Yes, hamsters are allowed to eat parsley. But even here you need to consider some things, because parsley in its various forms is not a food that a hamster in the wild would eat every day. Here, as with any food for humans and animals, it depends on the amount. With us you will learn what you need to consider when you feed your hamster parsley.

Should hamsters eat parsley?

As a herbivore, your hamster should have a balanced diet. For you as a hamster owner, this means that you have to provide your animal with sufficient vitamins and minerals. Parsley can support you in this task. However, it is important that a hamster should only supplement a small part of its daily diet with parsley.

Parsley contains many healthy ingredients, primarily vitamin C, which is essential for all organic life. You have to be careful with the amount, because the parsley has a very high water content and therefore too much of it can cause the hamster to get diarrhea. Diarrhea can lead to a life-threatening situation for your pet.

How to prepare the parsley for the hamster?

Ideally, the parsley that you offer your hamster is from certified organic cultivation. This way you can be sure that there are no pesticides on the leaves or stems or even in the plant. Alternatively, you can grow your own leaf parsley in a flower pot and always have fresh parsley for your hamster.

Wash and drain the parsley briefly before feeding, that's all you have to do and your hamster will be delighted with the tasty green food. You can also offer the parsley with other vegetables and create a mixed salad for your hamster. Here you can mix lettuce leaves, zucchini, radishes and leaf parsley. The total amount should be based on the feeding recommendation in the next section.

How much parsley can a hamster eat?

The amount depends on the size of your hamster. This should be self-evident, because a dwarf hamster should get different portion sizes than a golden hamster. We recommend you to feed leaf parsley and the amount of leaves that lie loosely on top of each other should be about half of the head size of your animal.

If your hamster has never eaten parsley before, you should reduce this amount by half. You should observe your hamster during the first feeding of leaf parsley. What does he do with the parsley, does he eat it immediately, does he carry it to his hiding place? If he puts it in his hiding place, then you have to check the next day if the parsley is eaten.

Otherwise, the parsley may rot and make the hamster sick. If the hamster eats the parsley immediately, watch his reaction carefully. Should he continue to move well, then it is all-clear for now. However, pay attention to how his feces look a few hours after ingestion. If he gets diarrhea, then offer him only dry food for two days.

If after 12 hours the diarrhea has not passed and your hamster seems absent, seek veterinary attention immediately. Small animals can quickly become dehydrated, which is life-threatening.

How often can a hamster eat parsley?

A hamster can easily eat parsley once or twice a week. However, you should pay close attention to the amount and not overload him with too large portions. Even if your hamster is already used to parsley and likes to eat it, too large portions can cause diarrhea. In the previous section we have already shown how dangerous this can be for your animal.

Are hamsters allowed to eat dried parsley?

Yes, dried parsley may also be offered to the hamster. Here, however, you should refrain from larger quantities. It is best to sprinkle a little dried parsley on the food that you offer your hamster. Then you can see whether he likes the dried parsley at all. Or remove it from the rest of his food.

Are hamsters allowed to eat parsley stems?

Yes, even the parsley stems may be eaten by the hamster. The hamster has a strong bite and so it is especially fun for him to nibble on the somewhat firmer stems of parsley. But again, never too much of the stems, because the high water content can also lead to diarrhea.

The benefits of parsley for the hamster

Parsley is an excellent vegetable for the hamster. It contains many nutrients and thus ensures a healthy organism. The most important benefits we briefly list here and apply not only for your hamster, but also for you.

• Wound healing: The high content of vitamin K in parsley ensures excellent wound healing. At the same time, it ensures that blood clotting can function within a normal range.
• Strengthening the immune system: Especially vitamin C strengthens the immune system in all mammals and therefore also in hamsters. The vitamin C ensures that no deficiency symptoms such as inflammation of the gums occur.
• Vision: Vitamin A is important for vision. In hamsters it is known that already in the middle stage of life the eyesight decreases. Here, sufficient vitamin A can slow down this process significantly.

How healthy is the parsley for the hamster?

Parsley has a fantastic mix of vitamins, minerals and fiber. You can be sure that a hamster will not get fat from parsley. This is because it is 87 % water and there are only small amounts of sugar in parsley. Here are the exact nutritional values of the plant per 100 g.

• Vitamin A 5226 µg
• Vitamin B1 140 µg
• Vitamin B2 300 µg
• Vitamin B3 4200 µg
• Vitamin B5 300 µg
• Vitamin B6 200 µg
• Vitamin B9 149 µg
• Vitamin C 159,000 µg
• Vitamin K 790 µg

Vitamins are joined by minerals and trace elements in a large number, all these elements your hamster needs and therefore your hamster should eat parsley occasionally.

• Sodium 37 mg
• Potassium 811 mg
• Calcium 179 mg
• Magnesium 44 mg
• Phosphorus 87 mg
• Sulfur 190 mg
• Chloride 156 mg
• Iron 3643 µg
• Zinc 730 µg
• Copper 144 µg
• Manganese 756 µg
• Fluoride 80 µg
• Iodine 3.4 µg

Finally, the nutritional values that should completely convince you to let your hamster eat parsley. Again, the nutrient content for 100 g of fresh parsley.

• Calories 52
• Fat 0.4 g
• Protein 4,4 g
• Dietary fiber 4.3 g
• Carbohydrates 7,4 g

A snack that can be seen and tastes almost every hamster.

Are hamsters allowed to eat parsley? - Conclusion

Parsley is a healthy food supplement for your hamster and may be on the menu of your animal once or twice a week. It is best to make sure that the leaf parsley is fresh and pesticide-free. Then your hamster will be happy to nibble on it and enjoy it.