Can hamsters eat salt
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Can Hamsters Eat Salt? Safe or Not?

Salt is something that you can give to your hamster when you see they want to have some change. However, the question is, can hamsters eat salt? Well, hamsters can eat salt but just to lick it.  And, this is something that is really not important to give them when you consider nutritional benefits.

Also, you have many other options to give them as snacks. Also, their commercial food is enough to cover all the necessary vitamins and minerals.  So, while talking about the nutrients, you can consider salt as an exception. So, let’s get into the details of how and when you can give salt to hamsters. 

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Types of salt

The vastly widespread thing that we all know this that salt has different kinds and their effects and effects depend on their types containing the amount of sodium in it. So, the following are the types of salts and their sodium quantity. 

  • Table salt-39% sodium.
  • Celtic salt-33.7% sodium.
  • Himalayan salt-36.8% sodium. 

So, as we know the amount of sodium these types contain, I will tell you the details of what kind of salt you can give to your hamster for “licking” and not for “eating”. 

Note: Please note that you can give salt to your hamsters only to lick once in a while and cannot give them to eat it like other snacks. And, what kind of salt you can give and what not, is below. 

What type of salt can hamsters eat? 

Talking about the type of salt, let me tell you that this needs discussion. We cannot jump to conclusions directly without knowing the reasons. 

So, if we talk about table salt, this is the most purified salt ever that has zero impurities and is defined nicely. 

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So, as the salt is refined, it contains a high amount of sodium harmful to your hamsters. So, avoid giving table salt to your hamsters because this will be the worst thing for them. They may suffer from high blood pressure, and high sodium will affect their bones. 

Next comes Himalayan salt that has a relatively low amount of sodium. This is what hamsters can still tolerate; however, this is not a good treat for them. 

Compared to Himalayan salt, table salt has anticaking agents that are horrible for hamsters. This is what the Himalayan salt does not have, and that’s why you can give it to hamsters. 

Do hamsters need salt licks?

If you listen to licks creators, they will say that the hamsters need salt licks as they provide your hamsters with all the primary nutrients and minerals. 

However, this is not true at all. If you meet any vet like I did, you will realize that these licks are given to hamsters just as toys to play with and they have no nutritional benefits at all.

 So, if you don’t give them these salt licks, that is even fine. But, if you want to give these to your hamsters, you can put a salt lick in their cages that they will lick. 

And, make sure to give them Himalayan salt licks; as I have already said above, this is still safe for hamsters. So, you can find them in markets and supermarkets, and so, you can give them to your hamsters. 

Now, here is the main question.

 What breed of hamsters can eat salt licks? 

This is what I got the answers for after doing some research, and so, the below stated details are all valid, and you can trust them for your hamsters.

Can Syrian hamsters eat salt? 

Yes, Syrian hamsters can eat salt licks. Please note that I am talking about salt licks here and not powder salt or the salt you use in foods. 

So, if your hamsters have a salt deficiency or lack salt, go for other options instead of giving them salt in the first place. 

And, if you want to give your Syrian hamsters salt in the first place, go with Himalayan salt blocks that you get in the market, as I said above. You can feed your Syrian hamsters with salt licks once a week. 

Can Robo hamsters eat salt? 

Yes, Robo hamsters can also eat salt licks as they are harmless. So, you can give Robo hamsters the salt licks once a week as I said above about Syrian hamsters. 

Can my dwarf hamsters eat salt? 

Salt licks are harmless and so, your dwarf hamsters can eat salt licks and they are neither beneficial nor harmful for them. However, the best thing is to give them salt licks once in two weeks. 

Can teddy bear hamsters eat salt?

Yes, teddy bear hamsters can also eat salt licks and the same timing goes for them as for the dwarf hamsters. So, you can give salt licks to the teddy bear hamsters once in two weeks. Now, here comes the question about the baby hamsters. 

Can a baby hamster eat salt? 

Baby hamsters can feed only on milk as they are mammals and they are babies of course. So, feeding them with anything other than their mother’s milk or Lactol milk will be a disaster to their health. So, you cannot feed baby hamsters anything other than milk.

Can hamsters be salt deficient? 

Hamsters need proper diets for them to stay healthy. And, as they are delicate beings, you have to take care of them as babies. 

So, the best thing to provide them is the commercial food that you can ask from any vet. And, this is what I did when I adopted my Syrian hamsters.

 Also, make sure to take them to the vet quite often and he will keep check of the health of your hamsters. 

And, yes, hamsters can be salt deficient as well. Because, along with their diets, you can feed them with different snacks and they help to keep up with their health.

 So, when you don’t nourish them with sufficient nutrition or foods that don’t have enough salt generally, that results in a salt deficiency in hamsters. So, yes, hamsters suffer from salt deficiency when they don’t have enough salt in their diet. 

Can salt kill hamsters? 

Yes, too much salt can kill hamsters. That’s because it, first of all, depends on the type of salt you give them.  And, the second most important thing is to give them balance. If you give them Himalayan salt licks but still give them in abundance, this will create dehydration in their body as they suck all the water in their bodies. 

Salt wheel for hamsters 

Salt wheels are made with glue or are also bleached. And, giving minerals and salt wheels are harmful to hamsters as they are bleached with material that is not edible at all. And they also are glued, which is also not edible so, avoid giving salt wheels to hamsters. 

Do hamsters need salt blocks? 

If we talk about the needs of our hamsters, they really don’t need salt blocks. And, if you are willing to give them salt blocks, go for Himalayan salt licks that are available readymade in the markets. 

So, you can save your hamster from the disastrous results of the glue and minerals that you are unknowingly going to feed your hamsters. 

How to feed salt to hamsters? 

Feeding salt licks to hamsters is not tricky at all. Just make sure to buy Himalayan salt licks from the markets if you want to feed them; give them to your Syrian and Robo hamsters once a week. 

And, give them to your Teddy best hamsters once in two weeks. Now, for dwarf hamsters, the same routine goes for Teddy bear hamsters. 

Also, for baby hamsters, always remember that you will not give them anything else than the Lactol milk or their mother’s milk. Now, once we have learn all the necessary information about can hamsters eat salt? Let’s see the advantages and disadvantages of salt for hamsters if there are any?

Advantages and disadvantages of salt for hamsters

Advantages 

1-Salt licks have no other advantage than to satisfy your hamsters when they have to lick it. Also, it is harmless for hamsters. 

Disadvantages 

1-If salt licks are given in abundance, they will cause dehydration in the hammy and can kill them. 

Conclusion 

Can hamsters eat salt? Yes, hamsters can eat salt licks and they are harmless if you feed them once in a while. However, baby hamsters are the exception here. 

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FAQs

Can hamsters lick salt? 

Hamsters can definitely eat salt licks as they are safe for them but here, I’m talking about Himalayan salt. And, you can not give them the salt that you use for food. However, you can feed them with the salt that comes in the markets for hamsters. So, yes, you can give them salt licks and not table salt. 

Are salt licks goods for hamsters? 

Talking about the good and bad, salt licks are neither good nor bad for hamsters. However, if you think about giving some change or something to lick as toys, they are good for hamsters because hamsters can lick them and play with them as toys. 

So, if we talk about the safety of hamsters, then salt licks are good for them as they are safe. However, if you talk about health benefits, you will not get any health benefits for hamsters.

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