Is my dwarf really that big?

[Kait]

Hey everyone,
When people see my dwarf hamster, they always comment on how big he looks. Here is a picture of him.. let me know what you think?!

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j219/ ... 121512.jpg

[hammiesarelovex3]

From the picture, you make your hammie look large. Maybe you can put an object next to your hammie so we can kind of size or scale it out. It could depend on the breed of your hammie too. There is nothing wrong with large hammies remember.

I need a pic where you have your hammie and an object next to him. (Like an apple) That way I can size it better.

[SnuggleHam]

He looks like a campbells, and from what I've seen of that kind of dwarf, they always appear to look a bit chubby and well rounded. Of course it appears your hamster has his cheeks full of something since they look a bit puffed out.. which I think is making him appear chubbier then normal.

I'm sure he is a fine healthy weight so long as he gets enough exercise on his wheel. Syrian hamsters can range in size and weight, and I'm sure this can happen with some of the dwarf species as well.

If you can find a scale and weigh him I would do that. An accurate reading would probably allow some of the experienced hamster owners here on HC to tell you if hes in good shape or not.

[Kait]

OKay - I will weigh him and post more pictures on the weekend.

[Hana]

He does look quite big to me, but that could just be like snuggleham and hammiesareloveX3 said because he is not compared to another object! Hope you find out soon!

[babyboos]

the name dwarf is a bit misleading 12cm is not unusual for a good healthy specimen
they are often larger, especially well bred show dwarf hamsters - some are big as many pet shop sourced Syrians

[Minicooper]

He Is Certainly a Big Boy. If you can get him weighed.

[souffle]

I would not worry about his size as like all animals hamsters come in a variety of sizes depending on their genetic makeup, upbringing and lifestyle. As long as he is healthy and seems well he is not likely to have an illness which can cause sudden weight gain. Many show hamsters are quite big so he may have come from a breeder of show animals. He looks nice and plush and healthy anyway. Make sure he has plenty of opportunity to exercise and keep himself fit.
In syrian hamsters an average 'pet shop' hamster will weigh in at 130g where as our show hamsters are between 170g (male) and 230g (female) so you can see there is quite a difference. They are not fat just bred from lines which bring out a larger animal

[Kait]

Thanks for the replies!
I am not worried about his weight or size, since he has always been like this. He is just bigger than my last dwarf and I thought it would be interesting to compare to other dwarfs.

I weighed him this weekend on a food scale and it said he was 3 ounces, lol.

Here are a few more pictures of him, just because he is so cute

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j219/ ... 045454.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j219/ ... 111206.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j219/ ... t31007.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j219/ ... t31003.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j219/ ... 522222.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j219/ ... 6_2969.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j219/ ... 1_1067.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j219/ ... 2_1443.jpg

[babyboos]

brilliant photographs
thanks for sharing