Hamsters are our adorable little friends and they love to eat, but they can’t eat everything. Chocolate is one of those food items that you should always keep away from your furry friend. But in the event that your hamster ate some chocolate or you’re thinking of feeding them some, this article will cover the potential health issues.
As always, feel free to click any of the links below to be taken directly to that section. Or you can continue on straight into the first section where we answer the most common question, can a hamster at chocolate.
Can a Hamster Eat Chocolate?
No, a hamster should not eat chocolate because it contains a chemical called theobromine, which is extremely toxic and dangerous for hamsters. Your hamster cannot digest or metabolize theobromine and as a result, they get very sick and possibly die. Do not feed your hamster chocolate.
Chocolate isn’t a great treat for any pet. Dogs, cats, hamsters, and more shouldn’t eat chocolate because it’s actually toxic and extremely dangerous for them to eat. Even a tiny bit can kill your hamster, which we’ll cover in more depth in the next section.
This is because chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine, which is toxic to your hamster. We won’t get too into the scientific weeds, but it comes from the husk of the cocoa bean during harvesting. Your hamster cannot digest or metabolize this compound and as a result, they get extremely sick and will die.
There are other dangerous chemicals as well, such as caffeine, but your biggest issue is the theobromine. As a result, it’s highly recommended to keep any and all chocolate far away from your hamster.
How Much Chocolate Will Kill a Hamster?
You should avoid giving your hamster any chocolate to avoid any potential health complications or death. Even if they can stomach a tiny bit of chocolate, it’s not worth it given the potential downsides. All hamsters are different and some may have an adverse reaction to a tiny bit of chocolate.
Some people are of the belief that you can give your hamster a little chocolate and they will be fine. While this may be true, you don’t know if your hamster will have an adverse reaction to that tiny bit of chocolate. They may. And if they do and potentially die, would that be worth it? Probably not.
As a result, you should avoid giving your hamster any chocolate at all. It’s just not worth it.
If you want to give your hamster a treat, try a small piece of fruit. It contains a ton of sugar like chocolate, your hamster will love it, and best of all is that they will be perfectly healthy. Here is an article that covers all the types of fruits your hamster can eat.
Remember, don’t give your hamster any chocolate. If you want to give them a treat, try some fruit.
What To Do If Your Hamster Ate Chocolate?
If your hamster ate chocolate, there are a few things you should do right away to limit the effects of the chocolate:
- Give them lots of water
- Feed them water based foods like cucumber to increase water intake
- Take away all other snacks that contain sugar
- Watch your hamster closely for a day or two
The most important thing to do if your hamster ingests chocolate is to give them lots of water. That water will dilute the theobromine and caffeine, which should dilute the negative effects of those two chemicals. To do that, make sure your hamster has enough fresh water and try to encourage them to drink.
Encouraging a hamster to drink isn’t always as easy as it sounds and you can’t just tell them to, so you can also try feeding them water rich foods, like cucumber to expedite the process.
While you do that, make sure you take away all other foods containing sugar and other treats in their diet. You don’t want to introduce any other foods that could potentially give them an upset stomach. You want them eating water rich or bland foods to counteract the effects of the chocolate.
Finally, make sure to watch your hamster closely for a day or two. If they start doing unusual things, such as twitching in their sleep or anything out of the ordinary, you may need to take them to the vet.
It’s a stressful situation if your hamster eats chocolate, but there are steps you can take to limit the harmful effects and try to move on.
Additional Reading
There’s lots to cover when it comes to the effects of chocolate and other foods. Hopefully this article has provided some top level answers when it comes to chocolate and your furry friend.
If you’d like to read more from other publications, check out the following links to other reputable sites in the space, such as Chewy, Hamster Hideout, and Quora.
- What Can Hamsters Eat? – Chewy
- Can Hamsters Have Chocolate? – Hamster Hideout
- Unfortunately, my hamster ate chocolate. What can I do? – Quora
All of those articles and QA forums have great content and recommendations that you can read more about. Everyone has questions about hamsters and chocolate, and luckily there are a lot of answers too.
Conclusion
You might have arrived at this article not knowing if hamster is an acceptable treat for your hamster. Hopefully you’re leaving this article with at least a full understanding that chocolate should never be given to your hamster as a treat or otherwise.
It’s an extremely toxic food for hamsters and your other pets that should be avoided at all costs. It’s not just the theobromine that your hamster can’t digest, but also caffeine, which we barely covered. But regardless of the caffeine, chocolate is not something you want to ever put in their cage.
But remember that in the future if your hamster does eat some chocolate, there are steps you can take to ensure they will be healthy and happy for a long time.