Skinny Robo

LokiWolf · 06-20-2012, 08:13 PM

My Platinum/White female Robo named Charlotte had a UTI in the winter and lost weight because of it. Thanks to medicine from the vet she is better, but she hasn't gained back all her lost weight. I've tried giving her more food and treats, but she is just not gaining any weight. I'm worried about her, she's my first hamster and I don't want to loose her.

Charlotte is a year and three months old. She lives with a ten month old Agouti female named Scarlett. Scarlett is of normal weight and is healthy. Charlotte is not being bullied, in fact she's a bit of a bully. But I can't separate them, Charlotte is too attached to Scarlett; Charlotte stresses out if separated from her cage-mate.

They eat Ecotrition hamster food, along with Timothy Hay (they eat and use it as bedding), Sunflower Seeds, dried Papaya, Yogurt treats, and Foxtail Spray Millet (which they use more as bedding than for eats). I've also added salt savors last week to see if that would do anything, so far no chances.

Could she still be suffering from small UTIs that can't smell (UTIs are stinky)? I still have lots of medicine left from the vet when I took her in for the UTI. Would it hurt to start giving her some again? Or do you think it is a food issue? I'll go buy and add Mazuri or any other food (if you think that'd help), go to/call the vet, or something else you think that might help. (I live in the US, so please don't suggest anything that I can't get in the US)

Please help me!

racinghamster · 06-20-2012, 11:44 PM

Hi LokiWolf, I`m not familiar with US branded foods for hamsters apart from Hazel Hamster (Harry Hamster mix in the UK). I can only suggest adding in more seed and grain varieties to their mix. I add in:

Porridge oats dry (jumbo porridge oats are best) Human grade from supermarkets.
Hemp seed: healthfood stores.
Budgie or finch mix: Sold in many pet stores and usually contains seeds like linseed and varieties of mixed millets.
Buckwheat: Supermarkets or healthfood stores.
Pumpkin seeds: Healthfood stores.
Small pieces of peanut broken up.
Dry mealworms.

If none of these are already being fed, I would buy these in and add them to your existing feed. You can weigh them by using a small cup and measuring out equal amounts and placing them in a container with a sealed lid. Or just add a small amount of each daily to their normal food mix. Adding more variety and taste is a good way to boost their palatte and enthusiasm for food.

Everything I listed above comes in dry form and can be purchased in either supermarkets, healthfood stores or pet stores. Once you source them, it`s easier to get them again. Hope this helps.

I don`t know what salt savers are? To be honest, I would concentrate on their main mix and not add in anything sugary or in the form of treats, as these can take over from their normal diet sometimes and make them picky eaters.

Edited to add: If she had a UTI again, you would probably notice her behaviour changing or a lack of urine. If she is squatting to pee and you can see her doing so, I would watch her closely to make sure she`s not having problems passing urine, or she`s urinating too often, which can mean kidney problems.

Sandti · 06-21-2012, 05:56 AM

Give her extra peanuts and sunflower seeds because they are fattier and will help her gain the weight, and maybe try giving her baby food along side her food until she is at a normal weight.

AngelAmes · 06-21-2012, 06:21 AM

Exactly what Racing hamster said

My Buzz lost loads of weight after loosing lots of fur in an allergy and just stopped eating so much. Im trying to fatten him up.

**Silver** · 06-21-2012, 06:39 AM

Wheatabix mixed with cat milk, rice milk, soya milk or water. Also puffed rice, millet, spelt with the same added, or porrage with the above added.

I find that a wet food like the above is easy to digest & also seems to get them interested in food again.

You could also try baby food as long as there is no onion or garlic in it, but mine prefer the other options first.

Silver xxx

**kyrilliondaemon** · 06-21-2012, 08:06 AM

They do naturally get a bit slimmer after a year anyway though. When depends on the hamster but our Skip is always skinny, its just because the muscle they build up starts to waste away.
Until about 1 they pack on the muscle, after that they lose it again so she might never return to her original weight.

Millet is what Whizz used when she needed to gain some weight though

LokiWolf · 06-21-2012, 08:41 AM

Thank you for all the responses! I will try some of those right away!

I knew you could give hamster pups milk if the mother won't/can't nurse them, but I didn't know you could give it to adults. Lucky me I have some cat milk right now, we got it for our sickly senior Siamese cat (vet said to mix it with her canned food, the only food she can eat now as she has no teeth, so she can gain weight), but she didn't like this brand so we have an unopened container left that we were thinking of donating. Now I can use it! I'll add it to some organic toasted oats we have and put it in right now!

I also have sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and peanuts right now. I've been giving her the sunflower and pumpkin seeds; we only just got the peanuts two days ago and I haven't been put any in yet. Charlotte really likes peanuts, she'd stuff her pouches full of just peanuts if given enough the chance!

There's a small local pet store near the Siamese's vet (Charlotte had to go to a different vet as our normal vet only does cats and dogs; the veterinary hospital I took her to has TWO vets on staff that specializes in hamsters); we're going to pick up some more medicine for her from the vet today, so I'll be sure to stop by and pick up anything I can find.

Thanks again for all your help!

**Silver** · 06-21-2012, 10:08 AM

Let us know how she gets on

Silver xxx

LokiWolf · 06-21-2012, 10:09 AM

Ok, I will!

LokiWolf · 06-21-2012, 02:16 PM

Put in the milk mixed with oats, they didn't seem all that into it so I stuck some sunflower seeds into it. They were more interested in it, though the most interested wasn't Charlotte, but Scarlett. Scarlett seemed more willing to try the milk than Charlotte, which is strange because normally Charlotte is the one that checks out all the food first while Scarlett hangs back and waits to see what her cage-mate thinks of the new food.

I just came back from the locally owned pet store, Animal Crackers. I looked at their Canary/Finch (they didn't carry Budgie) foods, they had brands not sold in Petco or Petsmart, so I looked at what was in them. I decided not to get any, because they had almonds in them and I know almonds are bad for hamsters for they contain Cyanic Acid. In the treat section I saw they had Ecotrition Grains and Greens for Canary/Finch, so I got that instead as I didn't see anything harmful for hamsters in that. It was about $3 for 8oz. I also picked up a small bamboo bowl for $2, which I think is a good price considering they can chew it too.