|
Navigation
|
Front Page |
Forum |
Gallery |
Wiki |
|
|
12-26-2015, 07:15 AM
|
#1
|
Newborn Pup
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 15
|
How to age hamsters
Hi there
Not sure if this is the right place to post but I was wondering if anyone had any tips on working out the age of Syrian Hamsters?
Thanks
|
|
|
12-26-2015, 07:35 AM
|
#2
|
Dwarf whisperer
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Wales UK
Posts: 24,789
|
Re: How to age hamsters
I think the simple answer is you can't really!
Once they mature they don't really show any changes & even with young hams that aren't fully mature you can't really age them precisely.
__________________
Slave to Zak.
Always loved, never forgotten, forever in my heart
T'ycor, Ziggy, Zephyr, Flynt, Mickle, Little Whisp, Zen, Zeki, Tinwë, Zylvan, Míriel, Calyanwë, Gusto & Meri ❤️
|
|
|
12-26-2015, 09:09 AM
|
#3
|
ST's Hamstery
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Mid Ohio USA
Posts: 2,574
|
Re: How to age hamsters
You can only take a guess if no information is known of Date of Birth but one thing I know can show immediately if a hamster is old(IF the hamster in question is Healthy that is) is their ear fur. Really young adults have their ears completely covered with fine fur. At around 8 months (Plus or minus) that fur starts falling out and the ears becomes eventually around 18 months(again Plus or Minus) completely bald, and very shiny.
Their teeth also can give clues as a young adult has rather small and pointed teeth, where and elderly Hamster has much bigger and often uneven teeth showing quite a lot of wear. However you can't go by the yellow coloring as that is a natural occurrence after just 5-6 weeks. Of course this clue is tossed out the door if the younger hamster has been housed in a bar cage as bar chewing can make a young healthy adult's teeth look very old and worn very quick. However the younger hamster who has bar chewed if removed from the bars will usually grow healthy teeth back where and elderly hamster will take a much longer time to regrow(if they regrow) a proper size and shape tooth(teeth)
Thinning of the fur around the head and hips can also be a tool to know at least if the above clues are present if the hamster is older.
However all the above can occur on a younger hamster who is not healthy or has been starved or mistreated. Cushings will cause the hair to thin on the rump area, Diabetes can cause it too. Also Mites can thin or completely cause the hair to fall out, on the face and body(and that includes on the ears). So that means in MOST cases the above things can be used to make a guess at young or old but in no way can give and exact age of and unknown age hamster.
__________________
Nancy,and The ST's Hamsters
|
|
|
12-26-2015, 09:39 AM
|
#4
|
Dwarf whisperer
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Wales UK
Posts: 24,789
|
Re: How to age hamsters
Is the loss of fur on the ears a syrian thing Nancy?
I've never seen that only having had dwarf hams & even between 18m & 2yrs they still have very furry ears.
__________________
Slave to Zak.
Always loved, never forgotten, forever in my heart
T'ycor, Ziggy, Zephyr, Flynt, Mickle, Little Whisp, Zen, Zeki, Tinwë, Zylvan, Míriel, Calyanwë, Gusto & Meri ❤️
|
|
|
12-26-2015, 11:16 AM
|
#5
|
Newborn Pup
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 15
|
Re: How to age hamsters
Thank you Cypher and Nancy
Only reason I am asking is because she is a big hamster already and I was wondering if she may get a little bigger. As far as I can see her ears are still covered in a light fluff. I don't know much about her history, I reckon she must be at least four or five months maybe more. Her teeth are surprisingly white though, not sure how as all the hamsters I've met have had bright yellow ones!
My winter white had bald ears from the start I think, and I got her when she was tiny.
|
|
|
12-26-2015, 11:58 AM
|
#6
|
Fluffy Hamsters
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 4,231
|
Re: How to age hamsters
Right my little syrians wakey wakey I want to look at your ears. Great info. Nancy. Cant wait to check out the fluffiness of Woodstock and Gopals ears!
|
|
|
12-26-2015, 12:31 PM
|
#7
|
Adult Hamster
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 286
|
Re: How to age hamsters
My Hugo's ears are bald must mean he is a year and a half, no wonder why he has slowed down a bit in the last few months.
|
|
|
12-26-2015, 01:30 PM
|
#8
|
ST's Hamstery
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Mid Ohio USA
Posts: 2,574
|
Re: How to age hamsters
Quote:
Originally Posted by cypher
Is the loss of fur on the ears a syrian thing Nancy?
I've never seen that only having had dwarf hams & even between 18m & 2yrs they still have very furry ears.
|
Yes only a Syrian thing ,However I have seen really accelerated fur thinning on many many older Hybrids on their back and belly from old age.
__________________
Nancy,and The ST's Hamsters
|
|
|
12-26-2015, 01:37 PM
|
#9
|
ST's Hamstery
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Mid Ohio USA
Posts: 2,574
|
Re: How to age hamsters
Quote:
Originally Posted by HamsterObsessed
Thank you Cypher and Nancy
Only reason I am asking is because she is a big hamster already and I was wondering if she may get a little bigger. As far as I can see her ears are still covered in a light fluff. I don't know much about her history, I reckon she must be at least four or five months maybe more. Her teeth are surprisingly white though, not sure how as all the hamsters I've met have had bright yellow ones!
My winter white had bald ears from the start I think, and I got her when she was tiny.
|
White teeth can mean many things but my first thought would be was she in a bar cage at any time before she came to you? A white incisor(the big front teeth) in a healthy hamster usually means they have just grown back from being broken off. However if she has not broken them off it could be a thing to watch to be sure her health is OK as white teeth can indicate internal health issues which is preventing her from developing the proper yellow enamel coating which BTW aids her teeth from breaking. White teeth are much more frail then proper Yellow colored teeth.
__________________
Nancy,and The ST's Hamsters
|
|
|
12-26-2015, 01:44 PM
|
#10
|
ST's Hamstery
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Mid Ohio USA
Posts: 2,574
|
Re: How to age hamsters
Quote:
Originally Posted by flowerfairy
Right my little syrians wakey wakey I want to look at your ears. Great info. Nancy. Cant wait to check out the fluffiness of Woodstock and Gopals ears!
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryHamster
My Hugo's ears are bald must mean he is a year and a half, no wonder why he has slowed down a bit in the last few months.
|
Please do reread my post on the ear hair as a Bald ear on a younger adult is possible if they are not fully healthy. Mites can cause a bald ear and baldness around the eyes, nose and ears. HarryHamster slowing down can also indicate something not right with Hugo, though odds are it is just he is and older chap.
Nobody can use the amount of or lack of ear hair as and exact age gauge and you should always observe your pet hamster for other signs that it is not just age involved.
__________________
Nancy,and The ST's Hamsters
|
|
|
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
|
All times are GMT -7. The time now is 04:50 PM.
|
|
|
|