Can Hamsters Eat Chia Seeds? [Things You Must Know]

Chia Seeds are great for health, so you may consider giving them to your pets. Especially for your tiny hamster who needs some extra nutrients.

But there are a lot of questions regarding feeding chia seeds to your hamster that I will clear up in this post. So let’s read.

So, Can Hamsters Eat Chia Seeds?

When we talk about chia seeds, they carry many benefits. Firstly they are known to be rich in Omega-3 Fatty acids and antioxidants.

Chia Seeds mainly consider the raw seeds of Mexican Chia. There are many similarities between chia seeds and flaxseeds. When they are used in cooking, the way they are used is also similar.

You should ensure that the information you get on such a topic is correct and isn’t fake. But don’t worry; keep reading this post to learn more about its benefits and loss.

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What are Chia Seeds?

Firstly, let us begin the topic by discussing what these seeds are. These seeds are edible and belong to a plant-primarily found in Mexico. The shape in which they are found is oval. They are grey, and in length, they are approximately 2mm.

When we go back in history and learn about these seeds, we learn that they were originally first grown by the Aztecs.

They carry many benefits, which is why people cook them and eat them with their food. They are rich in Protein, Zinc, Vitamin B, iron, and magnesium.

From this, you can understand the benefits that they carry. People usually mix these seeds with smoothies as they are used to complement the food they are mixed with.

Another way of eating them is also by adding them to your pudding. There are also some people present who use these seeds to make bread.

How To Feed Your Hamsters Chia Seeds?

At first, when you are giving them such seeds, make sure that you offer them a small amount to make sure that they like it or not. If you give them a lot of it and they don’t like it, that will go to waste.

There is also a possibility that your hamster might put the seeds in its cheek pockets. Before offering the hamsters such seeds, make sure that they are washed. To make these chia seeds grow, chemicals are added to them.

The best way to serve chia seeds is to mix these seeds with other seeds like pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds [low amount], and others. This mix will give your hamster good protein; thus, you can make this seed mix their staple. Although, you need to mix other things like biscuits, herbs, and others. If needed, lab-block too.

The second option is to serve these seeds as a treat; often, while taming, you can feed this seed to your hamster, and they’ll like it.

How Many/Much Chia Seeds To Serve To A Hamster?

When it comes to the quantity of Chia seeds that can be fed to your hamster, it majorly depends on the species to which they belong.

The size of the Syrian Hamster is much bigger than the one belonging to Robo or Dwarf. Their size determines the seeds that they can eat. If they are large, they eat more seeds.

The strength of their digestive systems is more, so they can eat more of such seeds. But you must also know that feeding them too many Chia Seeds can harm your hamster’s health.

• For Syrian Hamsters: Syrian hamsters are considered giant species. So the number of seeds they consume is also high. You can feed them with around eight seeds in a single day. This amount is considered acceptable for your hamster.
• For Dwarf Hamsters: When it comes to this species, they are the smallest, so their food intake is also less. So the number of seeds you should feed them is only 2. They are susceptible to obesity, so you should avoid giving them a large number.

Benefits of Chia Seeds To Your Hamsters

When it comes to the benefits, there are a lot of them. As humans consume these seeds by putting them in their meals, the same goes for your hamster.

If the correct amount of seeds is fed, hamsters can benefit from it. There is a list of benefits provided below –

1. Magnesium – helps strengthen the muscles.
2. Dietary Fibres – helps in improve the digestive system.
3. Potassium – helps in improving blood pressure.
4. Vitamin B – helps in providing a lot of energy.
5. Zinc – helps in improving the immune system.

According to Healthline, One Ounce or 28 grams of Chia Seeds contains;

Nutrition	Value
Fiber	11 grams
Protein	4 grams
Fat	9 grams (5 of which are omega-3s)
Calcium	18% of the RDI
Manganese	30% of the RDI
Magnesium	30% of the RDI
Phosphorus	27% of the RDI

Risks of Feeding Chia Seeds to Hamsters

If there are benefits, then there are risks. The significant risk of these seeds occurs when they are fed in large quantities. Feeding it in the correct quantity is very important for your hamster.

Like it is said that “Anything fed too much is not good.” The same is the case with this. Here are the risks that might happen if you overfeed your hamster.

1. Nutritional problems – your hamster needs a wide range of seeds, not just one.
2. Obesity – these seeds are the ones that contain some fat in them, so if you overfeed them, they can make your hamster fat.
3. Digestive Problems – The seeds can cause digestive problems if fed in high quantities. These seeds often swell in hamsters’ stomachs.

Alternatives Foods of Chia Seeds for Hamsters

Seeds are essential for hamsters, and therefore you must have a variety of seeds for your hamster; here are a few other seeds that you can feed to your hamster:

• Pumpkin Seeds
• Sesame Seeds
• Sunflower Seeds
• Flax Seeds

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So Your hamster can undoubtedly feed on Chia seeds but not in large quantities as that might harm it.

These seeds prove to be helpful when provided in the right amount. There are also some risks to your hamster with these seeds. It depends upon hamsters to hamsters that they prefer having such seeds or not.

So, we hope this article has been helpful, and you have the information you were looking for.