Underweight?

[Ceretrea]

Any cat kibble would work.

My hamsters reach full prime weight at about 8-10 months and then start dropping condition slowly from a year. The key is slowly. Any rapid weight loss isn't good but that depends on the scales always weigh on the same scales too as there can be calibration differences between them.

[Fluffagrams]

If you're finding that the weight on the scales fluctuates a bit, it's always worth double checking the surface that the scales are on. I was weighing some sheets of paper at work the other week (don't ask!!!) and noticed that the scales fluctuated a bit without me doing anything and it turned out that there was a slight difference (literally only millimetres) in the height of the floor tiles that I had the scales on.

[freyashamsters]

For the cat biscuits I recommend feeding a high-quality one with mostly natural ingredients. There's a brand with the slogan 'Just as nature intended' that's meant to be really good but I cannot for the life of me remember the name of it lol!

As for waxworms I look up to people who have a strong enough stomach to feed them - I saw them in a container in P@H and they were massive! I'll stick to dried mealworms thanks

[Ceretrea]

You can't see them in the tubs usually as they are stored in opaque tubs. They are the little fat white ones. My hubby feeds them, I can't watch

[pinkneon]

Thanks
Serendipity, no he's not noticeably thinner ... He looks the same (except he's grown LOL). But I can feel his back bone when I stroke him!

[pinkneon]

As for the worms ... Think I'll pass! LOL

[cypher]

Originally Posted by pinkneon

These are only the second time I used them (they are new lol). He likes hopping on to them. But I noticed I would hold them out flat on my hand with nothing else on them and the numbers would go up and down! I will try again tonight just to double check or use some different ones. We rarely have cheese in, though there may be some in the fridge!
Someone mentioned cat biscuits. Which ones would be good? He doesn't eat the Burns ones I got from RR!

You will need to put the scales on a solid flat surface, preferably a hard surface, even putting them on something like carpet can throw the reading off a bit.

[pinkneon]

Ah I see ... I've been putting them inside the playbox as it was the only way he couldn't escape!

[Pebbles82]

TBH I have only weighed Charlie twice. The first time I wanted to see if he was a normal weight for his age - and found he weighed vastly more than most Syrians! The second time was just a check.

If he looks healthy and about the same size he could be fine. You can use a different container on top of standard scales, like a taller sided bowl. You just put the empty bowl with a piece of veg in it first, then zero the scales. Then pop sweep in the bowl - the veg or food or treat should help him sit still while you read them.

They do need a lot of protein in the first year, but I think too much can be as bad as not enough. I think you give him Harry Hamster don't you? That plus the odd protein treat should be fine. But if he is a very energetic hamster and has grown a lot recently he maybe needs a bit of supplementing. Cheese lasts for quite a while in the fridge - I give that once a week maybe. Charlie started putting a bit too much weight on once when he was regularly having the rosewood little hearts treats for taming No sugar in them but he was eating extra.

[WinnieTheHam]

Some hamsters can very in weight sometimes, I think if they drop in 10g then it's nothing to worry about. Myrcella and Belle always weigh different and it's always around 155 - 170g for Myrcella and 205 - 216g for Belle but they're perfectly fine and have been doing this since fully grown/growing. I think it may be something to do with hormones and coming into heat etc... I asked Souffle about it and she said it's nothing to worry about if it's only that much weight loss.

For Myrcella and Abe I give them limited time on the wheel because they're obsessed with it and I find they lose a lot of weight if they have it in constantly. I give them 2-3 hours of wheel time and then I take it out.

It could also be teeth, check their teeth and see how they are. When Myrcella damaged her teeth she lost a lot of weight and didn't look great either, it was very visible but she looks much better now after moving her to a tank style cage and giving her lots of soft food to help her teeth grow back.

If he's from a pet shop it could be genetics and that he doesn't have much muscle mass. Winston has always been a bit boney but he's been 164g constantly since he was fully grown and he's 2 years old next month and hasn't lost any weight yet, but I can still feel his backbone.