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Old 06-07-2012, 11:18 AM   #1
ButterNut
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Default How to stop bar chewing?

I just, yesterday separated Buttercup from the girls (Yeah I know, really late XD But she was still nice to them so I just left them for a little) And shes in a bar cage now and she wont stop chewing on the bars! Is there any way to stop it?
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Old 06-07-2012, 01:50 PM   #2
Charley101
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Default Re: How to stop bar chewing?

Hmm, I don't there is a way to stop her completely. You could try distracting her with lots of wooden things to chew and toys to play with. Some people put lemon juice on the bars as hams don't like the sour/bitter taste.
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Old 06-07-2012, 02:17 PM   #3
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Default Re: How to stop bar chewing?

Make sure she has got plenty of things to safely chew on - wooden chews, dog biscuits, cardboard tubes with treats inside that she has to chew open to get into the treats...

I have to admit, I've given in with Willow & am taking her out of the barred cage! But that's a last resort
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Old 06-07-2012, 03:27 PM   #4
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Default Re: How to stop bar chewing?

give her lots of things to chew on is the only thing i can suggest other than moving her into a non barred cage, the lemon would work for some hamsters but not all, infact if shes anything like mine was she may actually like the lemon and lick it instead
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Old 06-07-2012, 03:37 PM   #5
kyrilliondaemon
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Default Re: How to stop bar chewing?

Make sure she's got stuff to chew, give her deep substrate and let her watch you bury food to encourage her to dig for it, vinegar/lemon juice on the bars, sisal string weaved through the bars, puzzle playground/wooden tower/playsticks attatched to that part of the bars, make sure her wheel is big enough, make sure the cage is big enough, attatch a chew toy to the bars there... And then hope like mad.

Then mesh with 6mm square mesh or use a tank.
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Old 06-08-2012, 02:17 AM   #6
Pinunpich
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Default Re: How to stop bar chewing?

Some people say that bar chewing is harmful to hamsters, but I personally think that it's okay. But if you get annoyed by it, I think you should give plenty of toys to Buttercup and make sure she won't be bored.
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Old 06-08-2012, 04:03 AM   #7
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Default Re: How to stop bar chewing?

The reason its harmful is that it can cause tooth problems. It can cause hamsters to pull teeth loose, pull teeth out, or horribly pull a tooth out of place or twist it - and if the tooth gets twisted or out of place the ham will need its teeth clipping reguarly for the rest of its life.
Not to mention that all of those will be bloody and horrible and painful for the hamster

Might not happen, but its a risk I'd never want to take if avoidable - I know all of ours would hate having their teeth clipped and I don't want my hams bleeding badly because of something I should have stopped/prevented.

Oh and bar rub does happen and gets really bad if left. Our Scamp took some of her fur off and we were lucky - I've heard of hams who've taken their skin off with bar rub too. Do you really want to risk your ham bleeding and sore and painful because you didn't think its bar chewing was a problem?
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Old 06-08-2012, 04:21 AM   #8
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Default Re: How to stop bar chewing?

My first thought with bar chewers is buy them a tank. If the hamster was previously in a tank style cage (sorry I don`t know if your hamster was or not), they will automatically start to chew bars if they get the chance and it`s never worth risking injury to their teeth, believe me. My syrian is in a 7mm barred cage and luckily has never had an interest in chewing bars thankfully, but it can become a real problem for them if it becomes a behavioural issue.

I always choose perspex tanks ( Zoozones/Gabber Rex types) over barred cages for this reason.
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Old 06-09-2012, 06:25 AM   #9
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Default Re: How to stop bar chewing?

My son's previous hamster (Harry, RIP) was a persistent cage bar biter. He lived to be almost three. I just thought it was a nuisance and it was what hamsters do (I now know MUCH better, thanks to this forum, which I scoured before getting another hamster). BUT during the last four months of his life his bar biting caught up with him. He must have distorted the roots of his lower teeth because they separated and started to grow widely apart, at an angle, so they didn't meet the upper teeth, and couldn't be gnawed down. He had to have his teeth cut back every month at approx £45 a visit. (He also had a vitamin shot and mite treatment, and we got some painkillers, but that was on top of the £45.) During that time I actually needed a visit to the dentist myself but what with Harry's needs being greater than mine, I couldn't afford to go!! And the problem didn't end with a quick trip to the vet either. I think that eating hard food actually hurt him, so he didn't try, despite daily drops of painkiller and giving him his favourite food of all, sweetcorn. So he ate baby food and porridge and other soft food, while is teeth grew and grew. It was a really horrible experience and I still feel massively guilty. There was no way i could risk that again so our new hamster has a tank cage.

His breeder said that if a specific spot is chewed, put a peg on it, and the hamster may choose that to chew the peg as opposed to the bar.

I read elsewhere that the chewing becomes an addiction and releases a chemical in the brain (possibly an endorphin, like is released in humans when the exercise) and makes the hamster feel good. Unfortunately the constant jarring can also cause brain injury. (or so I read, I don't know if this is true.) But it is something you need to stop if you can.
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Old 06-12-2012, 09:04 AM   #10
ButterNut
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Default Re: How to stop bar chewing?

I moved her into a bin cage, which I like better anyway No bar chewing, and much bigger! I wasnt going to use that cage for long anyway, too small.

By the way, is there anything besides a wheel hamsters like? Or can I just put digging stuffing (which I already have of course XD) , some houses and some stuff to climb on?
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