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Old 06-12-2019, 12:10 PM   #1
MaryRobinson
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Default Getting ready to welcome Mimi to a restful retirement

Hi all!
So it’s just a few days over 5 months since we lost little Dora and I find myself going against the ‘we can’t go through that grief again’ mantra and accepting a 1.5year old Syrian girl, Mimi, this weekend. A member of staff at my new job offered her to me as her daughter no longer wants her (where’ve we heard that before!) but today, as I’m part time there, I discovered she’d gone back to the pet shop. Apparently the daughter was upset and went to reclaim her but abandoned her when she discovered mimi needed her teeth trimming. So...

If all goes well with her little op, I’ll collect Mimi at the weekend for her forever home... be it weeks or years.

One question though... do you think the teeth thing was purely through lack of proper chews or a congenital thing she’s likely to need again? I don’t mind but would like to find out more thank you!

I think Dora would approve of her house being lived in again... 😌
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Old 06-12-2019, 01:07 PM   #2
LunaTheHamster1
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Default Re: Getting ready to welcome Mimi to a restful retirement

All i can say is when I adopted Luna, I thought her teeth were a bit too log, the vet said they were fine. But after I gave her wooden chews and other things to gnaw on and harder food items like walnuts, she wore them down and I've never seen them as long again.
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Old 06-12-2019, 02:22 PM   #3
MaryRobinson
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Default Re: Getting ready to welcome Mimi to a restful retirement

Thanks Luna. I’m hopeful that a good diet and environment will cure any tooth/ nail issues Mimi has had. ����
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Old 06-13-2019, 02:36 AM   #4
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Getting ready to welcome Mimi to a restful retirement

Hello again. I think I would have done the same. Rescuing Mimi means she now has a nice loving home for the rest of her days. Although I know you are aware it could only be weeks or months. I am not sure if you can, but after the grief we had after Charlie, I decided I wanted to have two hamsters. It may sound selfish, but I was being pragmatic. That if one dies - you still have the grief, but you also have the comfort of the other one needing you to care for them. Because one of the hardest things about the loss was suddenly not being needed to do the care any more.

Although it doesn't guarantee anything - ie which one would go first, or even both fail around the same time, but generally if you have a younger one as well it's more likely they would live the longest.

We got a robo as our second hamster. He is happier being left alone in his cage but will talk through the bars I never did get to tame him as he was so nervy and he really does seem to prefer being in his cage mostly, although has had the occasional out of cage time, but they are very nervy little things. A nice environment in his cage keeps him happy and he uses both a wheel and a saucer and loves those. He is also a real tunneler and digger (I think robos do tend to be) but currently has a labyrinth house so uses that.

Regarding the teeth - an older hamsters who has not had adequate hard chewing, may need the teeth burring at the vet under a quick light anaesthetic. I was told that is what they do now rather than clipping the teeth but it may depend on the vet.

She would need a vet visit and her teeth assessing. The vet will be able to do something, and if she ends up virtually toothless she can do well on a soft diet. They have probably got too long so she can't eat properly.

Charlie had this when he was just over two and his teeth had to be clipped. He ate very well and chewed fine after that. But when they're older there can be other reasons they're not chewing hard things - eg toothache in the back teeth or arthritis in the jaw - so in avoiding chewing hard things, the teeth do get too long.

You will have to see what the vet says but I doubt it would be monthly trimming - just keeping an eye on to see if they get too long again.

Our two year two month syrian appears to have lost his top teeth now (or maybe just worn down), but is eating fine - even so I am supplementing him with some softened food just in case he isn't eating properly.

The vet would advise on that as it's tricky- you want them chewing/eating hard things to keep the teeth in trim, but you also need to make sure they get the nutrition. I put both out - hard food and 3 or 4 softened science selective pellets separately.

I don't think it sounds congenital if she has got to 18 months - she would have had problems before now. See what the vet says - the vet can also clip her nails while she's there.

Again older hamsters do seem to get nails getting longer easier, but you probably know you can help keep those trim by having something rough under the food bowl or under the water bottle - eg a terracotta plant pot base. I have a rough granite tile under the water bottle (which also helps soak up any drips!) and not had a problem with nails yet.

From the sound of it the pet shop vet is doing her teeth before you collect her, is that right? It might be worth asking if you can just take her anyway and take her to a vet yourself - then you get to choose a vet. An exotic vet tends to know more about hamsters.
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Old 06-13-2019, 12:11 PM   #5
MaryRobinson
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Default Re: Getting ready to welcome Mimi to a restful retirement

Hello Serendipity7000! Yes, it's been a while. the loss of Dora was utterly heartbreaking and we had such a short time with her. I can almost hear my husband rolling his eyes as we did promise we wouldn't get another one just yet. But... I couldn't leave her to her fate...

Yes, that's right: the owner returned to the pet shop to reclaim her but on hearing that she needed a £76 operation, she left her there. The pet shop have done the burring today and she seems fine; we are giving her a day there to recover then collecting her Saturday. Part of me is actually terrified because I was SO attached to Dora and it really screwed us both up as she was a child substitute..!! Anyway, I am hopeful that with her Rodipet ("other suppliers are available..") set up and granite tile, whimsies etc she'll be fine; they said that she's eaten half a bowl of food already so I'm hopeful. Will be ready with the porridge/ baby food / couches etc if she struggles!!
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Old 06-13-2019, 12:29 PM   #6
flowerfairy
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Default Re: Getting ready to welcome Mimi to a restful retirement

Best of luck with Mimi and her lovely retirement! What cage do you have for her?
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Old 06-13-2019, 04:26 PM   #7
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Getting ready to welcome Mimi to a restful retirement

All sounds good. She will be a different personality - they are all different. I know what you mean - I was in a terrible state after Charlie went and our family was all flat and affected by it. We didn't realise how sad we had been until we picked up Newt - and suddenly we were all happy again. No hamster can replace another one but they all need us xxx And I'm sure she will bring joy. I can recommend getting two though! Maybe a baby as well. As at 18 months her time with you will fly by. Looking forward to seeing photos of her.
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Old 06-15-2019, 12:44 AM   #8
MaryRobinson
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Default Re: Getting ready to welcome Mimi to a restful retirement

Quote:
Originally Posted by flowerfairy View Post
Best of luck with Mimi and her lovely retirement! What cage do you have for her?
Thank you! We actually built one for Dora to be a vivarium-style big home with glass front- I like the natural set up. So mimi will be the new resident !
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Old 06-15-2019, 12:47 AM   #9
MaryRobinson
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Default Re: Getting ready to welcome Mimi to a restful retirement

Thank you! We had said that a baby Syrian would be our next fur baby but then mimi appeared... I don’t even know what she looks like or anything but she needs a good safe home. NEXT time it would be good to get a breeder’s pup and go the whole journey with a critter. All the loss is draining! I still think of Dora masses five months on.
Mimi will be her own person so we wait and see... �� xx
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