Healthy Weights

Jaybee · 04-06-2011, 12:09 AM

I have been trying to determine if my hamsters are too fat or too skinny but I am having a hard time finding information. Anyone care to help me out?

Periwinkle - Sapphire Winter White - About 4 months old
She weighs 52 grams

Hamilton - LH Satin Golden Banded Syrian - About 2 years old
He weighs about 169 grams

**Hope** · 04-06-2011, 05:33 AM

They sound about fine to me.

All hamsters are different, some will be smaller, some will be bigger, just like humans!

By little chubster Boris tips the scales at 80g! And Wofunnys Rum and Raisin ww are even bigger, it just depends. As long as they are eating a good hamster mix and a few little extras getting enough active time they will be fine.

Katty_Sheldon · 04-06-2011, 02:40 PM

My hamster is winter white male, 1y2m old, and he is 60g - but he used to be 54g when he was a little younger. I think he is quite chubby and needs to loose some 5g

Jaybee · 04-06-2011, 02:43 PM

I know hamsters can have different weights like people, but there is generally a vast amount of weight you could be before being considered overweight or underweight determined by height. Is there not a place that says what healthy weights would be for each species? I just want to monitor and make sure my hamsters don't get too fat (or skinny, mainly worried about my WW being a fatty) I plan to show her this year atleast once so I would like for her to not score bad on condition because shes fat.

**Hope** · 04-07-2011, 02:00 AM

I havent come accross any guidlelines as such no, but it might be worth having a look at our hamster club websites they list show standards for this country, I assume that would include weights, but as I dont show myself I have no idea.

Here is a link to the NHC show standards - NHC Exhibition Standards - Dwarf (Any Other Species) - National Hamster Council

I had a quick look and it didnt list any figures for weights, just minus 5 points for excess fat, but dwarfs are natually round and chubby anyway. Also hamsters dont over eat, they will only eat what they need, so unless they are being fed extremley fatty foods and a poor diet I dont see how they would get too fat, unless of course they was some underlying health issues.