Dog Biscuits

[sg1531]

Hi, I'm a soon to be proud hamster owner and I have read lots about the suitability of dog biscuits as an occasional chewing treat. I am aware of various types but purchased Pedigree Gravybones and am now worried that they may not be suitable for a dwarf hamster, if broken up? Please can anyone help a nervous hamster mommy to be?

[Ria P]

Whimzees is what people usually buy for hamsters. My three always have a Whimzee to chew on, the XS or S sized ones.

[AmityvilleHams]

I would also use Whimzees. The ingredients are very high quality compared to the UK dog biscuits(especially Pedigree which are known to have very poor quality ingredients and aren't really good despite their popularity), and they're a proven favorite with pretty much every hamster.

Another bonus with Whimzees is that they come in so many sizes and shapes, so you could have the tiny sticks if you don't care about the appearance(at the end of the day they'll not remain unchewed anyways), but if you want a temporary decorative chew the alligators come in a nice variety of sizes and look absolutely adorable at least for a little while! I like the way the hedgehog Whimzees look too, but they are pretty big so some hamsters may not like them as much as they'd like the sticks, smaller toothbrush chews, or even smaller alligators.

One of the deciding factors for choosing a Whimzee shape and size is going to be cost. While they're not very expensive most of the time, some people may prefer the cost of the smallest size sticks compared to the hedgehog chews and even the alligator chews. Sometimes you'll get a good deal purchasing bulk Whimzees, but this isn't the best choice for someone who only has one hamster and no dogs or any other pets that would be able to eat them. There are technically smaller bulk options but I'm not sure they exist everywhere as I've only seen them in Petsmart here in the US, but if you can find a bag with a smaller amount of Whimzees and the cost(as in cost per chew) works out cheaper than just buying a single chew I would highly recommend that option!

[sg1531]

Thank you, I'll look at these.

[Dalis_mum]

I third whimzees.

I like watching Eddie carry off an alligator one. He's like the hamster equivalent of Steve Irwin, GRHS.

[Kyrkogrimr]

I would also recommend whimzees - I had lots of trouble getting Cadmium to chew toys, she's not a big chewer, but she does enjoy a whimzee I have the toothbrush ones and it's adorable watching her carrying it around, there currently appears to be a rule that the whimzee lives in the nest, or at least in the chamber house her nest is under. Just in case the nefarious hoomin tries to steal it?

[RJS]

I think if you asked Theodore what one thing he'd take with him to a desert island, he'd answer "a big bag of XS toothbrush whimzees"! He just loves them.

[sg1531]

Thank you everyone. I've gone for the mini toothbrush Whimzees and donated the Gravybones to our neighbour's dalmatian.

[Chicleteer]

Looks like the verdict is in, but let me add my own vote for Whimzees. It’s kind of cute to watch my Chiclet go to town on the alligator (which seems to be her favorite shape). Little does she know how dangerous REAL alligators are!