Hamsters should never be fed ice cream, and the reasons are as follows:
I. Fragile Digestive Systems Are Easily Irritated
Hamsters’ digestive systems differ significantly from humans’—they are extremely delicate. As a cold food, ice cream causes intense irritation to a hamster’s digestive tract. Eating ice cream directly can easily lead to diarrhea, which is highly dangerous for hamsters. In severe cases, it may even trigger gastroenteritis, a life-threatening condition.
II. High Dehydration Risk with Difficult Treatment
Due to their small size, hamsters are prone to dehydration once diarrhea occurs. However, administering intravenous fluids to dehydrated hamsters is extremely challenging (given their tiny veins), making treatment very difficult. Therefore, to prevent hamsters from dying of dehydration caused by eating ice cream, feeding them this food must be strictly avoided.
III. Choose Scientific Cooling Methods, Reject Cold/Raw Foods
During hot summer months, while it’s necessary to help hamsters cool down, you should use scientific and standardized methods—such as using cooling pads or placing marble slabs in their cages—rather than feeding them cold or raw foods. Feeding cold foods like ice cream not only fails to cool hamsters effectively but also poses serious risks to their health.