Do hamsters need hay? How much should be in their daily diet?

A hamster needs fresh fruits and vegetables as well as grains and greens. You can feed him daily in the morning or in the evening. Acceptable vegetables and greens include romaine lettuce, cauliflower, squash, spinach, broccoli, carrots and cucumbers. Commercial pellets or blocks can be offered along with a seed mix, vegetables and greens (as listed above) and fruit such as apple, pear, banana and grapes. Be sure to check the cage frequently to clean out any hoards to prevents pests and rot.

I would recommend a commercial diet as well to ensure he is getting all the nutrients he needs. He also needs hard substances to chew on to help file his teeth down. Hamsters have constantly growing teeth and without proper diets and care, they can have malocclusions and teeth problems in the future. I hope this helps!

Thanks for reaching out about Emma. This diet appears appropriate from your description. Supplementing with a small amount of fresh vegetables is recommended, but add very slowly as to test Emma's digestive system and not cause upset. Good luck.

I do not think the pellets are bad but should be given in moderation. These are high in fat and can cause obesity. I recommend a large amount of roughage like Timothy hay all day long with moderate amount of veggies and small amount of pellets. The roughage is really good for their teeth too.

For an adult rabbit the percentages should be 85-90% hay ( timothy, grass hay, oat hay and so on) up to 10% veggies and up to 5% fruits (no more than 1 oz. per 3 lbs. body weight). The rest can be given in pellets.

Great question! Lettuce has no nutritional value for hamsters, so I wouldn't feed that to Khaleesi. There are other veggies that aren't good for hamsters, and I will put a link below to a website details which ones are good for them. You will have to slowly introduce the veggies to her, as too many at once causes diarrhea. Start by giving her a small piece of veggie twice a week, and gradually increase it until she has a small piece once a day. Be sure to give her fresh veggies every day so they don't get moldy. Good luck, I hope this helps! http://www.petwebsite.com/hamsters/hamster_fruit_vegetables.asp

1. No, not true. A high-fiber, fortified food should make up approximately 90% of your hamster's diet. A complete fortified food such as Oxbow’s Essentials Hamster and Gerbil Food would be the best option. You don't want a diet that contains a lot of seeds. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/oxbow-essentials-hamster-and-gerbil-food Here are some things you can try to offer in small amounts as a treat: Asparagus Baked or Steamed Chicken, Turkey or Cod Fish (Skin and bones removed.) Bananas Boiled or Scrambled Eggs Blackberries Blueberries Cantaloupe Cauliflower Cooked Brown Rice (plain) Cooked Whole Grain Pasta Flax Seed Lentils Mango Melon Mild Cheeses Nutritional Yeast Oatmeal Plain Tofu Raspberries Romaine Lettuce Seedless Apples Seedless Grapes Squash Strawberries Sweet Potatoes Unsalted Popcorn (no butter) Unsalted Pumpkin Seeds Unsalted Soybeans Fruit and whole grains can upset the GI tract if offered in too high levels. As a rule of thumb, only 5-10 percent of the diet should be these foods. 2. No, on any citrus fruits.