hammy chocolate.

[gav100]

A few days ago i bought some hammy chocolate, and as i suspected gav is as much of a choc addict as i am. But i was wondering whether there are some potential downfalls of this yummy treat? i am only thinking this as i learned that some things that are supposedly 'safe' for hammy's are infact not.

On the packet it said to give no more than 5 a day, but so far i have only given gav 2 or 3 as there quite big drops and five seemed a little too much and i havnt given her them every day either. i thought about the affects on our health that eating too much chocolate every day would have and decided against it. gav on the other hand would gladly eat nothing but choccy drops, and since i have been giving her a few, runs up to my hand as soon as i put it in the cage and climbs onto my hand now, which is something she has never done before.

I just wanted to know before i make it as regular a treat that gavin wishes it was

[HamstersAreHardcore]

is it the rotastak ones if so its fine

[gav100]

yeah they are the rotastak ones, is it ok to give them everyday or do you think i should limit it?

[princess-rhi89]

They are fine for hamsters but not as a regular treat due to sugar content, I would advise not feeding them at all if Gav is a dwarf due to the risk of diabeties. Maisie loves the chocolate drops and milk drops and yoghurt drops lol, I keep them for a special treat once a fortnight, One thing Maisie does like is Apple crisps made for babies by kiddilicous, just as yummy for her but less sugar and fat xx

[HamstersAreHardcore]

well i have the yoghurt drops and i give him about 3 a day sometimes 3 every 2 days

[gav100]

also can hammys get hyper from the sugar? (i dont know if that is a silly question ha) because gav is a lot more energetic and out of her bed since having them. maybe she is just coming out in the hopes i will give her more.

she is a very greedy little ham, i gave her one through the bars the other day and it melted a bit onto the bars, once gav had devoured the drop she came back to lick the rest of the chocolate from the bars. looked very cute doing so though

[gav100]

gav is a syrian so should i not be as worried about diabetes? i will try to limit them to a couple once a week but i love to see her enjoy them so much lol. I will have to try the apple crisps to stave off Gavs sugar cravings

[princess-rhi89]

there are plenty of treats healthier for hammies, Sugar is not good for them, like us humans, Maisie went crazy for the choc drops but doesnt seem to miss them I give her varied treats now, giving gav things like carrot, cucumber, dog biscuits, egg, chicken, she will love these just as much.
I wouldn't recommend too much sugar as not only can it cause the onset of diabeties but also it will not be good for there teeth and they may get a sugar boost from it but will not get slow released energy like they would with carbohydrates xx

[gav100]

i have given gav dog biscuits which she goes crazy for, especially these really tiny little bone shaped ones i give her which look adorable when she carries them. I will give gav some carrot tomorrow and lay off the choccy drops. by egg i presume this is cooked and not raw (sorry if that sounds silly ha)?

is a choccy drop every so often ok or should i just give her alternatives?
xx

[princess-rhi89]

A choccy drop is ok for a treat but not too often and anyway she will enjoy them more if she has them few and far between
The diabetes is less common in syrians but can still happen, so if its avoidable its best to do so
Yes cooked egg (dont want her to get salmonella lol), scrambled or as a mini omlette is nice you could even make her a spinach/carrot omlette lol
She is a very lucky ham to have a mummy/daddy like you to care so much.
If you are intrested there is a list of Hammie suitable food on the wiki to help: heres the links:
safe and unsafe foods: Safe and Unsafe Food and Plants - Hamster Central WIKI
common fresh foods: Common fresh foods for your hamster - Hamster Central WIKI

Hope this helps