Can Hamsters Eat Turkey? What Do You Need To Know?
Last Christmas, I gave your hamster turkey. And the very next day, he survived! Jokes aside, have you ever wondered if your hamster can eat turkey? If yes, read on as we explore together if turkey meat is a safe source of protein for your hammy.
Turkey meat has become increasingly popular due to the demand for healthier and low-fat meat. Traditionally, turkey is served as the main course during Thanksgiving and Christmas worldwide, especially in the United States and Canada.
In this article, we are going to delve deep into this topic and look at all the questions you might have, such as how to prepare turkey for your hamster, how much turkey to feed your hamster and what types of turkey products you can feed your hamster.
Happy reading!
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Can Hamsters Eat Turkey Meat?
Yes! Your hamster can eat turkey safely only if it’s cooked plainly without any seasoning and additional fat.
A little turkey meat wouldn’t hurt your little guy —after all, hamsters survived eating far worse food than Thanksgiving turkey.
Overall, turkey is a healthy type of white meat and is generally lower in saturated fats compared to other meats such as beef and lamb.
If you’re adventurous in your hamster’s gastronomy journey, serve them some turkey in small portions and see if they like it.
Speaking from experience, different hamsters will react differently to different food. It is a delight to see your furry pet chomping and gnawing at their favorite food.
Nutritional Facts of Turkey
A roasted turkey breast contains:
- Energy: 147 kcal
- Protein: 30.1 g
- Total Fats: 2.08 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
- Minerals
- Potassium: 249 mg
- Selenium: 30.2 µg
- Zinc: 1.72 mg
- Phosphorus: 230 mg
- Iron: 0.71 mg
- Vitamins:
- Niacin: 11.8 mg
- Vitamin B-6: 0.807 mg
- Vitamin B-12: 0.39 µg
- Carbohydrates: 0 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Sugar: 0 g
Source: USDA
Ways To Prepare Turkey For Your Hamster
So, we have discussed above that it is safe for your hamster to eat turkey.
But, do you know that not all cooking methods are safe for your hamster’s consumption? Some cooking methods may incorporate more fat into the food such as pan frying and deep frying.
The healthiest way to cook turkey for your hamster is to cook it in boiling water. Alternatively, you could stir fry some lean ground turkey meat on a pan without any salt or seasonings.
Contrary to common meat cooking methods, the color of the meat and the meat juices does not indicate the doneness of the poultry. Even if the turkey meat juices change from pink to clear, it does not guarantee that it is safe for consumption.
To mitigate the risk of consuming undercooked turkey meat, cook the turkey meat thoroughly by making sure the internal temperature reaches 165F.
This can be done by placing a thermometer in the innermost part of the turkey meat. You want to make sure the meat is thoroughly cooked, or your hamster might be sick from a Salmonella infection.
Should You Feed Your Hamster Raw Or Cooked Turkey?
Do not feed your hamster raw meat! I repeat, never ever give your hamster raw meat, and this applies to turkey meat too.
Raw turkey contains bacteria such as salmonella, e. Coli and yersinia pestis. Some bacteria strains such as salmonella are multi-drug resistant, which means that the bacteria has become resistant to certain medications and antibiotics, making it hard to cure the infection.
Feeding your hamster raw turkey will result in health complications in your hamster and this is a risk that you do not want to take. What’s worse, your hamster might be infected with salmonellosis – a rare infection in hamsters that may lead to watery stools, blood poisoning, etc.
When feeding your hamster turkey meat as treats, cook it thoroughly. It doesn’t matter if it’s slightly overcooked, as you want to be on the safe side rather than risk sending your hamster to the vet.
How Much Turkey Should You Feed Your Hamster?
As a rule of thumb, the amount of turkey your hamster can consume depends on a few factors:
1. Breed Of Hamster
○ Syrian Hamsters (also known as teddy bear or golden hamsters)
Your Syrian hamsters can have around half an inch of turkey each serving, every week or once in every fortnight, depending on its size.
Keep in mind that turkey should only be given as treats. It should not be included as a main source of food since it is high in protein.
○ Chinese Hamsters
It is best not to give any red meat to your Chinese hamsters. Their bodies are too tiny and they will not be able to digest red meat at all.
○ Dwarf Hamsters (Roborovski, Campbell, Winter White/Djungarian/Siberian)
Dwarf hamsters such as Roborovski, Campbell, and Winter White have tiny digestive systems. Red meat is harder to digest compared to white meats, so keep them away from red meats.
2. Size Of Hamster
○ Remember to feed your hamster turkey based on its size. Bigger hamsters can have more meat compared to smaller ones. Tear the meat into bite-size pieces so it’s easier to keep track of the servings.
3. Other Types Of Protein Your Hamster Consume Besides Turkey
○ Take into account other protein sources in your hamster’s food.
○ If your hamsters have other high-protein foods such as beans and grains, treat your hamster with turkey once every other week.
Is Turkey Good For Your Hamster?
1. Boosts Your Hamster’s Immune System
Turkey contains a wide range of vitamins and minerals that is essential for your hamster’s growth. This includes heme iron, zinc, selenium, and B-vitamins. These vitamins
2. Reduce The Risk Of Cancer
Turkey contains selenium, a mineral which might help prevent cancer. Studies showed that selenium intake might reduce the risk of tumors in Syrian hamsters.
3. Rich in B Vitamins
Turkey meat is rich in B-group of vitamins, which includes vitamin B-6 and vitamin B-12.
These B-group vitamins maintain hamsters’ brain, nerve, and immune system health while making sure that these little furry animals are healthy enough to fight infections and viruses. Vitamin B-6 and B-12 also supply your pet with endless energy so they can run on hamster wheels all day long.
Is Turkey Bad For Your Hamster?
Turkey meat is not harmful to hamsters, but it might pose a risk to your hamster’s health if they overindulge in this poultry. Here are some health risks of eating too much turkey.
1. Induces Fatigue And Sleepiness
Turkey contains a high amount of tryptophan, an essential amino acid that cannot be produced naturally in your hamster’s body, so they must consume it in their diet. A study suggests that tryptophan has the ability to mimic the effects of melatonin on Syrian hamsters.
While tryptophan contains compounds that may induce fatigue and sleepiness in your hamster, do note that an adult hamster usually sleeps around 12-14 hours intermittently in a day, so don’t worry if your hamster is always in a slumber.
If you’re still worried, check if they are unwell and have any symptoms such as diarrhea and bloated stomach. Otherwise, it’s perfectly normal for them to snooze away!
2. Causes Gassy And Bloated Stomachs
Turkey is a source of methionine, an amino acid containing sulfur that helps digest and breaks down fat. Your hamster’s gut bacteria will further break down sulfur and produce gas in their gastrointestinal system, causing bloatedness and gassy stomachs.
However, hamsters are so tiny, and their fart is hardly noticeable, so it might be wise to portion the turkey wisely should you ever give your hamster any. Follow our guide above on “How To Feed Your Hamster Turkey” so you do not overfeed them.
3. High Risks Of Salmonella Infection
Since it is tricky to tell if a turkey is thoroughly cooked without testing its internal temperature, Salmonella infection is common in undercooked turkey meat.
Salmonella infection will make your hamster extremely sick and the signs of infection include dehydration, diarrhea or wet stools, swollen tummies, etc.
Consult a vet immediately if you spot these symptoms so your hamster can have immediate care. Salmonella infection may not be life-threatening to humans, but it could be deadly for your pet hamsters.
Can Hamsters Eat Turkey Steak?
Yes! Turkey steaks are safe for your hamster to eat as long as it’s cooked without salt, preservatives, or other seasonings that are bad for their health.
Turkey steak is a healthier alternative to regular beef steak, containing 50% less fat than beef. However, even though turkey has less cholesterol compared to beef, beef contains more dietary iron, which is good for your pet hamster’s health and growth.
If you’re unsure, try giving them both and see which one they prefer. Each hamster is unique and has different preferences and tastes, just like us humans!
Check out our post on whether it is safe for hamsters to eat beef here.
Can Hamsters Eat Turkey Jerky?
Yes, but only if it is made plain. That means that the turkey jerky cannot have any salt, seasonings or other additives. In other words, commercial turkey jerky is unsafe for your pet hamster as it contains preservatives to extend its shelf life.
You can make your own turkey jerky at home if you have a dehydrator. But what if you don’t have it? Don’t worry, you can get some dog turkey jerky treats for your hamster instead.
Make sure you choose a single-ingredient turkey jerky made from 100% pure turkey meat without additional seasonings and preservatives so your hamster can enjoy their snack safely.
Can Hamsters Have Turkey Bacon?
Sadly, your hamster cannot share your big breakfast turkey bacon with you.
Often sold as a healthier option than regular pork bacon, turkey bacon is surprisingly not what you think it is.
Even though it contains slightly lesser calories and fat compared to pork bacon, it has a higher sodium content, and salty food is toxic for your hamster. Hamsters are so tiny in size, and their body cannot cope with large amounts of salt.
Hamsters who consume high amounts of salt may risk having high blood pressure and dehydration as the salt draws water out of their tiny bodies.
Can Hamsters Eat Turkey Meatballs?
Refrain from feeding your hamster all store-bought meat products as it contains other seasonings and preservatives that are unsafe for your hamster.
However, unseasoned homemade turkey meatballs are safe for hamsters.
If you want to feed your hamster turkey meatballs, check out the healthy meatball recipe here.
Tip: Remember to refrain from adding garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper if possible. These ingredients are unsafe for hamsters.
Can Hamsters Eat Turkey Sausages?
Yes, I know sausages are delicious and you might wonder if you can share your juicy turkey sausage with your hamster during Thanksgiving.
Well, if you want to make sure your hamster remains healthy and happy, do not feed your hamster turkey sausages from the store!
Turkey sausages are made from grounded turkey meat, salt, seasonings and stuffed in cylinder shaped casings, usually from animal intestines.
The secret to making juicy turkey sausages is to add turkey fat to give it a delicious flavor and at the same time, retains the juiciness and moisture of the turkey meat.
Your hamster will take a longer time to digest fat compared to their staple foods, such as grains, hamster pellets and seeds. Plus, the amount of salt and nitrates in turkey sausages are harmful for your hamster.
Turkey Products You Should Avoid Giving Your Hamster
Although we have clarified above that turkey is safe for hamsters, it doesn’t mean you can feed your hamster all kinds of turkey products! The rule of thumb is to feed your hamster food in its natural form.
This means avoiding processed food as most of the time, it contains little to no trace of the original food item, such as chicken nuggets, ham etc.
This includes:
- Commercial turkey ham
- Store-bought turkey sausages
- Store-bought turkey jerky
FAQs
Can Hamsters Eat Thanksgiving Turkey?
Yes, your hamster will be fine as long as it’s the right kind of meat, and turkey is on that list. As long as the turkey is cooked thoroughly, sharing your turkey meal with your little guy is safe as long as it’s given in small quantities.
Can Hamsters Eat Deli Turkey?
No, they can’t. Deli turkey meat contains preservatives and additives such as sodium nitrate, sodium phosphate, salt, modified food starch, and other additives which are deadly for your hamster.
Can Hamsters Eat Steak?
Yes, you can feed your hamster steak, but take extra caution not to give them your medium rare steak as only cooked chicken and cooked turkey are safe to feed hamsters.
Never give them raw and seasoned meat, as these are bad for their tiny bodies.
What A Hamster Cannot Eat?
- Chocolate, particularly dark chocolate
- Eating chocolate is toxic for your hammy as it contains the toxin theobromine, which is deadly for hamsters.
- Garlic
- Garlic causes blood disorders and digestion issues for our hamsters.
- Raw kidney beans
- Raw kidney beans contain phytohaemagglutinin, which may kill hamsters if eaten in large quantities.
Conclusion
Have you fed your hamster turkey? If not, it might be a fun new Thanksgiving tradition to start! Hamsters are omnivores and can eat most things humans do, including meat.
Turkey is a great addition to your hamster’s meal as a snack or treat — it shouldn’t be incorporated into your hamster’s primary diet. We hope this article has answered all your questions on whether turkey is safe for your hamster.
Lastly, check out how the hamster chews and gnaws on a turkey leg below for your viewing pleasure! A word of warning for headphone users, lower the volume as it might be too loud.
