Hammy Won't Eat...

[Jill Bayles]

I'm getting worried about Hammy as he doesn't seem to be eating much...his food bowl remains virtually untouched except for the fresh titbits on the top...and he's not drinking his water at all...I'm trying to make sure he gets some liquid into him from bits of fleshy fruit and vegetables.

I've tried porridge but he didn't touch that...got his paws in it and that was about it...and I gave hime some boiled egg last night and he devoured that.

There's no stash in the cage as Hammy hasn't touched his food since the cage clean last Wednesday.

I'm thinking about taking Hammy to see the vet.

I've also thought about contacting Cathy and getting some of the food mix that she uses...but that looked awfully similar to the mix I use...or try to use :roll:

Can anyone help with this please?

Many thanks.

[Jill Bayles]

OOpsie :roll: yet another double post. Sorry folks!

[suga]

Jill is hammy still active, using his wheel, weeing, pooing etc?

[Jill Bayles]

Yes Hammy is otherwise ok. Not much weeing going on though.

Some time ago Hammy moved his bed to the other end of his cage...he obviously didn't like sleeping where I'd put him. His food dish sits on top of where he used to sleep and he was forever tipping it into his bed...that's where his stash used to be. Now he's moved he doesn't seem to have a stash.

It's just occurred to me that he may be pouching food without me knowing.

I've just noticed that the food dish is now on top of where Hammy sleeps...think Aidan must have moved that although he's not owning up to it!

Hammy wasn't very active last night nor yesterday...he had a couple of sessions out of his cage but just seemed to want to curl up and sleep in his bed so I left hime there in the end. He's been up and about this morning though, which is unusual for him.

Think Hammy is fast asleep now :wink:

[Intense125]

I also have a new hammy and have noticed her food dish doesn't seem to be disturbed much...except for the treats I leave on top ("extreme fruit & nut mix", yougurt drops, and bits of fresh fruit). Sometimes I think I'm just spoiling her rotten and that she's learned to just wait for the good stuff. But it must be important for them to get the basic feed items, too. I washed her bowl out this am and put all fresh feed in (found that she had even pee'd in there!). She sat in the bowl for quite a while and then emptied her pouches in her sleeping hut. It seems she has taken a variety of things, though. :)

Please keep us posted on Hammy's progress.

[Jill Bayles]

I've not seen Hammy empty his pouches yet. He loves boiled egg so I left some out for him yesterday evening, went out socialising and returned to find that it was untouched. However, my mum said that he'd eaten a little bit of it during the evening and she'd tried to draw his attention to the water bottle with very little success but had tried to tempt him with a bowl of water and had managed to rub some inside his mouth but still he didn't touch the bowl of water. She also managed to coax him into having two whirls in his activity ball.

I tried porridge but that didn't generate any interest. Gonna try some tofu but not sure how to give that...cooked or raw or either and how do you cook it? Got a pack from the supermarket but there's no instructions, just a picture of a cooked meal...no instructions for it's use and no recipe either. What good is that I ask you? :roll: I'm no chef either so haven't a clue what to do with it. I'll have to google it and see what comes up.

Hammy seems to have got the preference for the fresh food and treats...big mistake putting them on top of the food mix methinks. Will have to try giving them separately and hope that the damage hasn't already been done.

The little fella has slept for most of the day but he's spent a bit of time out of his cage exploring on the floor and getting handled. He didn't stir until about 7pm and he's determined to stay put in his bed. It's been a sunshiny day here but bitter cold so I've had the heating turned up so perhaps he just wants to be cosy.

Pooing is normal...not sure about the weeing as Hammy tends to do that in his bed instead of potty/sand but when I get the lazy little so and so out of his bed I'll check it for dampness and food stash and change his bedding.

Other than the lack of eating and drinking, Hammy seems bright enough.

Hammy had both me and Aidan worried sick the other night as, according to Aidan he'd been sick on the couch :shock: but I came to realise that it was wee...thick cloudy discharge...breathed a sigh of relief after the panic subsided.

I hope Hammy's not distressed about anything but he comes to us and is ok being handled but he doesn't seem to like cuddles, just seems to want to get away all the time. He's not biting us and the bar chewing and swinging seems to have subsided so there are some positives.

Think that I may have to get Hammy checked by the vet if this continues. Do you think that this is necessary or am I just being over-cautious?

It doesn't seem right to me that Hammy won't eat his food mix...I don't think there are enough nuts in it...couple of monkey nuts at the top and none in the rest of the bag although there are a few small nuts but the coolured shaped bits he ignores. He also likes the seeds and corn kernels. But he seems to be leaving it all now and I'm at a loss to understand why. What can I do if he continues like this? Will he survive on fruit, veg, nuts and egg with the odd treat thrown in for good measure and very little water? And hopefully tofu and chicken?

And now I'm off to try and get Hammy motivated and fed and watered. Will let you know progress/lack of it as the case may be.

[babyboos]

try a different brand of food definitely
if you can get the same as he was fed originally all the better
they look the same to us I know but they obviously taste different to hamsters

[Jill Bayles]

Right then I will phone Cathy today and try some pet food from her supplier. I'll have a drive down to Thirsk this week and buy some.

Hammy is fine, he spent a good while out of his cage last night, most of it was in the company of Aidan, who was busy telling Hammy all about his day...I also heard him scold Hammy for being "naughty" as he sneaked away across the living room floor when Aidan was trying to give him a treat :lol:

When I checked Hammy's cage I found a food stash under his bed and the bedding was damp so I cleaned his bed area out completely, leaving some of the food and bedding behind.

I think that the water level in the bottle has gone down a little so I'm a little calmer now although he's left his boiled egg virtually untouched except for the odd nibble.

I'll keep checking and reporting in.

[babyboos]

not all hamsters like egg so please don't use this as a baramoter for his health, I have had a few who hate eggs in any form and others who would do anything for some scrambled egg
babies wont eat much - maybe a teaspoon a day, a full grown hamster will maybe require nearer one tablespoonful but wont actually eat this much there is a great deal of wastage with hamsters

[Jill Bayles]

I've cleaned and re-filled the food dish tonight with food mix and I've left some chicken and fruit...nothing touched after 5 hours. But I suspect Hammy will be nibbling throughout the night...well I hope so anyway. He's been quite active tonight and he seems bright enough.

I haven't left any egg out as surely it can't be healthy for hamsters to eat just egg all the time?

Drinking is still a problem too.

Oh and I've also sussed out what to do with the tofu :wink: so I'm going to try that tomorrow.

Fingers and toes are well and truly crossed here cos I've got to crack this.

[babyboos]

good luck with the tofu plain grilled is ideal, or lightly baked

[souffle]

Hamsters really do not eat an awful lot Jill. Some will store it others leave it in the bowl and just nibble what they fancy from there. I would say they eat a maximum of a teaspoon per day and always leave certain bits in the dish. No one eats the black tube like things. They also do not drink an awful lot especially the babies. Have you got the bottle in the top or the side hole? I would suggest that it go in the side hole as he may not like standing on the platform to drink. If he is full of egg etc which is a rich protein source he may not feel hungry so I would not feed this very frequently. He must eat the seeds etc for a balanced diet. We dont actually cook tofu but cut it into sugar cube sized bits and freeze. Defrost and offer once a week or so. Our water bottles do not go down very noticeably at all and if he is weeing it sounds as if he is drinking enough.

[Jill Bayles]

Thanks for all the Souffle...from what I've read on here I thought that the food would go more quickly...I think I've misunderstood.

The water bottle is at the back of the cage, with the spout bit about level with the platform. I'll move it and see if that helps. I didn't know there was another place for it to be honest.

I've given Hammy a yoghurt drop tonight and he loved that.

I've put some fresh food out and Hammy hasn't touched it yet but I'm sure that some of it will vanish soon.

Hammy is as large as life so that's a good sign. I think he's just lazy as he seems to like snuggling up in his bed a lot :lol:

I'll try not to think about this too much from now on as you've all pit my mind at ease.

[souffle]

The bottle should be in the hole in the clear plastic lid and on the opposite side from the platform so he can stand up on his hind legs on the floor of the tray and lick the spout. I am confused. Is that not how it is just now? I think it would be rather hard to lick if it was above the platform bit!

[babyboos]

I have it set up the way you describe Jill for dwarf hamsters for Syrian babies too but as they get older I use a hanging bottle instead