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Old 02-22-2020, 05:45 PM   #1
ulluma
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: Denmark
Posts: 1
Question Syrian losing a LOT of weight???

Hi, I'm new on this forum (but longtime lurker).

I got my Syrian (male) hamster in December and he has since been losing weight and I can't figure out why.

He started on 148g in late December - start January, and is now 96g as of yesterday (February 22nd) and I'm extremely worried.

I checked his teeth and they look fine, so I don't think he has a problem eating his food. His food is a mix of 3 bags (versele-laga crispy müsli, a protein mix and another mix with various vegetable tablets etc.).

I give him fresh vegetables and fruits multiple times a week (In small portions) and a little bit of cooked meat (usually unseasoned boiled chicken).

He only just got the right wheel 3 weeks ago, due to shipping issues (I wanted to buy a specific wheel I can't find in Denmark) and the package got lost in the mail. So I was wondering if it could be the extra exercise he's getting from the wheel that's making him lose weight? He has never had a wheel before (they didn't give him one at the pet store).

I switched from water bottle to a bowl because the cage he is in is an aquarium, so I can't attach it anywhere, but I think he drinks from it (at least when I'm looking) and I usually scatter feed him, but recently started using a bowl again because of the weight loss, in hopes of him eating more (maybe he'll find it easier to access food). He's not a fan of the protein mix I give him, but options are very limited at the pet's stores in my area.

What do you guys think? I'm worried sick and have thought about taking him to the vet, but vets in Denmark are insanely expensive. So I wanted you guy's opinion before taking him.

Thanks in advance.
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Old 02-24-2020, 01:15 PM   #2
Pebbles82
Hamster Antics
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 23,533
Default Re: Syrian losing a LOT of weight???

That is a very low weight and a lot of weight to lose. One question - and apologies as it is not meant to cause offence but another poster did this and the hamster starved. Do you remove the hoards from the cage? I'm assuming not and if you're putting food out regularly he's unlikely to have that cause. But they do tend to eat from their hoards - they tend to just pouch the food from the food bowl mostly.

If he is eating normally and regularly it does sound like illness. And tumours can cause weight loss. How old is he? As regards the diet - the Versele Laga is not the best but it's quite good and has some good ingredients and is probably best given on it its own and not with the others mixed in - I am not sure what the other foods are. It is possible there is something in the other foods that doesn't agree with him (the fresh foods are fine of course). So I would just put out the Versele Laga food and the fresh veg. It is a bit low in protein but you can supplement the protein with extras/treats like the occasional bit of freeze dried chicken (I buy the cat treat ones which are just chicken and nothing else) and a nut twice a week.

It is possible that it could be caused by not enough protein especially if it's a young hamster. And if the veg pellets and other addition food don't have much protein as you'll have effectively reduced the protein levels of the Versele Laga by mixing them.

Another thing to assist with the right levels of protein and nutrients is to get a bag of Science Selective hamster, It's an all in one pellet food and not good as the only food but I scatter 2 or 3 pellets in addition to the regular mix, as a supplement.

Meanwhile he is such a low weight that you need to be giving him some high calorie foods I think. Highest calorie foods I came across for hamsters are pecan nuts (very high in healthy fats) which would also help with protein - but only once or twice a week. And hemp seeds. You can put a pinch out daily on a separate dish - they seem to like them. Also sunflower seeds as treats.

With regards to their hoards and nests/clean outs, it is best not to clean out too much - just spot clean the pee every few days (or use a litter tray) and with enough substrate you can easily go 2 months without needing to change all the substrate. It reduces stress for them as the cage always smells familiar. I always leave the nest and hoard unless pee'd in. I prune the hoard from the bottom after about 2 months when changing the substrate as it's usually quite large by then.

If you do need to remove the hoard, always put a handful of new food back in exactly the same place and try and leave a little bit of the old food that isn't soiled. It can really stress them.

I do hope it isn't anything serious and he starts to put weight on.
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mix, weight, wheel, food, give, syrian, protein, taking, wanted, worried, started, guys, december, losing, eating, bowl, find, denmark, water, cage, bottle, switched, pet, store, expensive

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