Apple for a Russian dwarf hybrid??

[jenny_]

I have a Russian dwarf hybrid and I had her for 10 days and she got used to handling and loves is when I pet her, and she is very lovely.
I have read that hamsters love apples but they should not be given to dwarves and especially Russian dwarves because they can cause diabetes. And my question is is this really true and does it mean that I cannot give her apples under any circumstances?
Thank you

[SinNyx]

Apples are really sugary so ideally, shouldn't be given (nor should most fruits).
However it should be fine if it's a small piece for a rare treat.

Try to avoid sugary treats though and stick to either sugar free or maybe vegetables as they will still enjoy them

[jenny_]

Okay, thank you I will avoid fruit then

[NiceCrocs]

SinNyx pretty much said it all if you give apple, make it a very tiny piece, and it should be a very very rare treat.

Fresh vegetables, mealworms (live or freeze-tried), bits of boiled plain chicken, and unseasoned scrambled eggs are some great treats for diabetes-prone species, as they're very low in sugars and higher in proteins.

[cypher]

Totally agree with what the others have said except the live mealworms! It's really not a good idea for dwarfs as they can get bitten, freeze dried or canned are fine though.

[NiceCrocs]

Whoops, thanks cypher, I forgot about that

I should have said 'freshly-killed mealworms' if you purchase live ones. Sorry!

[RedSky]

I have heard it suggested that since apples are great for diabetic humans that some owners give their dwarf hamsters very very very small bits every day or every other day. I'm talking teeny tiny, like 1/4 size of a pea. Personally I don't do this daily, but will give bits this size as very rare treats.
Fresh food wise mine love bits of carrot, broccoli, cauliflower and other veg we usually have with tea. But we only give bits, no bigger than a peanut total, per day per hamster.
I've never heard about mealworms being a problem live. I only have 1 dwarf I am happy to feed live to at the moment (other 2 have health problems so get theirs freshly killed) and she eats it head first, the others used to pull the head of first too. My Syrian messes too much with them so I crush their heads with tweezers for her and my gerbil, who plays with it before eating.

[jenny_]

Thank you all so much!
I tried carrot but she doesn't like it, I will try other veggies!

[Ridley33]

some hammies love cucumber! mine does. he cant grab it out my hand quick enough.

[NiceCrocs]

Careful with cucumber though; they have so much moisture in them that they can cause diarrhea if the hamster has too much. Start with a very small piece