Hamster Central - View Single Post - A Hazard of Bad Hamster Food

10Minutes · 10-22-2019, 07:27 PM

I didn't research when I bought my first packet of hamster food. It's called "Cripsy Hamster", by the brand name "Jolly", as recommended to me by the pet shop. Actually that pet shop didn't have another choice.

I soon realised the nutritional value wasn't that great:
Jolly Crispy Hamster: Protein 11%(min), Fat 2% (min), Fibre 15%(max).

Maize, Wheat, Barley, Peas, Safflower seeds, Buckwheat, Popcorn, Sorghum, Peanuts, Maize flakes, Wild Oats, SUnflower seeds, Dehydrated carrot, Dehydrated celery, Seasame oil, Expanded feed.

I sourced for a better brand online and mostly fed my hamsters the premium brand for their main diet, but once in a while I would mix in some of the Jolly brand because I didn't want the whole packet to go to waste. I mean, the nutritional value wasn't excellent but it seemed acceptable to me. I eat cheap food with bad nutritional values myself too, so I felt a little of this won't harm my hamsters. My intention was just to finish this Jolly brand eventually and never buy it again.

I did notice the food being a bit powdery but I thought that was some flavouring etc. I mean, dog biscuits feel powdery to me too.

The Horror
I recently noticed the sealant on the packaging was a little loose so I poured it out into a new clear container. To my horror, there was a lot of grey powdery-dust like substance in the food. It looked disgusting. I checked the expiry date and there was still a long way to go, so it shouldn't have gone bad.

I sieved it out and the dust alone was half a cupful.

Could it be some kind of flavouring or harmless substance? Well, I didn't take the dust to a lab, BUT I know that once I sieved out the dust, it triggered my nose. I have sneezed myself to sleep, and continued sneezing throughout the next day. Even if it was edible (though I doubt it, it really looks like disgusting grey dust), it's definitely bad for my respiratory system. Imagine the havoc it would have caused on the tiny respiratory systems of hamsters.

Please stick to trusted brands only. Please research. Jolly was the only brand in my pet shop. I'm in Asia so I still can't get any of the popular European brands, but I did source for the best possible one I could get online (even if it still isn't 100% ideal).

I'm feeling absolutely miserable now, because of the horror I actually put my poor babies through unknowingly. I'm glad they still seem fine and I have never actually seen them sneeze (maybe the dosage was so small it didn't affect them).

Many people might think it's ok if the nutritional values are a little off, since they don't take that great care of themselves as humans too. But really, you don't know what actually goes into the food despite the packaging, and your hamster can't speak for itself.

Some manufacturers are just heartless and this is another solid instance of how pet shops unknowingly sell things that are not at all suitable for hamsters. Research, and there will be something at least acceptable for your hamster (thanks to e-commerce) for all countries. Don't compromise on food.

My nose still hurts but I think I more than deserved it, and it's just for a short while; my heart hurts more because I've been feeding my poor hamsters that junk for a few months.

10-22-2019, 07:27 PM
10Minutes Hamster Pup Join Date: Jul 2019 Posts: 187	A Hazard of Bad Hamster Food - Jolly Cripsy Hamster I didn't research when I bought my first packet of hamster food. It's called "Cripsy Hamster", by the brand name "Jolly", as recommended to me by the pet shop. Actually that pet shop didn't have another choice. I soon realised the nutritional value wasn't that great: Jolly Crispy Hamster: Protein 11%(min), Fat 2% (min), Fibre 15%(max). Maize, Wheat, Barley, Peas, Safflower seeds, Buckwheat, Popcorn, Sorghum, Peanuts, Maize flakes, Wild Oats, SUnflower seeds, Dehydrated carrot, Dehydrated celery, Seasame oil, Expanded feed. I sourced for a better brand online and mostly fed my hamsters the premium brand for their main diet, but once in a while I would mix in some of the Jolly brand because I didn't want the whole packet to go to waste. I mean, the nutritional value wasn't excellent but it seemed acceptable to me. I eat cheap food with bad nutritional values myself too, so I felt a little of this won't harm my hamsters. My intention was just to finish this Jolly brand eventually and never buy it again. I did notice the food being a bit powdery but I thought that was some flavouring etc. I mean, dog biscuits feel powdery to me too. The Horror I recently noticed the sealant on the packaging was a little loose so I poured it out into a new clear container. To my horror, there was a lot of grey powdery-dust like substance in the food. It looked disgusting. I checked the expiry date and there was still a long way to go, so it shouldn't have gone bad. I sieved it out and the dust alone was half a cupful. Could it be some kind of flavouring or harmless substance? Well, I didn't take the dust to a lab, BUT I know that once I sieved out the dust, it triggered my nose. I have sneezed myself to sleep, and continued sneezing throughout the next day. Even if it was edible (though I doubt it, it really looks like disgusting grey dust), it's definitely bad for my respiratory system. Imagine the havoc it would have caused on the tiny respiratory systems of hamsters. Please stick to trusted brands only. Please research. Jolly was the only brand in my pet shop. I'm in Asia so I still can't get any of the popular European brands, but I did source for the best possible one I could get online (even if it still isn't 100% ideal). I'm feeling absolutely miserable now, because of the horror I actually put my poor babies through unknowingly. I'm glad they still seem fine and I have never actually seen them sneeze (maybe the dosage was so small it didn't affect them). Many people might think it's ok if the nutritional values are a little off, since they don't take that great care of themselves as humans too. But really, you don't know what actually goes into the food despite the packaging, and your hamster can't speak for itself. Some manufacturers are just heartless and this is another solid instance of how pet shops unknowingly sell things that are not at all suitable for hamsters. Research, and there will be something at least acceptable for your hamster (thanks to e-commerce) for all countries. Don't compromise on food. My nose still hurts but I think I more than deserved it, and it's just for a short while; my heart hurts more because I've been feeding my poor hamsters that junk for a few months.