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Old 07-21-2019, 11:25 AM   #1
melch16244
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Join Date: Jun 2019
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Unhappy Adopted a very young ham :(

Hi guys... my new Syrian, Buttson is only 4 and a half weeks old when I took him home... I know I should’ve waited a bit longer but the owner said they were ready and I fully trust her. Idk why I made this dumb decision but I picked the smallest, frailest one. When I brought him home he seemed very energetic and ran on his wheel. Everything seemed okay. I woke up this morning and he was sleeping in his food bowl. When he woke up his ears were folded back and eyes were closed, went for some water and went back to sleep. Was he just sleepy or is something wrong? On the first night he happily went on my hand but today he avoided it. I’m very worried because he’s so young! Should I give him more protein?? Thank you everyone
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Old 07-21-2019, 02:37 PM   #2
PurpleKat
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Default Re: Adopted a very young ham :(

If your concerned I'd take him to the vet for a check and tell him what happened, especally if something else happens.

Could just be because he's in a new environment and should settle down and make a nest soon in one of his hides.

What food mix if he one and are you adding anything to it?
Have you managed to get a weight yet? Keep an eye to check he's gaining weight steadily.
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Old 07-21-2019, 02:46 PM   #3
LunaTheHamster1
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Default Re: Adopted a very young ham :(

they are just sleepy when there ears are like that. He could have just tired himself out with all the new things he has to explore and being so young. I would think it was early days really with the hand thing. Is it just the 2 days you have had him? Just keep an eye on him, if anything deteriorates then go to the vets, but from what you say I am not sure there is anything to worry about.
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Old 07-21-2019, 09:14 PM   #4
melch16244
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Default Re: Adopted a very young ham :(

Thanks for the quick reply guys!! The previous owner had given him lettuce and I heard that’s not great for hamsters. I gave him some seeds and half a mealworm and some carrots. It’s a big change in diet but I wanna make sure he’s getting the right nutrients.
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Old 07-21-2019, 11:08 PM   #5
Schwartzie
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Default Re: Adopted a very young ham :(

There is a wealth of information here on this forum. There are also experienced hamster owners here who are only too happy to help and guide you. If you have a question or not too sure of something search keywords relating to the topic you aren’t sure of then see if anything pops up. If not or your still not sure create a thread like you just did. Your little one is in good hands because you’re willing to research, ask and do the best for your hamster. I have never heard of it being common practice to allow babies to go before 5 weeks. Maybe I am wrong.

You clearly chose the little runt of the litter but I can tell you that all the rungs I’ve had of puppies, cats etc have always been so courageous and tough little things. Please send pictures...☺️☺️☺️☺️
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Old 07-21-2019, 11:12 PM   #6
Schwartzie
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Default Re: Adopted a very young ham :(

Purplekat said you should keep an eye on the weight...weigh him the same time every couple of days...we do that with cats and dogs. Lunathehamster also has good advice...if you see anything that worries you where it looks like Buttson is deteriorating go straight to the vet.

Do send information on what you are feeding him. Syrians sometimes don’t like mealworms so you can feed dehydrated chicken cat treats but send us what you are feeding him so we can check if the percentages of fibre, fats and protein is right.

There are great threads on feeding in the forum.
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Old 07-23-2019, 02:02 AM   #7
melch16244
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Default Re: Adopted a very young ham :(

Schwartzie, yea i realized he doesn’t like meal worms since he just left them in his bowl. I fed him Higgens Sunburst and it says it has 15% protein 7% fat and 9.5% fibre. The rest is moisture and some other minerals. I also gave him another small piece of carrot but he didn’t eat it :O he seemed to grow a little but that’s just over one night.
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Old 07-25-2019, 01:02 PM   #8
Fluffagrams
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Default Re: Adopted a very young ham :(

It's often not advised that hamsters are rehomed until at least five weeks old but most UK hamster breeders will wait until they're about 6-8 weeks old so that the young hamsters are able to benefit from the additional socialising time with their brothers or sisters. It's often during this time that they learn about 'how to hamster' as it were but don't worry it's not the end of the world and I've had to care for a couple of singletons at a young age before.

They can often be a little unsure when they first have to get used to living alone and may benefit from being housed in a smaller cage for a couple of weeks but if you don't have anything smaller then you can help them to feel more secure by providing lots of places to hide. I also don't give my youngsters a wheel in their cage at this stage as I feel that it is important that they use some of that energy for growing. I'll then introduce the wheel gradually over the next 4-6 weeks depending on both their nature and how well they're developing.

I have found that sometimes my hamsters have seemed very energetic when they're a little bit nervous, particularly when they've just arrived and this may be the case here but if you're concerned, it's always best to seek advice from your vet.
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