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Old 05-21-2011, 04:16 AM   #1
thelittleteacup
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Default I think my chinese Twinkle-toes has diabetes :(

hello everybody

This is questions about my chinese girlie my special little lady,

anyway, recently i have noticed her pee smells very strong and odd, her eyes squint, she has lost some weight, she drinks alot and pees alot compared to my russian dwarf hams, and last week she bit me for the first time ever! she is just over a year old now. also one of her paws seems stiff and she has also greyed behind the ears! are any of these signs for diabetes? also how do i test her? i live in the UK.

i have already stopped giving her fruit, she lives on veggies ie. broccoli, beans, salads, burgess dwarf hamster mix, peanuts, millet, porridge, pearl barley and vitamins in her water.


i am very worried about her!
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Old 05-21-2011, 04:26 AM   #2
racinghamster
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Default Re: I think my chinese Twinkle-toes has diabetes :(

Her diet sounds fine, especially the Burgess dwarf hamster mix. If she`s been eating fruit in her diet these have natural sugars, so it`s good that these have been cut out. If she does have diabetes, it will be a case of managing it really and try and do a Ph test on her urine? That would tell you what level her urine is at, but maybe your vet is the best person to try this using a strip that tests for sugar in the urine. Not an easy task if they don`t pee though!

If she`s biting you when she never used to, this can sometimes be a sign that something is wrong, but hopefully not. Check the vitamins in the water incase these contain any sugar or glucose? Ommit any sugars you can find and try adding a few things like kallo organic puffed rice and jumbo oats. These are carbohydrates and good for her.

Edited to add: The Hamsterlaopedia book states that:

"Diabetes can become worse through stress and even moving the cage to another location can trigger this, so it is important to avoid stress. The cage should be cleaned more often due to constant urination. Adding fibre i.e, (high fibre breakfast cereals) to the diet may help to regulate blood glucose. Hamsters suffering from diabetes can live for a long time, but females should not be bred from as the condition can be hereditory in many cases".

Hope this helps. x
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Old 05-21-2011, 04:32 AM   #3
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Default Re: I think my chinese Twinkle-toes has diabetes :(

I think these are used to test for diabetes:

Bayer keto-diastix reagent strips for urinalysis |Health Check Pharmacy
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Old 05-21-2011, 02:17 PM   #4
thelittleteacup
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Default Re: I think my chinese Twinkle-toes has diabetes :(

thanks Snickers for the link! and also thank you Racing hamster really good advice there! will try and find a high fibre brekkie cereal and are the jumbo oats the same thing as rolled oats? :s xx
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Old 05-21-2011, 03:09 PM   #5
Vectis Hamstery
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Default Re: I think my chinese Twinkle-toes has diabetes :(

There is information about diabetes in hamsters on the Wiki - drinking more, a change in behaviour and squinting can be signs but it is important to test before initiating treatment. Testing a hamster's urine for glucose/sugar is fairly simple - I do it regularly for my Chinese hamsters. There is information on how to do it here.

Racing Hamster - you mention testing the urine pH (which ketodiastix don't do). Would you mind explaining why you suggested that?
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Old 05-21-2011, 03:25 PM   #6
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Default Re: I think my chinese Twinkle-toes has diabetes :(

thanks for replying Vectis i have seen you around here and hoped you would reply!

i will test her asap! but a sugar free diet, i havent changed it much just cut out the apple is a good thing to do even if she isnt diabetic?
i am really worried about her, i just know she isnt herself, she seems very thin to how she used to be is there a food i can feed to help her keep a stable weight?

thanks x
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Old 05-21-2011, 03:33 PM   #7
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Default Re: I think my chinese Twinkle-toes has diabetes :(

when you buy them tests how much do you get in a box? btw can Syrians get it? or is it just in dwarfs.
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Old 05-21-2011, 03:46 PM   #8
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Default Re: I think my chinese Twinkle-toes has diabetes :(

Cutting out the apple and refined sugars (e.g. hamster chocolates, honey sticks) is fine. I have removed these from the diet of all my Chinese hamsters, even the non-diabetics. They still get longer-acting carbs as racing hamster mentioned, things like porridge, and vegetables.

I'm sorry to hear she's feeling poorly and is losing weight. Even if the urine test is negative, i would suggest taking her to the vet if she's not herself. Have you given her a check over, including teeth? I had assumed my diabetic boy's weight loss was because of a worsening in his condition but he perked up for a while after his overgrown teeth were clipped. Also I would suggest making sure the water bottle is working. I know it sounds obvious but sometimes the ball can get jammed or a poorly hamster can't quite work it. If in doubt you can add a water bowl as well temporarily.

Please keep us updated on how little Twinkle-Toes gets on.

ETA: Debs, my box has 50 in, but you can cut the strips with clean scissors lengthways so they do 100 tests. I think they cost about £5 at my pharmacy. It is far less common for syrians to get diabetes than dwarves, but I'm sure it's possible.
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Old 05-21-2011, 04:32 PM   #9
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Default Re: I think my chinese Twinkle-toes has diabetes :(

thanks for that im thinking about testing all mine too make sure.
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Old 05-22-2011, 01:17 AM   #10
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Default Re: I think my chinese Twinkle-toes has diabetes :(

I mentioned the test strips as I thought many owners done this if they suspected their hamster had high sugars in their urine? Sorry if I confused that with a test your vet might carry out. I was`nt sure if the strips themselves actully showed the Ph. I know they show the protein, urea etc..

I personally would`nt feed any sugar to a dwarf hamster knowing they are prone to this condition. It`s not worth the risk in my eyes. I would only feed a diet that was meant for dwarf hamsters and give a few natural nuts and seeds as treats, rather than those gimmicks they sell in pet shops.
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