Feeding hamsters chocolate

Can I feed my hamster Chocolate? The answer is No! Feeding chocolate to hamsters' is dangerous to them.
Chocolate for humans can have some health benefits. But on the negative side it is rich in calories with a high saturated fat content. But to all animals including hamsters' if fed in sufficient quantities it is deadly. You must never feed chocolate to a hamster, or any other of your pets.

Chocolate is toxic to hamsters

The chemistry of chocolate is a bit complex to go into detail here. Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine. The amount of theobromine found in the chocolate is small enough to be safely consumed by humans. The human body can digest and breakdown the complex compounds found in chocolate and dispose of them safely without causing any harm.

Animals are unable to metabolize this chemical effectively and it can remain in their bloodstream for 24 hours or more. They can succumb to theobromine poisoning from as little as a few grams of chocolate. Even in small doses it can kill a hamster.
The symptoms of theobromine toxicity can manifest itself as hyperactivity, epileptic seizures, and heart attacks resulting in the death of the animal. The toxicity of Theobromine is dose dependent on other pets'. The size of your pet, the type of chocolate, and quantity of chocolate eaten determines if or how toxic it is to your pet. There is no antidote for theobromine toxicity.

Dark coloured chocolate has about 50% more theobromine than milk chocolate, and therefore more dangerous to your pet. The darker the chocolate the more toxic it becomes.

Chocolate is also a very potent stimulant. Even in small quantities, feeding chocolate is known to cause hyperactivity in dogs. Some dogs are more sensitive to it than others. This depends on the size of the dog and the amount of chocolate consumed. White chocolate rarely contains enough theobromine to pose a serious threat to dogs from toxicity. Milk chocolate has 6mg of theobromine per ounce. Dark chocolate 22mg per ounce, and baking chocolate about 40mg per ounce.
Baker's chocolate is concentrated enough to pose a threat to any animal.
Other foods that contain chocolate additives should not be fed. This includes chocolate cake and biscuits as these can still pose a threat to your pet.

Other foods that may be Toxic to hamsters.