Hamsters eat their own droppings (called coprophagia), and this is thought to be important as a source of vitamins B and K. Sunflower seeds are also rich in B vitamins. B vitamins are good for hairloss and act on the nervous system and therefore also very good for reducing stress. Stress is the primary cause for many hamster diseases which is why it is also good to use a pro-biotic on a regular basis. Stress tends to lead to a disturbance in the hamster's digestive system, and the pro-biotic helps to encourge the growth of replacement good gut flora/bacteria. There are threads on pro- and pre-biotics in the Hamster Care Section if anyone wants to read more.
If you do wish to supplement your little one's diet with yeast a pinch a week of good nutritional yeast is sufficient. It can be found in health food stores and is better than baker's yeast as it is less bitter and therefore more palatable to our babies. Tablets designed for pets such as cats and dogs can be used, however make sure they are plain and don't contain any garlic as this has been found to be harsh on hamster's kidneys. A half a tablet a week should be fed if you decide to use this source of B vitamins.
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