In fact, the Chinese people's constitution is not very good at absorbing milk. It is better to drink soy milk. Because milk contains lactose, it cannot be directly absorbed by our body. Therefore, there are many sugar-free milks on the market. The sugar here refers to lactose. People who eat lactose and cannot absorb it will experience symptoms such as diarrhea, bloating or abdominal cramps, also known as lactose intolerance. This kind of situation still occurs in humans. Needless to say, in hamsters, we all know that hamsters cannot drink milk, so what are the other reasons besides this?

Lactose intolerance

Once the hamster pups have been weaned around day 21, the level of lactase synthesis in the body will drop to pre-weaning levels 10%. Diarrhea in hamsters is caused by ingesting more lactose in milk than can be digested, which is often referred to as lactose intolerance.

It is not recommended to feed hamsters or other pets with milk. Almost all mammals are lactose intolerant once weaned. This is because, once weaned, animals cannot synthesize enough of the enzyme lactase, an enzyme necessary for the digestion of lactose in the small intestine. Lactose in milk is one of the natural sugars, and this lactose can cause hamsters to pull soft yellow and green stools, and in severe cases, direct diarrhea.

Milk processing OR dairy products

First of all, boiled milk or skim milk does not reduce the lactose content of milk, so it is thought that hamsters can It's actually wrong to drink boiled or skim milk.

Secondly, although hamsters cannot drink milk directly, they can still eat some dairy products, such as cheese for pets that we usually see. The lactose in these dairy products is usually broken down during processing or under the action of certain bacteria, so it is a good snack for nutritious items.