Seeing your little gnawer sick is probably disturbing for all hamster owners. After all, you want it to be as happy and healthy as possible. Thankfully, your adorable rodent will likely make a full recovery with a little bit of care, and a huge part of the care is feeding them the right diet.
You should feed your sick hamster highly nutritious foods such as chicken, eggs, baby food, some vegetables, fruits, and even honey. It’s also very important to keep them well-hydrated—this is going to speed up the recovery even more. Remember to keep your hamster warm and let it rest.
Let’s dive into the nutritional recommendations for your ill hamster and see what and how you should feed it. We’ll also discuss some other useful tips for taking care of your hamster so you can speed up its recovery even more.
What Are the Best Foods for a Sick Hamster?
The best types of food for your sick hamster provide a lot of energy and nutrition, especially in terms of protein. These include:
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Baby food
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Honey
These food items will go a long way in helping your hamster regain its strength during recovery. Your hamster will need a lot of protein for that, as well as some carbohydrates and, of course, water. Creating a good balance of nutrients will greatly increase the speed of your hamster’s recovery.
It’s crucial to keep an eye on what your hamster eats and make sure they’re getting enough food, as malnutrition could potentially be fatal at their size. This is particularly dangerous because sick hamsters sometimes stop eating. If this happens, you should get them back on track with their diet as soon as possible.
Chicken
At first, feeding your hamster chicken might seem like a weird idea, but it makes sense. Chicken is rich in protein, and ]your hamster needs lots of protein to get better.
Many hamster owners have reported that their hamsters responded well to chicken. It’s a safe bet to try feeding your hamster chicken, and if it likes it, keep on doing it.
The chicken you feed your hamster should be boiled, not fried. Hamsters don’t respond well to fried food, which may make them feel even worse. Your hamster should eat boiled, plain chicken, thoroughly cooked. Its digestive system will thank you.
Eggs
If your hamster turns out not to be the chicken type, you can try feeding them eggs. Eggs are also an excellent source of protein and can be an amazing addition to your hamster’s diet, especially if it’s ill.
The safest option is to go with hard-boiled eggs. This will ensure that any potential pathogens in the egg are destroyed before they get to your hamster. Cut them into tiny pieces and give them to your hamster from time to time.
You can alternatively try using scrambled eggs. If you choose that option, make sure that you’re not adding any additional oil or fat to them and that you’re cooking them thoroughly. You may like runny eggs, but they’re surely not good for your hamster.
Baby Food
Baby food is packed with all sorts of nutrients that your hamster needs when sick. This energy bomb will make it gain strength rapidly, boosting its immune system and helping it fight off the illness.
You can choose between baby food in jars and powdered baby food—that is, baby porridge. Some owners have had great results with baby food, and their hamsters have loved it. Hamsters especially like combinations of chicken, carrot, and potato.
You can freeze ready-made baby food in an ice tray and defrost it when needed. Doing so will prevent you from wasting it or spoiling it.
Porridge might be a better choice. Since it’s dry, you can just mix it with water whenever necessary.
Try spoon-feeding your hammie a little bit at a time. This will allow you to control its portions and prevent it from ove