Can Hamsters Get High? Vet-Approved Facts & Safety Guide
Updated on
Click to Skip Ahead
There haven’t been many studies on whether or not hamsters feel psychoactive effects from different substances. In many cases, we can assume that hamsters feel the same or similar effects to certain substances that also affect humans since they have similar cannabinoid receptors1.
That said, hamsters are much smaller than humans. Therefore, contact with these substances is much more likely to have deleterious effects. Humans are big and can, therefore, handle larger amounts of these substances before we end up in the hospital.
Can Hamsters Get High?
It’s important to never intentionally expose your hamster to any psychoactive substances. After all, it can cause distress or even death in some cases. Plus, it would be very hard to explain to the vet!
- Alcohol: Even a small amount of alcohol can be toxic to hamsters and may lead to serious health issues or even death.
- Drugs: Substances like marijuana, cocaine, or other recreational drugs can have harmful effects on hamsters, as they are much smaller and more sensitive than humans.
- Tobacco: Nicotine is toxic to hamsters and can be found in cigarettes and other tobacco products. Secondhand smoke can also harm them.
- Medications: Some medications intended for humans or other animals can be dangerous or even lethal for hamsters if administered without proper veterinary guidance.
It’s important to prioritize the health of your pet, which means keeping these substances away from them. If you think your hamster has been in contact with one of these substances, contact your vet right away.
Can You Smoke Around Hamsters?
It isn’t recommended to smoke anything around hamsters. As mammals, they are sensitive to many of the same things we are. However, they are very small, so they tend to have much more dramatic reactions to smaller amounts.
Therefore, smoking around hamsters can cause them harm. Even though they aren’t smoking the substance themselves, they need much less than we do to feel the effects. Therefore, secondhand smoke is often plenty for a hamster. Secondhand smoke is particularly troublesome for their sensitive respiratory systems, which may have a hard time handling it.
Furthermore, hamsters have a very acute sense of smell. Therefore, the smell of smoke is more likely to upset hamsters, causing stress and anxiety. Stress can quickly decrease a hamster’s immune response potentially causing them to become sick or otherwise unhealthy.
For the health and well-being of your hamster and other pets, it’s best to smoke outside or in a well-ventilated area far away from your pet’s living space. Additionally, if you smoke, it’s a good practice to wash your hands thoroughly and change your clothing before handling your hamster or interacting with their living environment to minimize the transfer of smoke residue.
Is Vaping Near a Hamster Bad?
Vaping isn’t recommended around hamsters, just like smoking. We don’t know as much about vaping as traditional tobacco smoke, as it hasn’t been around for as long. However, we do know that it likely isn’t entirely harmless as it was advertised to be a few years ago. The aerosol products produced by e-cigarettes can pose a serious health risk for pets, including hamsters.
Vaping produces an aerosol that contains various chemicals, including nicotine and flavoring agents. Hamsters have sensitive respiratory systems, and exposure to these chemicals in the aerosol can be irritating and potentially harmful to their health. We don’t know the full effect of these chemicals, but it may be that different flavorings will have different effects.
Of course, a big negative of vaping is that we just don’t know. We have no idea what long-term effects vaping would have on a hamster or how to limit those effects. Therefore, it is best to avoid vaping around your hamster altogether.
Is Nicotine Toxic to Hamsters?
Hamsters are likely affected by nicotine similarly to humans. However, because they are very small, they are affected by less nicotine and require a smaller amount to overdose. It is completely possible for too much nicotine to kill a hamster.
Nicotine can lead to respiratory distress in hamsters, causing them to have trouble breathing. As you can imagine, this can be life-threatening. Nicotine can affect the cardiovascular system of hamsters, leading to an increase in heart rate and blood pressure.
Sometimes, nicotine can lead to gastrointestinal problems, like vomiting and diarrhea. Sadly, these conditions can be pretty serious for hamsters. Ingesting nicotine can affect the central nervous system, leading to symptoms such as tremors, seizures, and muscle weakness.
Due to all these side effects, hamsters can overdose on nicotine pretty easily. You need to keep all nicotine-containing products away from your hamster.
Conclusion
Hamsters are mammals, just like us. This means they react to most chemicals in a very similar way. Cannabis can make hamsters high, for instance, just like it can humans. However, hamsters need a much smaller amount to feel the effects, as they are very small creatures. That said, hamsters can also overdose on these substances very quickly. Secondhand smoke can even have a major effect on hamsters. They don’t need very much due to their very low body weight.
Therefore, it is best to keep all of these substances away from your hamster.
Featured Image Credit: Phiwatn, Shutterstock
