Natural bee honey is not only a delicacy, but also a medicinal product. Therefore, it is recommended to use it for various diseases, including seasonal viral infections (the so-called “colds”).
It is not surprising that they are trying to feed various pets with honey: cats, dogs, rodents. On the forums, the question is often asked whether honey is possible for hamsters, as well as other rodents – rats, ferrets. The owners expect only benefit from such a supplement introduced into the pet’s diet. However, in the case of this bee product, not everything is as clear as it seems at first glance.
The content of the article
- 1 About the benefits and harms
- 2 Why give with care to animals
- 3 Hamsters
- 3.1 When give
- 4 Rats
- 5 Ferrets
- 6 About dosages
About the benefits and harms
There is no doubt that natural honey is useful … for humans. Animals are not discussed in the collections on treatment with folk remedies. Therefore, each owner of a rodent or other pet acts at his own peril and risk.
Honey is:
- a source of minerals and vitamins;
- a storehouse of rare biologically active substances that help to cope with viral, bacterial, fungal diseases;
- a perfectly balanced product in terms of chemical composition (it is believed that it is close to human blood plasma);
- a carbohydrate and high-calorie delicacy (on average, 100-300 kilocalories per 350 grams), which replenishes the body’s need for energy.
A person can use it to normalize sleep and relieve nervous tension, in case of problems with the digestive, cardiovascular system. The bee product is useful for vitamin deficiency, physical exhaustion. It is traditionally recommended for colds – sore throat, runny nose, cough, pneumonia, bronchitis.
To read:
Recommendations for treating cough with natural honey
How to boost immunity with honey
Consuming honey for colds
The use of honey for angina
But do not forget that honey can cause an allergic reaction. His intolerance is one of the main reasons for refusing treatment with bee products.
Read: How to recognize and treat honey allergies
Why give with care to animals
In the case of pets such as rats, hamsters, ferrets, care must be taken especially carefully, since:
- rodents are lightweight – an allergic reaction can simply kill them;
- rodents are not adapted to the quick and easy assimilation of carbohydrates, their natural food is meat (as is the case with ferrets), cereals;
- and finally, rodents can gain a lot from high-calorie foods.
The features of the delivery of sweet feeding will be discussed below.
Remember! Any doubts are a reason to consult a veterinarian. Honey is not a product on the animal menu that can be introduced on an ongoing basis.
Hamsters
Honey is given to hamsters with extreme caution!
On thematic forums, cases are described when an allergic reaction led to paralysis, lacrimation, lethargy in a rodent. Moreover, a dose of only 2-3 grams can be dangerous.
After such feeding, the animals have to be drunk with clean water or a decoction of chamomile flowers (the plant is able to eliminate the consequences of food intolerance).
The conclusion, based on such information, is obvious – hamsters do not tolerate honey well. It is especially dangerous for small dwarf breeds.
The same goes for drops containing a honey product. This sweet treat is contraindicated in dwarf breeds prone to endocrine diseases.
When give
With good tolerance, honey is used in the following cases:
- For lubricating the coat in long-haired breeds to avoid intestinal blockage and death of the animal. Once a week, the skin is treated with one or two drops of a honey product. When licking the sweetness, a small amount of hairs enter the digestive tract and are easily excreted from the intestines.
- As part of drops for non-dwarf breeds. The delicacy is given out no more than once a month!
- With obvious signs of a cold, a drop of honey product is added once a day to warm water.
- With a lack of vitamin E (the bee product is introduced into the diet only on the recommendation of a veterinarian).
Rats
Is it possible for rats to determine honey by a food test – they give the pet a drop of the product and observe the reaction of the body. Such a test cannot be carried out for any food intolerance! She indicates a tendency to allergies.
It should be noted that rats tolerate honey better than other domestic rodents. But it is not worth pampering animals with them.
The reasons are the same:
- the risk of obesity;
- additional stress on the digestive system.
Therefore, it is given only in exceptional cases, for example, to drown out the taste of a medicine prescribed by a veterinarian. The basis of the diet is the same – grain, vegetables, fruits as delicacies.
Pets are fed honey for viral (colds) infections, if there is no food intolerance, and poor appetite is observed. The product compensates for the lack of nutrients, vitamins, minerals. Rats willingly gnaw honeycomb. But they give it in very small portions.
Ferrets
Ferrets are predatory rodents whose diet includes raw meat, offal, and quail eggs. Animals do not experience a special need for carbohydrates, including cereals.
The main food additives are calcium tablets, fish oil two to three drops per day, low-fat cottage cheese (literally in micro doses).
The menu is given special attention, because animals do not tolerate many products from the human table poorly. For example, they are not allowed to gnaw raw carrots, beets, potatoes, fruits – pears, bananas due to the risk of intestinal blockage.
Dispensing dry food for cats or rodents is not recommended. Ferret owners try to form the diet of their pets mainly on natural products.
Whether it is okay to give honey to ferrets is less controversial than the choice between dry and fresh natural food. It is poorly absorbed by the rodent’s body – a load is created on the pancreas and liver. The risk of food allergies is high.
About dosages
If the owner of the rodent nevertheless decided to introduce a honey product into the food of his ward, you should not get carried away with sweet feeding.
A single dose of one to two drops in liquid form. This amount is added to the main food or drink, or fed from a spoon. A pet can be pampered with a medical product no more than twice a week, unless otherwise instructed by the veterinarian.
In conclusion, we emphasize once again that rodents in the wild do not eat honey. It doesn’t matter where the bee product was purchased – at the nearest apiary or in a store. This is a “heavy” carbohydrate feed for a small animal, which can cause an allergic reaction. Therefore, you should not include it in your pet’s daily menu.
