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Old 04-15-2017, 01:17 PM   #1
BubblesHamster
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Question Is 28g underweight for a pedigree winter white

Hi
Just weighed my winter white with new electronic scales as opposed to my not so accurate non elecric scales is 28 grams underweight or is it ok. Only concerned because my other one who lives in a seperate cage weighs 47g. Should i be concerned or notx
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Old 04-15-2017, 01:25 PM   #2
cypher
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Default Re: Is 28g underweight for a pedigree winter white

They can vary a lot in weight but 28g does sound very light especially for a breeder ham, do you know if the mother & or father were small?
If he seems healthy, eats a good diet then it may not be anything to worry about.
If they are underweight they do generally look quite bony, you can often see the spine outlined & they may appear a bit hunched too.
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Old 04-15-2017, 01:25 PM   #3
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Default Re: Is 28g underweight for a pedigree winter white

What age is your WW? 28g is very light unless if is a young animal. Is this one in with any others?
It may be an idea to check the teeth and test for diabetes if your hammy is not growing on well.
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Old 04-15-2017, 01:49 PM   #4
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Default Re: Is 28g underweight for a pedigree winter white

Quote:
Originally Posted by cypher View Post
They can vary a lot in weight but 28g does sound very light especially for a breeder ham, do you know if the mother & or father were small?
If he seems healthy, eats a good diet then it may not be anything to worry about.
If they are underweight they do generally look quite bony, you can often see the spine outlined & they may appear a bit hunched too.
Im not sure but she always has been small shes eating burgess hamster harvest dwarf and is still as active and appears to be as healthy as normal bright eyes clear ears and nose ect she doesnt appear ti have lost weight when i handle her and she doesnt feel very boney maybe a bit more boney than the other but not muchx
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Old 04-15-2017, 01:51 PM   #5
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Default Re: Is 28g underweight for a pedigree winter white

You mention "The other", is she kept in a pair? If so, it could be possible the other in the pair has been eating most of the food and leaving little for her. Hope everything is alright with her
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Old 04-15-2017, 01:54 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by souffle View Post
What age is your WW? 28g is very light unless if is a young animal. Is this one in with any others?
It may be an idea to check the teeth and test for diabetes if your hammy is not growing on well.
Shes 19months old on the 19th i only have two hammies and they both live on their own cos they were fighting about 4 or 5 months ago. I dont think ill be able to check the teeth without being bitten because she isnt the tamest hammy she let me hold her and check her but prefers to run around like a nut case i check her belly in a clear container. Shes always been like this its just her personality i thinkx

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You mention "The other", is she kept in a pair? If so, it could be possible the other in the pair has been eating most of the food and leaving little for her. Hope everything is alright with her
No they used to live together but not anymore because she was hogging the food even in two food bowls and they ended up fighting. I think she lost a little weight then but not loads.
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Last edited by souffle; 04-16-2017 at 03:43 PM.
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Old 04-15-2017, 02:10 PM   #7
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Default Re: Is 28g underweight for a pedigree winter white

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Originally Posted by BubblesHamster View Post
No they used to live together but not anymore because she was hogging the food even in two food bowls and they ended up fighting. I think she lost a little weight then but not loads.
That makes sense, just wanted to double check to see if that was a possibility of what is causing her to be underweight. I agree with checking her teeth, issues like malocclusion and other tooth problems can occur without us noticing until we notice their weight has dropped or that they overall seem uncomfortable. If you're able to, you could hold her in a hand with a gardening glove on it, and use your bare hand to examine her mouth (best not to glove this hand for dexterity purposes) to see if you notice anything. Hope she is alright
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Old 04-15-2017, 10:24 PM   #8
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Default Re: Is 28g underweight for a pedigree winter white

Sometimes you can get a look at their teeth by holding a treat above their head then as they reach up to take it you should be able to see the teeth, doesn't always work but worth a try.
Do you ever see her doing things like peeling the shell off sunflower seeds? If they can shell seeds their teeth are usually ok.

I wouldn't recommend using a glove to check teeth, you need to gently scruff them & pull the skin back around the mouth a bit to see the teeth properly & really need to be able to feel what you're doing with both hands, it's not difficult to do when you know how but if you lack confidence or are afraid of being bitten that will make it harder, a vet can easily check teeth though if you are concerned or unsure.
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Last edited by cypher; 04-15-2017 at 11:10 PM.
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Old 04-16-2017, 01:55 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cypher View Post
Sometimes you can get a look at their teeth by holding a treat above their head then as they reach up to take it you should be able to see the teeth, doesn't always work but worth a try.
Do you ever see her doing things like peeling the shell off sunflower seeds? If they can shell seeds their teeth are usually ok.

I wouldn't recommend using a glove to check teeth, you need to gently scruff them & pull the skin back around the mouth a bit to see the teeth properly & really need to be able to feel what you're doing with both hands, it's not difficult to do when you know how but if you lack confidence or are afraid of being bitten that will make it harder, a vet can easily check teeth though if you are concerned or unsure.
She can shell seeds she does it all the time. Could i feed her a few extra mealworms or something high in protein to help her gain some weight. Ill continue to weigh her once a week to see is she looses or gains any weight is this okx

Quote:
Originally Posted by Drago View Post
That makes sense, just wanted to double check to see if that was a possibility of what is causing her to be underweight. I agree with checking her teeth, issues like malocclusion and other tooth problems can occur without us noticing until we notice their weight has dropped or that they overall seem uncomfortable. If you're able to, you could hold her in a hand with a gardening glove on it, and use your bare hand to examine her mouth (best not to glove this hand for dexterity purposes) to see if you notice anything. Hope she is alright
Whats malocclusion. I dont think she has lost weight judging by how she feels when i handle her its just 28g is fairly lightx
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Last edited by souffle; 04-16-2017 at 03:43 PM.
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Old 04-16-2017, 01:58 AM   #10
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Default Re: Is 28g underweight for a pedigree winter white

Malocclusion is when the teeth aren't aligned properly so they can't chew & wear down the teeth which then over grow.
You could definitely feed some extras, a mealworm or two & things like flax, hemp, sunflower & pumpkin seeds, even the occasional piece of walnut, small amounts of plain cooked chicken or dried chicken once or twice a week would be good too.
I would go for the seeds more than mealworms or chicken though as she's not that young any more so won't need that much extra protein, giving too much protein when they're older puts a bit of a strain on the kidneys.
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