Mushrooms, the fleshy fruiting bodies of fungi, are a favorite addition to many tasty meals. There are hundreds of different species of edible mushrooms, each with its own unique flavor and nutritional benefits, making mushrooms a favorite in culinary circles. Many small mammals enjoy foraging for raw mushrooms in the wild, and you may be wondering if it’s safe to occasionally treat your hamster with a delicious mushroom.
But can hamsters eat mushrooms? Are mushrooms safe for hamsters? While there is no conclusive answer and some owners feed mushrooms to their hamsters without any trouble, our recommendation is to avoid adding them to your hamster’s diet. While store-bought mushrooms are non-toxic and safe for humans, there is little research about their toxicity in hamsters, so we recommend being safe rather than sorry.
In this article, we’ll look at the potential benefits and hazards associated with giving mushrooms to your hamster and why we recommend leaving them out entirely. Let’s get started!
Potential Benefits of Mushrooms
There are so many different types of mushrooms, it can be difficult to pinpoint all the potential benefits.
All these mushrooms are great for humans, with a host of nutritional benefits, and some of them are good for hamsters too. In general, all the previously mentioned mushrooms are low in cholesterol, sodium, and saturated fat and can be a great source of fiber, protein, and iron, among other things.
There are also a ton of delicious mushrooms found in the wild, although even the most well-meaning mushroom foragers may misidentify mushrooms, as many can appear so similar. If you choose to give your hamster mushrooms, we highly recommend giving them store-bought, cultivated mushrooms only.
Can Hamsters Eat Mushrooms?
Unfortunately, there have been few studies done in terms of the effects of mushrooms on hamsters, and the research that has been done was performed with toxic mushrooms. This is why we strongly recommend against feeding wild mushrooms to your hamster, as they are easily misidentified.
That said, very small amounts of store-bought mushrooms on occasion are unlikely to do any harm to your hamster, and a small nibble now and then is probably fine. Due to the lack of research on the subject, however, we recommend against giving your hamster any mushrooms at all. Even with all the potential health benefits, it’s too much of a risk, and your hamster can easily obtain these nutrients from their regular food source or other healthy treats.
Please note that research on rats or mice isn’t a good reference point for assessing the safety of food items in hamsters, as their digestive physiology is quite different from other commonly studied rodents.
Potential Risks of Feeding Mushrooms to Hamsters
Certain mushrooms contain trace amounts of potentially harmful or carcinogenic compounds in their raw form. Even though this is a negligible amount when it comes to humans and shouldn’t do any harm, in tiny mammals like hamsters, it can potentially cause health complications. Luckily, these carcinogens are vastly negated during cooking, but there are other hazards too.
Mushrooms are not nutritionally compatible with hamsters, and therefore, they may cause gastric upset and dental issues. Also, we highly advise against cooking mushrooms with oil, butter, or seasonings before giving them to your hamster, as none of these ingredients are good for their health.
Final Thoughts
The lack of studies and scientific papers related to hamsters and mushroom consumption, the potential health hazards, and the lack of any real nutritional benefits that hamsters cannot easily obtain elsewhere all make us recommend against feeding mushrooms to your hamster. Many proponents on the internet will argue that small amounts of mushrooms are perfectly fine for hamsters, and while that may be true, it may also not be—we just don’t know.
It’s our opinion that since many other foods, vegetables, and fruits contain real, proven benefits for hamsters, why risk giving your hamster mushrooms? If your hamster somehow ingested a piece of button mushroom, there is likely no reason to worry, but we would advise against making it a part of their regular diet.
Featured Image Credit: Jumpstory
