Best diet for low immune system (Syrian)?

[caro317]

So after being treated for mites this week, the vet told me Popcorn was quite a small Syrian and would probably get ill in his life more than some other hamsters. She said it was particularly important to make sure he has a really good diet. So I thought I'd come have a look at some of the info available on here but I'm already very confused!

I know Harry Hamster is meant to be very good, but on the sticky giving percentages the RatRations mix looks the best - but apparently that is a supplement rather than a main diet mix?? I just don't know what is for the best. Help!

[racinghamster]

Hi caro. Your right, it`s better to stick to a commercial mix that has the balance there for optimum nutrition. It`s fine to feed additional foods that may help boost the immune system, or at least, the overall health in general and those would come in the shape of dark berries (safe ones from the food list) as these are high in antioxidants. A small cube of apple, which will help with bowel movements and hydration just as other high fibre raw veggies will help digestion. These must be fed in very small amounts though every couple of days.

There is an immune booster for rats that I know of based around the Shumanite diet for older and ill rats, but the components can include many varients like brown cooked rice as well as other ingredients. Some may or may not be suitable for a hamster though so I would suggest taking some notes from good sources on hamster nutrition and only applying those if they are based on evidence that is tried and tested, rather than just people saying `try this or that`, which could be detrimental to your hamster`s health.

Choosing a good mix can be crucial and sticking with the `big` brand names isn`t all that necessary. Harry Hamster is one example of a big brand name, yet if you bought a supermarket own brand like Tesco Hamster food or WAGG Hamster, Gerbil, Mouse Munch, these could easily be added to the diet just to add variety and to spark a new interest for your hamster if he`s gotten bored with a particular mix. I used to change my Syrian`s food over to other mixes when he seemed tired of one mix.

Dry porridge oats and fresh sweetcorn on the cob always go down well with Syrians. x

Edited to add: I can recommend Burgess Supa Hamster Harvest (for Syrians not the dwarf version) as being a good mix.

[Tutu]

My Syrian had not so great start with her life due to wet tail she is 10 months old and weights 146-150 gm depending on when you weight her. So she is smallish and I feed her Harry hamster, jr farm hamster harvest and burgess dwarf mix all added in equal measure. She also gets some sort of veg or herb or fruit every day and once a week baby food and small amount of cooked chicken. She only drinks vitamin drops added in her water(recommended by vet) So far she is doing well with her food and we don't have any health issues apart from it is almost impossible to fatten her up!

[Munchalot]

There are some commercial mixes which include ingredients meant to be beneficial to the immune system and the health of good bacteria in the gut and what not. It's always a good idea to feed nutritious, fresh foods. Many berries and small fruits are bursting with vitamins and antioxidants, such as black current and cranberry. One thing my syrian loves is dried goji berries, which are supposed to be rich in vitamins such as a wealth of Vitamin A and C, antioxidants, essential amino acids, loads of trace minerals and are very fibrous. It's a little super fruit, and my Fin loves them! A couple of these once or twice per week in one of his favourite treats,

Some people may recommend a nutritional supplement, but providing that you use a high quality complete mix this shouldn't be necessary. Sometimes when buying a new hamster I give them a small course of vitamin/mineral supplement added to their water to give them a bit of a boost, but I don't keep them on it.

One thing I always feed is a high quality puppy kibble. The one I use is called Nature's Way which is a brand owned by the shop when I work, and I get little hamster sized samples for free which lasts me ages. It's rich in protein, which is great for young or frail animals, and has loads of added vitamins and trace elements, herbs and oils for a healthy immune system, gastrointestinal health, coat/skin and overall health.
Of course, puppy kibble is so nutritionally dense that it may throw off the overall intake of the hamsters diet, so I restrict them to one piece of kibble per week in their bowl. They are also great for wearing down teeth.
I have actually never had to take a hamster to a vet, and all of mine have lived long and healthy lives. Of my litter of pups, all survived and grew to be very active, chunky and robust hams.
I couldn't speak highly enough of a good puppy food, as well as other foods such as porridge, bread soaked in milk, scrambled egg and fresh fruit and veg.

[caro317]

Thanks guys this is really helpful! I will definitely try and vary the diet more with more fresh foods but using the basic Harry or similar as a base. I really want to make sure he has the best chance of being healthy and happy

[Pouches]

Mealworms and tuna fish are good sources of protein also. If you tend to be a healthy eater, most of the stuff you eat can also be fed to him. I try to cook with 80% or higher ground beef whenever I can, usually once a month I will make sure I drain what little fat there is and give a few small bits to mine. My hammies absolutely LOVE tuna, and where 5 out of the 7 I have will eat chicken, they all will eat tuna. I don't give them much, just a little sliver because I want them to eat it right away so it doesn't start to stink.
Mealworms on the other hand are great too!
There is also a bene-bac powder that helps with the flora and fauna in their guts and you can sprinkle a little bit on just about anything.
Oh and I can't forget yogurt and cottage cheese (curds would be better because their less messy) but it's hard to find them a lot of the time here.

[kyrilliondaemon]

If its any help, we have a hamster who is more prone to respiratory infections than most and we have her on a complete hamster mix (actually a mix of complete mixes) and just give her added vitamins every other day. We read that extra vitamins can sometimes help rats who are prone to respiratory issues so figured we'd treat her like a rat in that respect, our vets know and agree that it can't do any harm but might just do some good