a lot of specific information about the effects of watermelon seeds on hamsters, but many other fruit seeds are toxic. Plus, they can be a choking hazard and may scratch your hammy’s cheek pouches.
High Water Content
The high levels of water in watermelon can be both a health benefit and a health concern, depending on the situation. If a hamster has too much water, they can suffer from diarrhea or even kidney failure.
High Sugar Content
Hamsters are prone to both obesity and diabetes. Both conditions can be brought on or aggravated by sugary, high-carb foods.
Diabetes is a disease that leads to very high blood-sugar levels. While a healthy hamster’s body would produce insulin to regulate its blood sugar, a diabetic hamster either can’t create insulin or is allergic to it.
Obesity is common in domesticated hamsters. It’s very easy to overfeed them, and giving them enough exercise can be a challenge.
You can avoid these health problems by regulating the amount of sugar your hamster gets and making sure it has a balanced diet.
Feeding Watermelon to Hamsters
If your hamster isn’t used to eating fresh foods or sweet fruits like grapes, make sure to slowly introduce them into its diet. Start with less-sweet foods like leafy greens and cucumber and work your way up to watermelon.
One serving of watermelon is different depending on your hamster’s size.
- Dwarf hamsters should only have up to one teaspoon every two weeks.
- Syrian and Roborowskis can have one teaspoon every week.
Make sure you don’t combine servings of watermelon with other sweet fruits.
The watermelon’s rind is safe for hamsters to eat, but they might like the taste of it. It contains an amino acid that gives it a bitter taste.
If you want to try feeding your hamster a little bit of rind, make sure you wash it thoroughly to get rid of any chemicals or pesticides that might be on it. Then cut a small half-inch square to give to your hamster.
