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Old 10-01-2022, 01:50 PM   #1
RalphsNan
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Default Ralph is two years old!

Ralph my daughter's gorgeous grey Syrian hamster is two years old - well we say that but we got him from Pets at home on Halloween two years ago so we guesstimated his birthday around 1st October so we stuck it at that. He has had a nibble of pasta and some cooked minced chicken and a tiny bit of grated cheese as a treat (had to grab the leftovers before he tried to hide them as rotten meat not an option!)

He is doing well, losing his hair a bit, his nails have grown long and I dont know how to control that, his teeth are fine, his skin gets a bit dry and scaly but hes not itchy or anything so we use some tea tree oil cream specifically for hamster _ but if there's anything else anyone can recommend that would be great!

His eyes get a bit crusty and dont always open but he can cope easily (we took out the platform in his cage ages ago as he couldn't get up the ladder very well and kept falling off the platform) around his cage - he eats very well and drinks and pees etc he doesn't seem in any pain when we 'cream him up' or do health checks on him every week to make sure hes doing alright. Hes a little slower and takes his time to climb on his log bridge but hes still got that spark, that personality - its his way or the highway !!!
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Old 10-01-2022, 02:06 PM   #2
AmityvilleHams
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Default Re: Ralph is two years old!

I would definitely not be using any sort of tea tree product. That's not safe for hamsters even though it has been sold for them(actually toxic & irritates their sensitive respiratory system), and it can make things significantly worse. If you don't already give whole flax seeds daily I would start doing that since those are great for skin & coat. Hopefully other members might be able to help with ideas for more extras that are good for skin & coat health too.
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Old 10-01-2022, 03:09 PM   #3
Stanza
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Default Re: Ralph is two years old!

Happy 2nd Birthday Ralph, your birthday tea sounds lovely

Great to hear he’s doing well in his more elderly years. I don’t know of any extra skin tips, but I also give a few flax seeds daily as heard via this forum they are good for hamsters skin/coats.
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Old 10-01-2022, 06:14 PM   #4
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Ralph is two years old!

Flax/linseeds definitely help their skin and coat in old age - you'd probably notice the difference within 2 or 3 weeks. They're quite cheap for a big bag (brown linseeds). I just put a pinch on a separate dish every day - they lick them up.

The nails - that's tricky - the first time it might be an idea to take him to the vet and ask them to clip them and show you how. Otherwise - it can take a lot of patience. There are various methods but I've found the best one is the one that causes them least stress (and not trying to hold them) which is just snip the odd nail while they're engrossed in eating some tasty food while out of the cage - you can usually manage to do one or two each time if they're sat next to you and you use a tiny pair of nail scissors. So it can take a long time - but you could do the worst one or two first maybe.

You need very good eyesight! Or wear magnifying ready reading glasses. You only take the very tip off - a tiny amount - if you cut too much off it cuts the quick and can bleed a lot (and also be extremely painful for them). Hence getting a vet to show you first might help. They usually use clippers while the hamster is held.

It kind of needs doing sooner or later or they can scratch themselves with the long nails and cause sores or catch their eye. Sometimes the longer nails are quite soft and not like to cause scratch issues - but it also means they can't climb properly as can't get a grip. Sometimes the odd nail just falls out.

Crusty eyes - fairly normal with older hamsters - often just one eye at a time. If it doesn't free itself up by next day you can bath it with a slightly damp cotton bud (not wet or the hamster will get wet) - just enough to free it up.

Agree I wouldn't use tea tree cream. The other thing is they can lick it off. I believe aloe vera gel is ok but personally I'd just use the linseeds and see how it goes.
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Old 10-02-2022, 02:20 AM   #5
cloudy
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Default Re: Ralph is two years old!

Happy birthday Ralph! I hope you enjoyed your spag bol.
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