Like all animals, hamsters definitely need protein supplements, which are found in food purchased at pet stores. But we must not forget that an ordinary egg is very healthy. This is a well-known and accessible source of protein. The rodent body accepts it well. Is it possible to give hamsters eggs and which ones, boiled or raw, whole or separately the white and yolk, chicken or quail? Let's consider all the options.
Can a hamster eat meat?
For normal development of hamsters, their diet must include protein. Its origin can be either plant, for example from legumes, or animal, from meat or eggs.
Hamsters can be given 1-2 times a week, but not more often:
- chicken – lean breast does not contain much cholesterol and is easier to digest;
- beef – helps strengthen the immune system and is an excellent prevention of vitamin deficiency;
- Beef liver is a dietary product with a high content of beneficial microelements and vitamins;
- beef heart - recommended for rehabilitation after illness, as it helps improve blood composition.
Meat should not be given without preliminary heat treatment, that is, raw, since it may contain various pathogenic bacteria and parasites. The product should be low-fat, well boiled without any spices or salt.
Fatty meats such as pork, lamb or lard are best avoided as their consumption will fatten the hamster's liver and heart. Also, it is strictly forbidden to give fried, smoked or dry-cured foods.
Possible causes of enlarged testicles
Hamsters' testicles can increase in size for various reasons. And we need to study them thoroughly in order to know when to start sounding the alarm.
Here are the most common reasons:
- large testicles indicate that the animal is completely ready for reproduction. The reproductive system has formed, seminal fluid accumulates in the eggs;
- if the hamster's testicles are swollen, the skin on them turns red and becomes hot, this indicates that an inflammatory process has begun in the gonads. In this case, the animal needs to be examined by a doctor and treated;
- Occasionally, Syrian hamster and Djungarian hamster eggs become swollen due to hormonal imbalance. This phenomenon may be caused by poor diet. Another reason is sometimes keeping hamsters of different sexes in separate cages, but in the same room.
- The saddest reason for enlarged sex glands is the occurrence of tumors. If your hamster's testicles are swollen, you should always consult a veterinarian.
If your pet’s testicles are large, but do not interfere with him in any way, then this is his physiological feature. But when you notice that the furry miracle begins to experience discomfort from its “treasure,” show the animal to the doctor.
This is what large eggs without pathologies look like in jungarians:
Fish and shrimp
Fish, shrimp, cod liver are dietary products with a high content of non-fatty acids, vitamins and microelements. Such food will also be useful for the small body of a hamster, as it will provide the pet with everything necessary for the normal functioning of all vital systems and strengthen the immune system. These products also cannot be consumed raw; they must be pre-boiled. You should not give crab sticks, as they contain many harmful additives.
Shrimp and fish are very allergenic products; introduce them into your diet with caution!
It is recommended to add fish oil to the diet no more than one drop per week, since exceeding the norm leads to stool upset. This product will make the fur softer, silkier and shiny.
When to sound the alarm?
A feeling of anxiety for a small animal forces owners to often contact the veterinarian. Your doctor can help you understand why your hamster's testicles are swollen. Most of these requests end in embarrassment and laughter from the relieved owners. But it’s better to remove the stone from your soul and make sure that your furry pet is healthy than to torment yourself with worries.
If the veterinarian detects pathology or inflammation, he will tell you what to do. With a timely diagnosis, you can even cure the animal by removing the tumor.
But how can owners understand that their animal has a serious problem with the gonads? Here are a few signs that you should be wary of:
- testicles are larger than ¼ of the animal’s body;
- they prevent him from walking;
- the pet has become lethargic, eats poorly, is reluctant to play, and has become indifferent to the wheel;
- puberty has long ended, the pet is more than six months old, and the already large eggs have increased even more;
- the testicles are hot, the skin on them is red;
- complete hair loss on the testicles;
- the hamster attempts to gnaw the eggs.
How to give eggs to hamsters
Eggs are a perfectly balanced product containing many vitamins, proteins, minerals and easily digestible proteins. They are excellent for the diet of hamsters and serve as good material for the normal development of their body. You can give both the white and the yolk; the white contains carbohydrates, glucose, vitamins, and all kinds of enzymes. The yolk is rich in fats, iron, calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium and other microminerals.
Eggs often contain salmonella; infection can be prevented by boiling them well, although hamsters will happily eat untreated eggs. The raw product should not be given to sick animals with weakened immune systems or a compromised digestive system. Therefore, heat treatment can be neglected only in cases where the owner is one hundred percent sure that there is no salmonella, pathogenic bacteria or viruses, but it is better not to risk it.
Hamsters (regardless of breed) can be given food other than chicken eggs. It is recommended to give preference to quail eggs, since they contain many times more vitamins, potassium, iron, copper, cobalt, nicotinic acid and other nutrients. In addition, they contain approximately the same amount of vitamin D and polyunsaturated acids as in fish oil and are less likely to cause allergic reactions.
Eggs can be added to a rodent’s diet in pure form in pieces or by making a special egg mixture. It is prepared from finely grated eggs, carrots, apples, cereals or dry food.
In terms of their nutritional value, eggs are as useful as meat, fish, and dairy products, but you must adhere to a special feeding regimen - no more than 2 times a week. Must be included in the diet of pregnant or lactating females. A chicken egg is given half or 2/3 white and 1/3 yolk, a quail egg - half. If the hamster doesn’t like the treat, don’t insist and force-feed it, but try replacing the eggs with low-fat cottage cheese or low-fat boiled chicken.
A little about the anatomy of males
When buying a hamster at a pet store, try to immediately determine its gender. This is difficult to do in young animals, because they have not yet reached puberty. That is, the hamster’s eggs have not yet fully formed. Therefore, you will have to judge not by the presence of bulges under the tail, but by other parameters.
To determine the gender, you will have to lay the homa on its back and estimate the distance between the anus and the genital opening: in boys it is 2 times larger than in girls.
Why are we saying this? And besides, there were various incidents with the gender of these animals, sometimes tragic. For example, the owners bought an animal, they were sure that it was a girl. But suddenly bloating appeared in her lower abdomen. The owners thought that these were some kind of ulcers - and squeezed out the whole thing. Naturally, the hamster died a few hours later.
Remember a few important points:
- Determine the gender when purchasing an animal.
- Puberty in small rodents begins at the age of 1-2 months.
- First, tubercles appear on the male’s tummy, usually in the amount of 2 pieces. One tubercle may also appear - this means that the testicles do not descend into the scrotum at the same time. This is a completely normal phenomenon and occurs quite often.
- By 3 months, the testicles of a Syrian hamster acquire an impressive size; in Djungarians this happens a little earlier.
- Don’t be alarmed if your hamsters have thinning fur on their genitals – this is completely normal.
That is, to the question “why are the hamster’s testicles swollen?” Knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of these furry animals will help you answer.
The photo shows that the Syrian hamster has begun puberty:
Favorite treats
One of the main activities of a hamster is eating everything. Accordingly, if you want to pamper your animal, prepare him something tasty. I would like to warn you right away that many people offer recipes for treats containing cabbage, milk and cheese. But these products are included in the list of prohibited foods, so such delicacies will only harm the jungaric. So, what treat can you prepare for your Djungarian hamster at home?
Fruity
You will need fruits, various seeds, nuts and one teaspoon of honey and one grape. It is worth remembering that all food must be served without seeds. Also remove the peel from the fruit.
Combine honey with fruit pulp and roll in chopped nuts.
Banana
For this delicacy you will need oatmeal, raisins, nuts and, of course, bananas.
First you need to mash the banana, then add raisins. Then we form balls from the prepared mixture and roll them in chopped nuts and oatmeal.
Honey cookies
To make honey cookies you will need one teaspoon of honey, two tablespoons of muesli, one oatmeal cookie and 3 sunflower seeds, chopped carrots or cucumber.
The cooking process itself is extremely simple. Oatmeal cookies should be coated with honey. Then muesli is placed on top of the honey. We cover all this with crushed seeds and vegetables.
Djungarians are susceptible to diabetes, so you should not abuse this sweetness.
Cereal cookies
To make grain cookies you will need any cereal, chopped nuts, protein and seeds.
First of all, you need to mix all the dry ingredients, then pour the whipped egg white over everything. We form cookies from the resulting mass and place in the oven at a temperature of 60 degrees. You can also add protein to the grain mixture.
It is important to remember that hamsters are used to eating raw food, so you shouldn’t pamper them with cookies often.
The Dzhungarik is a rather whimsical animal, so some food is not recommended for consumption, and some can kill the hamster.
Completely prohibited
Do not give dzungaria under any circumstances. If you break the ban, it will lead to the death of your pet.
Prohibited products:
- pasta and other flour products;
- legumes;
- almond;
- Brazilian nut;
- Pine nuts;
- apricot and cherry pits;
- chestnuts;
- acorns;
- melon;
- watermelon;
- potato;
- onion;
- cabbage;
- garlic;
- citruses;
- Exotic fruits;
- persimmon;
- elder;
- honeysuckle;
- branches of coniferous trees;
- sorrel;
- raw meat;
- sausage, frankfurters;
- cheese;
- milk;
- mushrooms.
Possible problems in the diet of dzhungarika
The Djungarian hamster is a tiny animal (the average weight of an adult is about 50 g). This somewhat shortens the list of what you can feed your pet: what is good for other rodents is death for the dwarf. For example, almonds contain hydrogen cyanide, which is harmless to larger pets but can easily poison your hamster.
The second important point is that Djungarians are prone to obesity and diabetes. They should not be overfed, given sweets, or fed with very sweet flour and fruits. Even though they love banquets, we put them on a strict diet.
I can do it, I can do it without cookies!
Chicken or quail
Chicken yolk contains vitamins A, D, and E, polyunsaturated fatty acids. Vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium, which strengthens bones. There is as much of it in eggs as there is in fish oil. The yolk contains iron.
Quail eggs contain five times more potassium and iron, 2.5 times more vitamins B1 and B2, vitamin A, niacin, phosphorus, copper, cobalt, and other amino acids.
If you have the opportunity to buy quail, because they are more expensive than chicken, you need to choose them. Quail eggs contain much more useful substances than chicken eggs. They have high nutritional value, quickly restore immunity after illness, strengthen blood vessels, and do not cause allergic reactions.
Although the ratio of beneficial nutrients in quail and chicken eggs is different, remember - they are all useful and valuable foods for a hamster.
What else should you give Djungarian hamsters?
To maintain a good mood and well-being, other products are important. These include:
- Mineral stone.
- Hard treats (dog biscuits) are given once every seven days to wear down the incisors. If teeth become excessively long, they can damage the roof of your mouth.
- Protein foods (low-fat cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir, boiled rabbit meat, turkey, chicken, eggs, low-fat boiled fish, earthworms purchased at a pet store, butterflies, daphnia, gammarus, grasshoppers, peeled shrimp. The Turkmen cockroach is ideal). Wild-caught insects are often contaminated with microorganisms that cause diseases in rodents.
- Clean, daily changed water, even if the animal drinks little. The stagnant liquid is poured out. Filtered spring water is suitable. The drinking bowl should be protected from direct sunlight, which can cause algae to grow inside the container.
The feeder is washed regularly. Grain and dry food are poured every day. Accustoming to a new component is carried out gradually, starting with a small crumb. Uneaten leftovers are thrown away. The little glutton is inclined to stockpile; eating spoiled food is fraught with poisoning.
In case of indigestion, Djungarians are given rice water, which has an enveloping, fastening effect. Babies who find themselves without mother's milk are supplemented with dairy-free formulas, regular cereals soaked in water, vegetable and meat baby purees without adding salt or sugar.
Feeding rules
Before you figure out what to feed your Djungarian hamster at home to keep it healthy and active, you need to remember some important rules.
This:
- The dwarf should be fed at the same time every day, preferably in the evening.
- Inedible food residues that may become moldy must be removed quickly
- The diet of the dzhungarik should be as close as possible to the natural one.
- The Djungarian hamster's main diet should be grain mixtures.
- In order to maintain the health of your pet, in addition to grains, you should feed the animal with fruits, vegetables and herbs.
- The size of one serving is determined experimentally, but on average - 1 tablespoon per day.
- A hamster can hide food, so it is worth understanding that an empty bowl does not necessarily mean a lack of food.
Djungarians eat both grain mixture and granulated grains. However, if you bought hard grains, then for a sick or young hamster they must be crushed to a mushy state.
Authorized Products
Fruits, vegetables, berries
Must be present in a hamster's diet. They will allow your pet to receive all the necessary nutrients naturally.
Your hamster can eat the following fruits, berries and vegetables:
- peaches;
- apples;
- apricots;
- bananas;
- pears;
- plums;
- blueberry;
- cherries;
- strawberry;
- rose hip;
- grape;
- gooseberry;
- currant;
- broccoli;
- eggplant;
- zucchini;
- radishes;
- carrot;
- turnip;
- not sugar beets;
- pumpkin;
- Jerusalem artichoke.
Greenery
It should also be included in the animal’s diet. It is important that it is fresh.
You can feed the rodent:
- nettle;
- salad;
- knotweed;
- wheatgrass;
- leaves of plantain and dandelion, young burdock;
- clover and wormwood, but in limited quantities.
Protein food
It is of particular value for the health of a furry baby, so you need to pay special attention to the amount of protein in its diet.
Include in your animal's diet:
- one percent cottage cheese;
- low-fat yogurt;
- boiled eggs;
- lean boiled meat.
Nuts, dried fruits, seeds
This is perhaps perhaps the most favorite food of hamsters. Therefore, do not deny him it.
Fluffy will like:
- sunflower;
- pumpkin;
- linen;
- sesame;
- cashew nuts;
- peanut;
- hazelnut;
- Walnut;
- dried apricots;
- raisin;
- dried pears and apples;
- banana chips.
Tree branches
It is also useful for dzhungarika to sometimes gnaw on branches of fruit trees. This is necessary not only for general health, but also for teeth.
Feed with caution
The following foods are not healthy for your hamster. However, they are not mortally dangerous, which means that they are given to the animal in very limited quantities:
List of relatively dangerous products:
- rice;
- buckwheat;
- lentils;
- cucumber;
- tomato;
- radish;
- asparagus;
- celery;
- cauliflower;
- apricot;
- plum;
- nectarine;
- peach;
- grape;
- parsley;
- dill;
- boiled shrimp;
- boiled white fish;
- daphnia;
- gammarus.
Boiled dishes
What should you feed the dzhungarik from ordinary “human” food? The list (it is possible and not possible - the main criteria for its compilation) will be as follows.
Can:
It is forbidden:
The following products are strictly prohibited for such a pet:
Many veterinarians also do not recommend giving hamsters special drops designed specifically for rodents. According to them, they may contain components harmful to health.
