Hamster Central - View Single Post

Ria P · 10-17-2022, 06:24 AM

I have two elderly Syrians and they are 2yrs 3mths and 2yrs 5mths old.
I give them their Harry Hamster as per usual because they still like to pouch and hoard it but i'm not sure how much they actually eat.
I supplement with a few Science Selective pellets which i soak in hot water for a few minutes to soften them and they eat a bit of that.
I also give a wee drop of porridge, steamed veg and a bit of cucumber. I've reduced their amount of daily fresh food and cut out leafy greens because their digestive tract has become less toletant with old age. Every hamster is different though.
They both have a nibble stick and always have a whimzee dog chew to chew on. I give them a monkey nut to crack open which all helps with their teeth.
Keep an eye on the nails to make sure they don't curl under. One of my Syrians has short nails but the other has longer ones. I always have baby clippers by his cage and when his paws are holding on the bars i could get lucky and manage to snip a long nail.
One of mine was a determined climber when younger but he is a bit dotty now, especially on waking so i've moved him from an Alaska cage into the lower Hamster Heaven cage and adjusted his set up by lowering everything.
My other Syrian is still in an Alaska but i've lowered his set up as well to make things easier for him. He's never climbed the bars so i'm not worried about him falling.
If your hamster's teeth do grow long enough to stop her from eating or they cause damage to her mouth then you'll have to take her to a vet but hopefully this can be avoided.

I started a thread here called "Senior hamsters" and there may be some more tips on there.

10-17-2022, 06:24 AM
Ria P House of Hamsters Join Date: Mar 2019 Location: Wiltshire, UK Posts: 7,103	Re: Elderly Syrian Teeth I have two elderly Syrians and they are 2yrs 3mths and 2yrs 5mths old. I give them their Harry Hamster as per usual because they still like to pouch and hoard it but i'm not sure how much they actually eat. I supplement with a few Science Selective pellets which i soak in hot water for a few minutes to soften them and they eat a bit of that. I also give a wee drop of porridge, steamed veg and a bit of cucumber. I've reduced their amount of daily fresh food and cut out leafy greens because their digestive tract has become less toletant with old age. Every hamster is different though. They both have a nibble stick and always have a whimzee dog chew to chew on. I give them a monkey nut to crack open which all helps with their teeth. Keep an eye on the nails to make sure they don't curl under. One of my Syrians has short nails but the other has longer ones. I always have baby clippers by his cage and when his paws are holding on the bars i could get lucky and manage to snip a long nail. One of mine was a determined climber when younger but he is a bit dotty now, especially on waking so i've moved him from an Alaska cage into the lower Hamster Heaven cage and adjusted his set up by lowering everything. My other Syrian is still in an Alaska but i've lowered his set up as well to make things easier for him. He's never climbed the bars so i'm not worried about him falling. If your hamster's teeth do grow long enough to stop her from eating or they cause damage to her mouth then you'll have to take her to a vet but hopefully this can be avoided. I started a thread here called "Senior hamsters" and there may be some more tips on there.