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Old 05-16-2017, 05:18 PM   #1
Angelthehamster
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Default Hamster Treats??

So the current treats I give my hamsters are meal worms, some fresh veg every now and then, and some Wimzees dog treats (as chew toys). I was looking online the other day and since I know that the Tiny Friends Farm has quite okay products (their sand and Hamster Mix), what would you guys say about the Hazel Hamster Lovelies?


Thanks!
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Old 05-16-2017, 05:28 PM   #2
Drago
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Default Re: Hamster Treats??

I'd say for a species like a robo or Syrian, they might be okay. However, for a diabetes prone species, I'd use a healthier treat option. They're pretty sugary tasting (yes I did try them ) despite being made only of apricot, banana, and strawberry. It would be more worthwhile to feed the real fruit versions of these where you know all the sugars and such that go into it. You can also offer various vegetables, pastas/rice, and assorted nuts. I may be biased though as I'm not a fan of commercial treats. I've always found them unhealthy, especially when you have more natural options available. The only commercial treat I really like, would be the oxbow simple rewards. I share this with my rabbit, gerbils, and all my hamsters and it's a huge hit all around. Plus, it's all natural and doesn't usually have too many sugars (depending upon which flavoring you buy). Good luck with finding treats
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Old 05-16-2017, 05:31 PM   #3
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Default Re: Hamster Treats??

The Hazel Hamster Lovelies should be fine if they're just a slightly different formula to the Gerty Guinea Pig Scrummies!Just avoid their products with unsafe ingredients(leeks mostly,but any artificial dyes should be avoided).

As a special occasion treat I do use the Parents Choice(spelling might be wrong,but they're just the Walmart brand baby yogurt drops)yogurt drops.These are actually much better than the pet store yogurt drops(pure sugar,often have unsafe ingredients like artificial dyes,plus unlike the pet store ones these are actually okay for dogs and cats in moderation at least with the flavors I've seen,check for corn and wheat as these absolutely must not be given to dogs or cats).They happen to be cheaper than pet store drops too!Of course,being a dairy product and having gelatin they do need to be kept as a special occasion treat

I also use some Higgins products,which tend to be quite affordable at Petsupermarket.Just check the ingredients for safety,as with any treat,but overall they have a good variety of products to choose from!Along with these,you can find some Vitakraft products without any artificial ingredients that are actually safe for hamsters for example the AnimaLovens Garden Patch biscuits.Not all Vitakraft/Sunseed products are good though,as many are loaded with sugars or artificial dyes and in some case otherwise unsafe ingredients

I'm definitely a fan of Wet Noses dog biscuits which are conveniently available in trial sized boxes through Petco.There are some flavors which may not be hamster safe,but plenty are safe,and they just happen to be organic!Buddy Biscuits/Cloud Star can also be good(as with any treats,if they're to be shared with dogs or cats make sure they don't contain corn or wheat)from what I remember,and they are available from a variety of places.In fact,I believe I've even seen them in certain grocery stores.

Just make sure there's no artificial dyes or sugars or flavors,no unspecified biproducts(often labelled as digest,derivatives,meat and bone meal of any sort,animal liver or just "liver",or biproduct meal of some sort),no BHA/BHT/ethoxyquin(known to cause cancer),and that they do not come from China and are not irradiated.They must come from a reputable company,but when all these things are taken into consideration there are still tons of wonderful products out there including those which are dog friendly(again no corn or wheat,although a lot of dogs tolerate rice or oatmeal and a few other grains just fine so that is less of a concern while corn and wheat really need to be excluded).
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Old 05-17-2017, 07:02 AM   #4
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Default Re: Hamster Treats??

Quote:
Originally Posted by Drago View Post
I'd say for a species like a robo or Syrian, they might be okay. However, for a diabetes prone species, I'd use a healthier treat option. They're pretty sugary tasting (yes I did try them ) despite being made only of apricot, banana, and strawberry. It would be more worthwhile to feed the real fruit versions of these where you know all the sugars and such that go into it. You can also offer various vegetables, pastas/rice, and assorted nuts. I may be biased though as I'm not a fan of commercial treats. I've always found them unhealthy, especially when you have more natural options available. The only commercial treat I really like, would be the oxbow simple rewards. I share this with my rabbit, gerbils, and all my hamsters and it's a huge hit all around. Plus, it's all natural and doesn't usually have too many sugars (depending upon which flavoring you buy). Good luck with finding treats
YOu say that the Oxbow Simple Rewards you use, which type of treat would you recommend? Like the veggie one?
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Old 05-17-2017, 07:10 AM   #5
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Default Re: Hamster Treats??

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Originally Posted by Angelthehamster View Post
YOu say that the Oxbow Simple Rewards you use, which type of treat would you recommend? Like the veggie one?
I use the carrot and dill one for all my animals and they've loved it. You could also use the strawberry+banana, barley, and veggie kinds. Just about all are safe, but I can really only see hamsters enjoying these kinds
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Old 05-17-2017, 10:52 AM   #6
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Default Re: Hamster Treats??

Strawberry and Banana Oxbow Simple Rewards have always gone down VERY well with Oreo and Jasper will have the occasional half of one, which he enjoys. I do mainly give Jasper sunflower, pumpkin and flaxseed as treats to be on the more natural side.
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Old 05-17-2017, 02:15 PM   #7
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Default Re: Hamster Treats??

I've found that human-specific freeze dried fruit can be cheaper than the Oxbow Simple Rewards freeze dried fruits,at least from what I've seen in the US however I can't say for sure how it would compare in the UK Freeze dried fruits do tend to be popular with hamsters though.
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Old 05-17-2017, 02:20 PM   #8
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Default Re: Hamster Treats??

Just want to add on to amity's point, if you do choose to use dried fruits instead, use them VERY sparingly as dried fruits have very high concentrations of sugar. Too much sugar is obviously no good for a diabetes prone species so you'll want to only offer this once every other week or so to be safe
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Old 05-17-2017, 02:25 PM   #9
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Default Re: Hamster Treats??

And on the note of dried fruit having more sugar(which I completely forgot,so thanks Drago!),also remember that not all fruits have the same level of sugar.I don't remember the exact website at this moment,but there is a website(government-ran or something along those lines here in the US)with nutrition information for various fruits and vegetables among other things.With a source like that,you can make the most educated decision possible rather than assuming all fruit will act the same since it most certainly does not.
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