nutrition requirements?

pebblethehamster · 10-07-2018, 11:06 AM

heyy! i’m looking for the correct nutrition requirements for my syrian hamster! it would be great if someone could give some percentages.

could someone also reccomend good hamster food that’s from the uk?

thanks!

cypher · 10-07-2018, 11:44 AM

About the best food for a Syrian in the UK is Harry Hamster, it's widely available in pet shops & online & the nutrient levels are about right so easy to feed, apart from fresh veg you don't really need to add anything.
Protein needs depend on age to some extent, 18-19% for a young ham while 15% may be adequate for an older hamster, fibre should be around 7-8% ideally & fat not more than about 8%.

Sasha04 · 10-07-2018, 12:39 PM

Cypher gave great advice. Fresh veg is very important in a diet. I like to give my ham romain lettuce, broccoli, and other leafy greens. Most hams tend to like plain, cooked, pasta, baby food (hamster safe, no garlic, onions, pork etc), porridge, and scrambled eggs as a treat once in a while, too!

pebblethehamster · 10-07-2018, 01:05 PM

thank you for your advice!

would you give vegetables everyday, and how much would you give them?

Sasha04 · 10-07-2018, 05:53 PM

When you first introduce fresh veg give about a finger nails size. Wait 2-3 days before giving another finger nail size. Increase the amount week by week. I give my WW his greens every 2-3 days in large portions.

cypher · 10-07-2018, 09:14 PM

I usually start gradually too, just a small piece every few days then increase to daily if they seem fine with it.
You only need to give small amounts & if you only give small pieces if something does get stashed it's more likely to dry out then go mouldy, mine don't tend to stash fresh foods but it is something to keep an eye on so you can remove them if need be.
Variety is the key, so as many different ham safe veg in rotation as you can manage.
They all have different tastes too so it can take a while to find their favourites sometimes.