Can Hamsters Eat Saltine Crackers? [Read Before Serving]

Saltine crackers are the perfect snack option, as they are slightly easier to digest and are high in calories.

Moderately serving your hamster with solution crackers will provide them with a decadent treat without completely upsetting up their stomachs.

So, Can Hamsters Eat Saltine Crackers?

If not accountable, your hamster can suffer significantly due to your well-intentioned ignorance due to eating foods that they should not snack on.

The quality of saltine crackers depends on the producer and the ingredients. While shopping, keep your hamster’s health in mind and always look for the label “made with whole grain.”

*Note: Not only check the label but check the ingredients at the back of the box. Generally, hamsters can eat saltine crackers once in a while as a treat in between meals.

Without a second thought, let’s begin with various questions regarding the quality, quantity, benefits, and risks of the saltine cracker for your hamster’s health.

What are Saltine Crackers?

A saltine cracker is a thin square soda cracker commonly eaten as a light snack, often with butter, cheese, and other spreads.

It is usually made from white flour, yeast, and baking powder and lightly sprinkled with salt, giving it a distinctively dry and crisp texture.

They are crumbled in soups, stews, and chilies as a thickener and are usually eaten as a light snack. Saltine crackers are also a consumer to ease nausea and settle an upset stomach.

This article is written to answer the question regarding feeding your hamsters with saltine crackers.

Can Hamsters Eat Saltine Crackers?

As far as we’ve come to know. The answer to this question is ‘YES.’

Say you’re snacking on some crackers and would like to share with your hamster. There’s no doubt that your pet hamster will enjoy this snack but don’t go overboard and only give the saltine cracker moderately, in small quantities.

Too much of this can cause your hamster’s stomach problems, dehydration, and other issues.

While giving your hamster saltine cracker small amounts will not solve any nutritional deficiencies, small amounts of iron and B vitamins support immunity and red blood cell health.

But always choose a healthier, more nutritious snack filled with vitamins and minerals to help boost your pet’s health.

Benefits of Saltine Crackers to your Hamsters

As hamsters are omnivores and can consume various human food, that doesn’t mean that you should replace your commercial hamster food.

While the saltine crackers should be consumed moderately and only in small quantities, it offers few benefits to your hamsters. The benefits of saltine crackers to your hamster are:

1. Low Calories: The saltine cracker are low in calories compared to other biscuits as your hamster is not fit to digest biscuits or food filled with too many carbohydrates
2. High Vitamin: Some saltine crackers contain oats and wheat, making them highly nutritious as they are filled with high vitamins.
3. Free of artificial colours: Usually, most crackers are free of artificial colours and additives
4. High in sodium: Saltine crackers are high in sodium.

How to serve Saltine Crackers to your Hamsters?

Here are five simple steps you need to follow to serve your hamster some saltine crackers safely and efficiently:

1. Take one cracker from the pack.
2. Make crumbs of the cracker or crush it into small pieces.
3. Use a small bowl or whatever bowl your hamster is usually fed from.
4. In that bowl, sprinkle the crumbs. Make sure not to overfill the bowl.
5. Put the bowl in your hamster’s cage and let him snack on them.

Tip: Since you’re feeding your hamster with some saltine crackers, fill a bowl with water and place it beside the cracker as proper hydration is essential!

How many/much Saltine Crackers to serve Hamsters?

Saltine crackers should not become the main source of food for the hamsters. They should be offered once or twice a week. 1 to 2 crackers are enough for the hamster.

The cracker should be crumbled, and the hamster should be served with water for proper hydration as crackers are rich in sodium.

Generally, hamsters should not be fed more than the stamp-sized piece of cracker at any one time. Just feed the crackers a couple of times twice a week and leave room for healthy fruits and vegetables.

Do Hamsters like Saltine Crackers?

Hamsters are omnivores and usually love munching on human snacks; a cracker could be a real delicacy since most hamsters enjoy such snacks.

Always remember to not give too much as it will cause a stomach problem. Serve the saltine crackers to the hamster in moderate quantity.

Make Homemade Crackers for your Hamsters

Some store-bought crackers are very high in sodium and may affect the health of the hamster. With three ingredients, you can easily make a particular batch of crackers just for your hamster.

All of you have to do this blend them together in a food processor or blender. The ingredients are as follows: 

• ½ cup cooked brown rice
• ¼ cup shredded carrots
• ¼ cup mango or banana chunks

Once done, pour the mixture on a greased baking sheet and bake the mix in your oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes or until the mixture starts to get crispy.

Let them cool and crumb it to serve your hamster.

These crackers are full of nutrition and can be offered to hamsters more than often as they are free of additives.

Risk of Feeding Saltine Crackers to your Hamsters

Saltine crackers are high in sodium and are substantial treats for a small-sized hamster. The most common side-effect of saltine crackers in the hamster is diarrhoea.

Sometimes your hamster may look absolutely fine but always pay attention to the health dropping as the disease progresses very quickly, and your hamster can become terribly ill in just a couple of days.

1. Obesity: Hamsters will, with almost certainty, gain weight if they haven’t developed nutritional deficiency eating a cracker-heavy diet which will lead them to cause all sorts of health problems, including insulin resistance, type to diabetes, heart disease, many forms of cancer, arthritis, and premature death.

2. High Calorie: In most cases, this is an advantage but always try giving them plain whole-grain crackers low in sugar and relatively high in fibre. Avoid spicy varieties of cracker as they can upset the stomach.

The good thing is, even if your hamster is suffering from a stomach problem, with a few steps, you can take care of the problem.

Steps To Help Your Hamsters with Stomach Problems

• The first and foremost step is to monitor or change your hamster’s diet. Keep in mind not to feed too much if fruits or vegetables can escalate the diarrhea excess moisture in them. 
• Always keep your hamster hydrated. Lack of water in the hamster can make digestion harder.

Monitor the vegetable intake. Or feed vegetables only after your hamster is cured of diarrhoea.

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• Also Read: Can Hamsters have Pancakes?