Campbell folded/droopy ears

[papamao]

I've noticed recently that my dwarf russian campbell hamster has droopy ears. Instead of being sharp and standing up like when she first arrived, her ears now fold/droop a little bit in the middle. I don't know how old she is but
I've adopted her as an adult and it has been 6 months.





Is this normal? Is it a sign of old age, illness or malnutrition? Her main food is vitasmart complete nutrition. I'm considering mixing or even transitioning to a different food mix to see if it's related to her diet.

Thanks a lot for any suggestion

[cypher]

The fold in the ear does look a bit exaggerated compared to most but I have seen similar before & it doesn't look as though she has a health problem to me although it's hard to tell from photos, if she's fine otherwise I would just keep an eye on her for any more changes that might indicate a problem of some sort.
I've never come across a problem with the form of the ear due to poor diet, it is difficult to find a really good mix for hybrids in the US I know but that one's not too bad overall, the protein is a little low but ok for an older ham, the fat is actually really low so if she doesn't get them already a little flax seed, sunflower seeds & pumpkin seeds (in moderation) would do her good.
Does she have fresh foods too?

She's an adorable little ham

[papamao]

Thanks Cypher!

Yes she gets fresh food whenever I come across something she can eat, which is roughly weekly. That could be lettuce, bell pepper, carrots, cheese, etc. She also gets a seeds snack every few days like sunflower and pumpkin seeds. I do pick out the peas and corn from her food mix to prevent diabetes, should I add some more back in?

She's not as "all over the cage" as previously but still pretty active, happy and healthy.

[Drago]

My Syrian's ears fold up when they're asleep, but quickly point back up once they're awake and running about. I've also noticed that the older a hamster is, the more their ears tend to droop. Keep an eye on it and if any symptoms develop, it might be worth giving your vet a call

[AmityvilleHams]

It probably isn't the diet causing the problems.However,it still isn't that good of a food and is not diabetes friendly.With your hamster having an unknown history,you must treat her as a hybrid and as such a diabetes prone hamster.Ingredients like cane molasses found in the majority of hamster foods are not okay for this reason,and since Vitasmart contains cane molasses it can't be considered diabetes friendly.

A good alternative food would be Burgess.The Syrian version isn't very good but the dwarf version is excellent and diabetes friendly,and while you might have to look a bit harder to find it than some foods it is still readily accessible throughout most of the world

Ears can go back or seem droopy if a hamster is nervous or frightened,so that is a potential cause.

On a note of the difficulty of finding a good hybrid mix in the US,it isn't too hard online since Viovet does international shipping!While you'll have to wait a bit for the food to arrive,it is still easier than finding a food in store.In fact,finding a diabetes friendly food in store is essentially impossible since no food would be completely suitable for tiny mouths but also have enough protein.Harry/Hazel Hamster can be difficult to find but could work,though some pieces are very large and would need breaking.Burgess would require no modification,so it is still easier once you've ordered it which should last quite a while

[cypher]

You should never take anything out of the mix as you will end up giving your ham an unbalanced diet, peas & corn provide important carbs, fibre, protein & vitamins.
I would just feed the mix as it is without removing anything, at least then you know she is getting the correct level of nutrients.
If you can give veg each day, just a small piece, avoid sweeter veg like carrots & go mainly for green, cheese isn't really good for them & best avoided.