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Old 05-06-2018, 11:04 PM  
cypher
Dwarf whisperer
 
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Join Date: May 2014
Location: Wales UK
Posts: 24,789
Default Re: Hey! First time Dwarf mommy...

Welcome back & congrats on your first little Russian

Look forward to hearing more about her as she settles in.
She will be a hybrid, a cross between Campbell's & WW as all pet shop Russian hams are although some may look more like one species or the other they are all hybrids.
Russians do need a different diet to Syrians so you would do best to buy a dwarf specific mix if you haven't already, there are only really two good ones, Burgess dwarf hamster harvest which is a good mix but lacks variety & Bunny Dwarf HamsterDream Expert from Zooplus which is also good & has more variety.
They can be prone to diabetes so avoid any sugary treats (including ones with honey) & even naturally sweet foods, a tiny bit of fruit once in a while as a rare treat is ok but best to stick with veg mostly.
Most Russians go crazy for mealworms so they make a good taming treat & are a useful protein boost for them although high in fat so not too many!
What cage do you have? They do need quite a bit of space but not too open, lots of little hideouts, tunnels etc & toys to keep them occupied.
They often love to dig & burrow too so plenty of deep substrate.
Unlike Syrians it is important to have a sand bath in the cage at all times too.
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