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Old 05-04-2015, 12:47 AM   #1
PortalCat
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Default Indian corn cobs -- how often is best?

Hi guys!~

Whisper's always been really fussy and troublesome with her chewing; from day one, she's never wanted to chew anything except cage bars, which is why she upgraded to a tank last month! Anywho, I tried absolutely everything I could think of to appeal to her chewy side as I know how important it is for hamsters to keep their teeth ground down (and I mean, EVERYTHING; this hamster doesn't care for Whimzees and completely ignores any wood whether it's flavoured, unflavoured, textured, smooth, as a little toy, hanging from a treat-k-bob, you name it). Just as I was about to give up and resign myself to unpleasant teeth-clipping trips to the vet, we discovered those little indian corn cobs you can pop in the microwave! She adores corn and has polished off more than half an unpopped cob in the first night, which is such a relief.

I was wondering how this would impact her diet as a whole. Obviously, corn is a healthy and awesome chew toy, but would this mean I should feed her less of her regular mix and veggies to compensate? She is a large syrian (between 5" and 6") and I usually scatterfeed about half a handful of mix every day, topped up with whatever fruit or veggie is on the menu. With all the added corn, I don't want to overfeed her, even if she is a big fluffbutt!

The corn cobs are also kinda expensive, so I'm thinking about how to ration them. There are five in a packet, and one cob will last two days, if she keeps eating at this rate. I'm thinking I will put a cob in her tank once every three or four days. Does this sound reasonable, or should I just replace the cob every time she finishes one, seeing as it's the only chewing exercise her mouth really gets?
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Old 05-04-2015, 01:30 AM   #2
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Default Re: Indian corn cobs -- how often is best?

I wouldn't let her eat too much of the corn or restrict any other food as it will unbalance her diet a bit too much & other fruit & veg are important for a range of vitamins & minerals.
I would think one of those cobs once a week would be plenty.
Have you tried her with Bonios? She might like to chew on those so it could be an addition or alternative to corn.
Her teeth will get some wear just from eating her regular mix & seeds too so I wouldn't worry too much about her not chewing on wood or other chew toys.
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Old 05-04-2015, 01:51 AM   #3
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Default Re: Indian corn cobs -- how often is best?

Once a week? Alrighty, sounds good! I haven't tried Bonios specifically, but her reaction to other dog treats such as Whimzees and some little stick things I tried hasn't been good so far. Still, it's worth a shot!

I'm relieved to hear that it's not too terrible if she doesn't actively chew; I guess it's just that online resources and guides tend to place a great amount of emphasis on it, and since I moved her to her tank, well -- she's still as anti-chew as ever. I'll see if I can try Bonios, thanks for the suggestion!
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Old 05-04-2015, 02:05 AM   #4
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Default Re: Indian corn cobs -- how often is best?

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Originally Posted by PortalCat View Post
Once a week? Alrighty, sounds good! I haven't tried Bonios specifically, but her reaction to other dog treats such as Whimzees and some little stick things I tried hasn't been good so far. Still, it's worth a shot!

I'm relieved to hear that it's not too terrible if she doesn't actively chew; I guess it's just that online resources and guides tend to place a great amount of emphasis on it, and since I moved her to her tank, well -- she's still as anti-chew as ever. I'll see if I can try Bonios, thanks for the suggestion!
None of my fluffs have so far been chewers, despite all the things in their cages. Marram is the first to show some interest but I wouldn't say it occupies her thoughts a great deal. The food that they are eating gove them a range of textures and is keeping their teeth in check.

I know you have tried the whimzees without Whisper taking much notice but I think you said that you took it out of her cage after a couple of days. Considering that she had the bars of her cage to concentrate on at the time, I would be tempted to put the whimzee back in, or a different one. It can take a hamster a while to try something new, it might also have been that she didn't much fancy the one you put in for her, they come in several colours and you might try a different colour but I would definitely leave it in the cage for some time. Now that she is in a different set up, she might just enjoy a nibble now.
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Old 05-04-2015, 02:45 AM   #5
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Default Re: Indian corn cobs -- how often is best?

Okie dokie, I shall indeed do that! I tried the green one, as I've seen it in a lot of photos around here and figured it was a favourite. She was given the Whimzees after she moved to the tank, but it was very soon after. Perhaps I'll give the yellow one a go and see what happens.

One thing I have tried is feeding her mainly Vit@smart mix with some others on occasion for variety, as the Vita@smart has a lot of variety and big, chunky things in it that I thought might also help. It helps that she loves it too!

(Psst -- off-topic, but would you mind telling me where you made the banner in your signature? I've seen quite a few members with them and I think they're adorable!)
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Old 05-04-2015, 02:48 AM   #6
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Default Re: Indian corn cobs -- how often is best?

I'd agree it might be worth trying a few different whimzees, mine seem to like the pale green chlorophyl ones but some hams don't, you just have to experiment a bit.

You can get a sig banner here btw http://www.hamstercentral.com/commun...ture-shop.html
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Old 05-04-2015, 02:52 AM   #7
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Default Re: Indian corn cobs -- how often is best?

Quote:
Originally Posted by PortalCat View Post
Okie dokie, I shall indeed do that! I tried the green one, as I've seen it in a lot of photos around here and figured it was a favourite. She was given the Whimzees after she moved to the tank, but it was very soon after. Perhaps I'll give the yellow one a go and see what happens.

One thing I have tried is feeding her mainly Vit@smart mix with some others on occasion for variety, as the Vita@smart has a lot of variety and big, chunky things in it that I thought might also help. It helps that she loves it too!

(Psst -- off-topic, but would you mind telling me where you made the banner in your signature? I've seen quite a few members with them and I think they're adorable!)
Ahh, I did wonder if you'd tried the green one, mine all prefer the dark yellow/brown or the natural ones. See if that makes a difference.

Certainly the chunky pieces in her feed will help keep her teeth in good condition.

My signature, along with many others was made by LeedsGurl. I did make mine originally but when I had to change it, for some reason I couldn't get the file to upload in the right size, so LeedsGurl very kindly remade it for me.

Here's the link:-

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Post what you like along with the photos that you want to use and LeedsGurl or someone else (I think) will put it together for you. It can take a while if LeedsGurl is busy.
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