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Old 01-05-2020, 02:16 PM   #1
Brianh96
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Post dwarf hamster treat options

hey all hope your all good.

first off in my previous thread I stated that I had recently got a winter white dwarf hamster, however after some further research I have come to the conclusion that he is a campbells Russian dwarf.

anyways back to the topic as to which i have created this thread;
i understand dwarf hamsters are prone to diabetes and i dont want to give him something that can harm him or affect his health and wellbieng

so my question to you guys is what treats can i give him and what experience you have when it comes to a dwarf hamsters treats

thankyou
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Old 01-05-2020, 03:49 PM   #2
Vierville
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Default Re: dwarf hamster treat options

Hi Brianh96.

It really sounds like you love your hamster which is brilliant!

Having had five dwarf hamsters over time, I can tell you that they have very individual tastes - much like people do.

You are absolutely correct that they are prone to diabetes and so you should avoid giving them anything that is high in sugar. This includes most fruits as well as vegetables like carrots. Having said that, a very tiny piece of apple , strawberry, or carrot (I'm talking about in the order of 3mm x 3mm) is ok very occasionally-once a week perhaps. You can also give them one small blueberry.

My dwarf hamsters all like broccoli- regular broccoli or the 'tenderstem' variety. They go straight for it when I put it in their cages. They like a small piece of baby corn or a slice of green bean. You can also give them a small piece of dried or fresh coconut. A quarter of a pecan or walnut is usually very well received too. The coconut and pecan or walnut is high in fat so should be given only occasionally.

Linseed, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and flax seeds are all favourites too. I love to watch my little ones deshelling sunflower seeds!

I also recently bought my little ones a bird seed bell (available from pet shops) though you must check that it is not held together with honey or syrup but rather with something not sweet or sticky. You'll be able to check just by touching it or breaking a tiny piece off and tasting it. My hamsters loved it!

Finally, they seem to like Whimzee dog chews. I got the XS toothbrush shaped ones and it seems that at least one of my mob loved it and the other three have all had a nibble.
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Old 01-05-2020, 04:22 PM   #3
AmityvilleHams
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Default Re: dwarf hamster treat options

I'm not sure why people are so against carrots in particular as they're not that high in sugar. An entire 10 gram baby carrot only has 0.5 grams of sugar, but a dwarf hamster wouldn't realistically be given that much of any vegetable at one time. Even with that in mind, carrot is low on the glycemic index - even further solidifying that they're not the big problem here!

Fruit is quite possibly the most controversial topic in the dwarf hamster nutrition world. It isn't necessarily a natural food, but we don't and cannot completely replicate 100% of the wild diet of many species or for various reasons(safety, ethics, quality control, etc) may not be capable of doing so. Not all fruit is exceptionally high in sugars, acids, or automatically this crazy blood sugar raising monster it can be portrayed as both for humans with diabetes and hamsters with diabetes.

It's a topic I've tried to tackle(with minimal success because not everyone wanted to consider the actual science and how things work), though unfortunately at this point in time I really don't know if I could devote as much time as before nor do I know if I really can handle the stress and such. It's a lot to dive into and it requires pushing boundaries to say the least, but I wouldn't recommend it to the average hamster owner as a fun research project since it really isn't a fun time gathering unending nutritional data for example!

That being said, I can say that it is very likely we just need to determine a safe and reasonable amount of fruit that could be incorporated rather than just saying all fruit is unacceptable within the diet. Tiny portions of blueberry very sparingly for example is probably perfectly safe, but the critical condition there is moderation - same with human diabetes. There is also science behind some sort of positive impact on blood sugar from tree nuts(peanuts/monkey nuts weren't evaluated - these aren't nuts at all anyways and are actually legumes), and tree nuts are definitely a food to include as they can offer so much nutritional value.
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Old 01-05-2020, 10:56 PM   #4
cypher
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Default Re: dwarf hamster treat options

I tend to stick to natural foods for treats, a monkey nut now & then is great for them (you might need to break the shell a little bit at one end until they get the hand of what it is!) sunflower & pumpkin seeds in the shell, other seeds like hemp or flax in small amounts, nuts are fine but in moderation as they are very high in fat.A few plain oats are often enjoyed too.
Millet sprays are enjoyed too.
Mine like a small piece of dried chicken or salmon.
I don't really think of veg as a treat more as a part of their daily diet, agree that broccoli is a real favourite! A good variety of different veg ( just one or two pieces of something each day) are very good for them & much loved, try to avoid giving sweeter veg too often but most are ok now & then.
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Old 01-10-2020, 02:46 AM   #5
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Default Re: dwarf hamster treat options

My previous dwarfs both loved sunflower seeds and millet sprays. They both didn't care much for veggies or fruits, but liked herbs more. You can get dried herbs that are safe for hamsters at pet stores. My dwarfs got herbs every week and a millet spray every month or so. I love millet sprays because it keeps a hamster busy. If you want to give some protein, I recommend mealworms, usually sold at pet stores too.

I tend to hide treats around the cage so the hamster will randomly find one when roaming the cage. This avoids them eating it all at once.
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Old 01-10-2020, 04:37 AM   #6
Bryony
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Default Re: dwarf hamster treat options

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vierville View Post
My dwarf hamsters all like broccoli- regular broccoli or the 'tenderstem' variety. They go straight for it when I put it in their cages. They like a small piece of baby corn or a slice of green bean. You can also give them a small piece of dried or fresh coconut. A quarter of a pecan or walnut is usually very well received too. The coconut and pecan or walnut is high in fat so should be given only occasionally.

Vierville, do you cook the broccoli before giving it or just give it raw?
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Old 01-10-2020, 04:50 AM   #7
cypher
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Default Re: dwarf hamster treat options

Broccoli should be raw Bryony, most veg with the exception of potatoes or sweet potato which must be cooked are best raw, I do cook green beans for mine though.
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Old 01-10-2020, 11:18 AM   #8
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Default Re: dwarf hamster treat options

I would like to reassure you that sugary foods don't actually cause diabetes and if a particular hamster is genetically susceptible to it, it can't be prevented however it's still better to avoid sugary foods for hamsters anyway as there's so many other alternatives you can try. I've actually found that given the choice over a few seeds or a sweet shop-bought hamster treat, most of my dwarfs will go for the seeds although my Campbells tend to prefer mealworms.

Chicken is always a good option and a favourite in my hamstery and you can buy it dried too if you don't really cook it... they're usually sold as cat/dog treats in the more premium ranges but do double check the ingredients first as some treats designed for other pets may have additional ingredients in.
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Old 01-11-2020, 09:59 AM   #9
Brianh96
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Default Re: dwarf hamster treat options

i cant quote every single one of you guys but thankyou for the great advice. i will second about the whimsey chews , i bought a pack of the XS toothbrushes and the second I put one in his cage he went for it and started having a naw on it.
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