Suitable wheel for a winter white hybrid dwarf

[Drago]

Originally Posted by tomnjerry

Then a flying saucer will be better than any wheel coz it will have a more flat running surface?

Flying saucers can be good wheels in addition to a properly sized standard wheel The only general issue with saucers is that they cause the spine to bend to the side, and the hamster must run in an unnatural motion in order to get exercise. Standard wheels on the other hand, granted they're large enough, allow the hamster to run completely naturally and with a straight back. Having both though is excellent if they can fit

[AmityvilleHams]

Honestly there's no reason to use a flying saucer.They take up massive amounts of space,so even if you're using them with an upright wheel(as you should)you could still use the space for far more valuable enrichment.

As for the flat running surface point,not really.Flying saucers are only partially flat in a tiny fraction of the wheel.About 1/4th of the wheel is what generally gets ran on,so even with a 12 inch wheel a 6 inch hamster for example would have maybe 3 inches of running surface compared to 6 inches guaranteed with a 12 inch upright wheel.Even with those numbers in mind,the flying saucer will never be equal nor will it ever replace an upright wheel.It's a gimmick,and like many gimmicks it just doesn't hold true.

[tomnjerry]

IMHO this issue has a long of variables involved.

A big wheel is really critical for Syrians. Erin Hamsters has got a good video in this subject.

For robos provided claws are short they really fly and backbone is always perfectly straight even in 6.5 inch wheels. Their paws are like briefly touching the wheel only.

Observe your hamster. Take photos & videos.

[tomnjerry]

As said a lot of literature on this subject. Manufacturers always point to hamster studies showing preference for larger wheels.

Mouse prefer square wheels? Backbone is even more arched here. It was explained as prefering to jump. Is that not damaging to the backbone too?

[AmityvilleHams]

Mice and hamsters are not the same though.They're rodents,but other than that they're entirely different species and comparing the two is just not appropriate.

I don't know what manufacturer(maybe Silent Runner's manufacturer,but that's different)would actually encourage large wheels for hamsters,but I do know that "hamster wheels" are often considered the small sizes(even though they're not the right size for hamsters).Manufacturers have nothing to do with this though,they merely make the products while owners most definitely should be educating themselves on appropriate wheels first then purchasing them.

Regardless,there's nothing wrong with using a large wheel for a dwarf hamster of any species or even Chinese hamsters.However,it would have to be a wheel that is enclosed(Silent Runner ideally)rather than the open type wheels.Obviously any hamster can go flying out of an open wheel or flying saucer(extremely common with flying saucers especially with robos)but to fly out of an enclosed upright wheel is practically impossible.

[tomnjerry]

There are always pros and cons in anything.

On the balance of probability, I believed open wheel could be safer, provided proper environment. Accordingly I have made the switch from enclosed wheel to open wheel. I cannot use graphic languages here. You will need to see how the enclosed wheel treats your hamster. I actually prefer to see him flying out of wheel to land on substrate. That is compared to what happens inside the wheel.

[alpacassei]

If your hamsters are falling off the wheel, it's not safe for them to use it because they could end up getting injured. You said they have wood pellets for substrate which are probably not very soft for them to land on, and even if it is soft, they could still land badly. You need to replace their wheels with a proper upright wheel.

Flying saucers should only be used if the hamster can run on it properly without their back being bent sideways and flying off.

Your hamsters will not get tossed around inside of an upright wheel.