[chesca_27]

I'm pretty sure the fats are good fats in sunflower seeds. Remember a cup of seeds is quite a lot though - most hams will get two to three a day maximum probably (depending on diet). Moderation is key.

I think with diabetic-prone hams the focus is on low sugar not low carbs. Carbs will be providing the majority of the energy (I believe?) so I think a carb-rich diet is important as long as it's mainly complex carbs (like cypher said).

Seeds should be an important part of a diet - in fact I know for sure that Jasper's main ingredient in his food is seeds but then he isn't diabetes prone.

Sunflower seeds make a great healthy treat - Jasper gets a few every couple of days or so hidden around his cage and he has great fun in finding them. In fact it's the only treat I have found he loves (apart from Whimzees and Greenies). I don't think seeds should be removed from the diet at all - especially since it's a much-loved treat (by most hams).

My main concern with sunflower seeds is the fat so I think that's the only thing you need you really need to watch out for. From personal research, I have found they are high in protein and fibre as well - making a healthy treat.

EDIT: CB by throwing the seeds away and adding oats you will be unbalancing the nutritional value of the food you use. This is not normally recommended so be careful when changing mixes around a bit. An exotic vet might know but they'd really need to be a specialist to be much help. I do agree that 9 sunflower seeds might be a bit much but just make sure you know exactly what you're doing when it comes to nutrition - if it goes wrong it could affect your hamster in a BIG way.