Making Oxbow Complete

[lyndzee]

Hello,

We will be getting out first hamster in a few weeks and, I am busy preparing.

The biggest struggle is food. My daughter has a severe peanut allergy and the VAST majority of hamster foods have peanuts in them. I have decided to go with Oxbow, since it is the only easily available peanut free food.

This appears to not be the best diet, so what can I add to ensure out new little family member is getting the best nutrition?

Thanks for any help!

[Hamtastic]

Indeed, it is a very bland mix, and I know of some breeders who had serious issues with its previous iterations in the past, so I would definitely add to it. I would add porridge oats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, mealworms (freeze-dried or live) and other sources of protein (such as small bits of tofu, boiled egg, freeze-dried grasshoppers/crickets), sesame seeds, flax seeds, a dash of nutritional yeast. Broccoli, carrot, occasional other veggies--in moderation!!! I would see how your ham is doing on that, if she's skinny or looks healthy and active, and go from there.

Here is a better choice, if you want to go with all-in-one: Harlan Teklad rodent blocks mix #2018. It is much higher quality than commercial pet-shop-sold food, and has consistent ingredient proportions from batch to batch. You can find it in multiple places on-line in 2- and 5-lb batches quite easily (let me know if you need any links, which I can PM to you). I would rather go with those and add what I have listed for variety. Purina's LabDiet ProLab RMH3000 is excellent too, but difficult to find in small amounts (normally sold in 25-lb bags, and not many places sell them broken down into small batches).

[Biscotti]

Hamtastic's list of supplemental food is spot on. Blocks are really boring food and adding variety can really add to the quality of life for your ham.

I've been looking into lab blocks also, and the Harlan Teklad blocks looks promising with it's high protein content, but the problem is that it only contains 3.5% fiber... It's possible to supplement with veggies and seeds, but it's a bit hard to estimate the amount needed considering veggies should be fed in moderation.

[lyndzee]

Thank you VERY much for the knowledgeable advice!

I will buy those foods to add into the hammie's diet. I will also start looking for those other foods to purchase. Thank you again!

[TwistedAngel]

Are you getting a syrian or a dwarf? That does affect your choices, as you also have to avoid foods with added sugar as well as naturally sweet foods with most dwarf hamsters. This eliminates the harlan teklad as an option for a dwarf, but the oxbow is fine.

I would also suggest crickets (freeze dried is easiest) because they are lower in fat than mealworms and have higher protein.