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TracyMM · 06-09-2012, 06:25 AM

My son's previous hamster (Harry, RIP) was a persistent cage bar biter. He lived to be almost three. I just thought it was a nuisance and it was what hamsters do (I now know MUCH better, thanks to this forum, which I scoured before getting another hamster). BUT during the last four months of his life his bar biting caught up with him. He must have distorted the roots of his lower teeth because they separated and started to grow widely apart, at an angle, so they didn't meet the upper teeth, and couldn't be gnawed down. He had to have his teeth cut back every month at approx £45 a visit. (He also had a vitamin shot and mite treatment, and we got some painkillers, but that was on top of the £45.) During that time I actually needed a visit to the dentist myself but what with Harry's needs being greater than mine, I couldn't afford to go!! And the problem didn't end with a quick trip to the vet either. I think that eating hard food actually hurt him, so he didn't try, despite daily drops of painkiller and giving him his favourite food of all, sweetcorn. So he ate baby food and porridge and other soft food, while is teeth grew and grew. It was a really horrible experience and I still feel massively guilty. There was no way i could risk that again so our new hamster has a tank cage.

His breeder said that if a specific spot is chewed, put a peg on it, and the hamster may choose that to chew the peg as opposed to the bar.

I read elsewhere that the chewing becomes an addiction and releases a chemical in the brain (possibly an endorphin, like is released in humans when the exercise) and makes the hamster feel good. Unfortunately the constant jarring can also cause brain injury. (or so I read, I don't know if this is true.) But it is something you need to stop if you can.

06-09-2012, 06:25 AM
TracyMM Hamster Pup Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 146	Re: How to stop bar chewing? My son's previous hamster (Harry, RIP) was a persistent cage bar biter. He lived to be almost three. I just thought it was a nuisance and it was what hamsters do (I now know MUCH better, thanks to this forum, which I scoured before getting another hamster). BUT during the last four months of his life his bar biting caught up with him. He must have distorted the roots of his lower teeth because they separated and started to grow widely apart, at an angle, so they didn't meet the upper teeth, and couldn't be gnawed down. He had to have his teeth cut back every month at approx £45 a visit. (He also had a vitamin shot and mite treatment, and we got some painkillers, but that was on top of the £45.) During that time I actually needed a visit to the dentist myself but what with Harry's needs being greater than mine, I couldn't afford to go!! And the problem didn't end with a quick trip to the vet either. I think that eating hard food actually hurt him, so he didn't try, despite daily drops of painkiller and giving him his favourite food of all, sweetcorn. So he ate baby food and porridge and other soft food, while is teeth grew and grew. It was a really horrible experience and I still feel massively guilty. There was no way i could risk that again so our new hamster has a tank cage. His breeder said that if a specific spot is chewed, put a peg on it, and the hamster may choose that to chew the peg as opposed to the bar. I read elsewhere that the chewing becomes an addiction and releases a chemical in the brain (possibly an endorphin, like is released in humans when the exercise) and makes the hamster feel good. Unfortunately the constant jarring can also cause brain injury. (or so I read, I don't know if this is true.) But it is something you need to stop if you can.