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Old 04-21-2018, 06:32 AM   #1
actual junk
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Default Encouraging an Older Hamster to Chew

My syrian hamster is around 17 month and starting to slow down a little, and he has gotten incredibly lazy with his chewing. I have had to have his incisors burred by my vet and will probably need to have it done again in the next week or so. The problem started as he somehow managed to shatter his left bottom tooth meaning he couldn't wear down his top teeth properly, but since this has happened I'm finding it very difficult to get him to give anything a decent chew. He has whimzee chews which he has always loved but seems to be leaving them alone, and I have only managed to get him to nibble one a little by rubbing it with a little peanut butter. I have been giving him carrot and broccoli as they are a *tiny* bit tough for him to chew and he loves them but its not enough to keep his teeth a healthy length. Seeing as it costs around £60 for him to have his teeth burred ideally this won't become a three weekly event, but more importantly especially as he gets older I don't want him to have to go under aesthetic so often if I can avoid it. Does anyone have any advice for getting Laurie to chew?
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Old 04-21-2018, 06:41 AM   #2
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Encouraging an Older Hamster to Chew

They often do chew less as they get older - he could just have toothache in his back teeth. Just keep putting his hamster mix out (which is hard) and his veg. If he won't chew chews then you'll just need to keep an eye on his front teeth and have them burred again if they get too long, so he can keep eating.

If he starts to lose weight and you suspect he's not eating properly or his mix then you may need to start supplementing with soft food, to keep his weight and nutrition up and again have his teeth done at the vets again if they get too long.
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Old 04-21-2018, 07:06 AM   #3
cypher
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Default Re: Encouraging an Older Hamster to Chew

Is the tooth that shattered growing back & still properly aligned? If the tooth grows back normally then he should be able to chew properly & really just his normal food should be enough, the problem is if the tooth doesn't grow back normally there isn't a lot you can do other than continuing with the tooth trimming at the vet.
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Old 04-21-2018, 09:21 AM   #4
SimonandSyril
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Default Re: Encouraging an Older Hamster to Chew

I had a similar problem with my previous hamster, Simon. I liked to hang chew toys from the top of the cage with sisal string and for some reason, he started chewing. This may be a coincidence but I would consider giving it a go.
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