Iceberg Lettece?

[Peanut84]

I'm not sure, if it was the underlying cause than it has to be the nitrate because oxalic acid is only in some lettuce kinds and I don't think ice burg lettuce is one of them. It does seem like a big amount and everything I have read on rodent nutrition advice against using it as a main food. It's also better not to feed the leaves on the outside since they contain the most nitrate. If it was nitrite (body changes nitrate to nitrite) poisoning it would have been accompanied by symptoms like diarrhoea, weakness, bluish skin, muscle twitching, drooling and staggering.

[cypher]

Lettuce is relatively high in oxalates compared to some other veg but a lot lower than something like spinach which a lot of people feed to hams, the same goes for nitrates, higher in other veg, it could still be significant given the amounts those hams were fed daily but lettuce also has some medicinal properties which although quite insignificant to us (given normal amounts that is!) could potentially cause a problem in an animal as small as a hamster, it's a sedative & anxiolytic among other things which could have noticeable neurological effects, alter heart rate & muscle function.
That may sound a bit scary but given small amounts occasionally it's fine!

[Teddy001]

Originally Posted by Peanut84

I'm not sure, if it was the underlying cause than it has to be the nitrate because oxalic acid is only in some lettuce kinds and I don't think ice burg lettuce is one of them. It does seem like a big amount and everything I have read on rodent nutrition advice against using it as a main food. It's also better not to feed the leaves on the outside since they contain the most nitrate. If it was nitrite (body changes nitrate to nitrite) poisoning it would have been accompanied by symptoms like diarrhoea, weakness, bluish skin, muscle twitching, drooling and staggering.

Thanks for the reply.. One of her hamsters had bad diarrhea, and she thought it was "wet tail, but the hamster was an adult hamster, and she'd had it, about 9 months, no changes to it's cage, or any other changes. The other hamsters, were fed the lettuce, 4-5 days per week, she said, but she did give a rather large pieces. The other hamsters, she said, were weak, one day, then within 24-48 hours, passed away. This has happened to 4 of her hamsters. 3 hamsters died within a few days apart, and the most recent death, was a few days after feeding it a lettuce leaf. Her hamsters, all were under 9 months of age. I've since advised her not to feed her hamster's lettuce.

[Teddy001]

Originally Posted by cypher

Lettuce is relatively high in oxalates compared to some other veg but a lot lower than something like spinach which a lot of people feed to hams, the same goes for nitrates, higher in other veg, it could still be significant given the amounts those hams were fed daily but lettuce also has some medicinal properties which although quite insignificant to us (given normal amounts that is!) could potentially cause a problem in an animal as small as a hamster, it's a sedative & anxiolytic among other things which could have noticeable neurological effects, alter heart rate & muscle function.
That may sound a bit scary but given small amounts occasionally it's fine!

Oh, geez! It may have been the lettuce that caused her hamster's deaths. .. I think I'll stay away from feeding my hamsters lettuce.. there's so many other alternatives. I've not fed them lettuce, due to I had thought I'd read somewhere, it not the safest to feed hamsters.

[cypher]

It's not that bad Teddy! Mine have a little lettuce from time to time, never iceberg though, & they're fine, just not much & not too often.

[Teddy001]

I fed my hams romaine but never ice burg, lettuce. xx

[Dalis_mum]

If it was causing diarrhea then they could simply have dehydrated to an unhealthy point.

I don't feed lettuce as its been reported for years that certain types can cause problems for small animals not to mention that they're one of the most heavily sprayed salad crops so I wouldn't trust them.

[Thin Lizzy]

I read somewhere that the ready made salads you can buy should be washed again before eating!
High levels of something was found but, I can't remember what!

[Teddy001]

Oh, WOW!.. That's good to know about re-washing.. Some of the ready made packages, say, it's been washed. She hasn't fed her new hamsters any lettuce, and they are doing fine..