Lost appetite?

hellobg · 04-26-2018, 09:56 AM

This might sound weird but my Hamster, Toria (Winter White Hybrid) started to not eat her normal food one week ago, she did get thinner than before and I'm getting worried, I've bought her a Dwarf Hamster Mix from Vitakraft called Emotion and as well as a JR Farm Flower Field. Teo's been eating fine but Toria only eats Sunflower seeds and will only eat if I remove the shell for her.

I'll put a video soon once I get it recorded.

Fluffagrams · 04-26-2018, 10:13 AM

How old is she? I've noticed that some of my older hamsters have been less keen to eat their normal mixes as they get older and ageing begins to take effect on them.

hellobg · 04-26-2018, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fluffagrams

How old is she? I've noticed that some of my older hamsters have been less keen to eat their normal mixes as they get older and ageing begins to take effect on them.

I actually have no idea, the pet shop Zoo Frank didn't give me an exact date but I estimated she is about 2 to 4 months old? Last I went there they had baby dwarves about 4 to 6 weeks old. She's still very active and hasn't showed any signs of old age yet, though doesn't use her wheel now.

cypher · 04-26-2018, 12:51 PM

Have you checked her teeth? It's possible that may be the problem, it sounds like she's still able to eat but if she won't open the seeds herself it might be that she's having some problems.

Pebbles82 · 04-26-2018, 04:24 PM

As Cypher said maybe she is having trouble with her teeth. Try giving her some soft food and see if she eats that - then it would narrow it down to eating difficulty or loss of appetite possibly. Some babyfood? I don't know what baby foods are available in Germany but the 4 months age ones are ok - they don't usually have spices, onion or tomato in. They usually like a chicken and pumpkin type one.

hellobg · 04-26-2018, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cypher

Have you checked her teeth? It's possible that may be the problem, it sounds like she's still able to eat but if she won't open the seeds herself it might be that she's having some problems.

I don't know how I could check her teeth, but she does take shelled sunflower seeds and opens it herself but never takes her real food? She did take a small piece of dried carrot from the JR Farm Summer Field.

hellobg · 04-26-2018, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

As Cypher said maybe she is having trouble with her teeth. Try giving her some soft food and see if she eats that - then it would narrow it down to eating difficulty or loss of appetite possibly. Some babyfood? I don't know what baby foods are available in Germany but the 4 months age ones are ok - they don't usually have spices, onion or tomato in. They usually like a chicken and pumpkin type one.

I live in Switzerland actually, I'll go check the baby foods or soft food, last two days she did eat some bits of the large pellet from her food.

cypher · 04-26-2018, 11:08 PM

As she can eat then it her teeth may be fine, it can be hard to check them but it's worth trying to hold a treat up above her head to see if she'll open her mouth as she reaches up for it so you can get a look, the only other way is to scruff her & have a good look that way.
I would try her with a different mix & see how she gets on with that.
I couldn't find the GA or ingredients for the vitakraft emotion for dwarf hams but I did see it has apple in it which isn't ideal.
I don't know which foods you have available in Switzerland but you could order from Rodipet maybe if you wanted to try her with a better mix.

btw you don't need to quote each reply

hellobg · 04-26-2018, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cypher

As she can eat then it her teeth may be fine, it can be hard to check them but it's worth trying to hold a treat up above her head to see if she'll open her mouth as she reaches up for it so you can get a look, the only other way is to scruff her & have a good look that way.
I would try her with a different mix & see how she gets on with that.
I couldn't find the GA or ingredients for the vitakraft emotion for dwarf hams but I did see it has apple in it which isn't ideal.
I don't know which foods you have available in Switzerland but you could order from Rodipet maybe if you wanted to try her with a better mix.

btw you don't need to quote each reply

Thanks cypher, since you're a dwarf whisperer, what's a food that a Dwarf can never resist?

Again thanks for advice on the quotes x)

cypher · 04-26-2018, 11:44 PM

Do you mean treats or food mixes they can't resist? There are plenty of treats like mealworms, sunflower & pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, walnuts & pine nuts are all things mine can never have enough of!
I should have mentioned the Bunny dwarf hamsterdream expert mix too from zooplus too, that's quite a good mix if you do think about trying something new.

ETA I forgot to say about soft foods that it's fine to give a little to help her regain some of the weight she's lost & it's fine to give soft foods if they have a problem with their teeth & are being treated by the vet but if you just give soft foods & she continues to refuse hard foods her teeth will quite quickly overgrow & then she would definitely need to be seen by your vet.