Vet switch.. - Page 6

cypher · 10-24-2014, 03:20 AM

I know exactly how you feel Teddy, I'm really the same with my hams, they give me so much joy too & I'm always trying to think of ways to make their little lives as good as I can.
I just wish I had more space so I could give them huges cages, I've just been wandering around the room with a tape measure again with my imagination running riot lol! I can dream but I know they're happy as they are & I'm so sure yours are too.
Look forward to the pics of Candy

Teddy001 · 10-24-2014, 12:28 PM

•.•.. I took the guest room, and dedicated it to the hams room/ problem.. We have family wanting to visit, very soon. Thanksgiving, and Christmas. .. They have never been around hamsters.. Lol. Guess setting up cots in hams room wouldn't work for them. Lol.

Teddy001 · 10-24-2014, 06:09 PM

OHHHHHH!!!!... Is it true???.. Well, I just put the hams food out for the night. As soon as Candy heard the bowl, "clink" on the ceramic tile, which I put the food dishes on, she shot out from her nest.. LOL.
I just weighed her, and she has dropped, a good amount of weight in a short amount of time.... She's down 5gms. Now, my challenge is to keep her at 5 gms, for at least a few more weeks.. Ideally, vet, said max of 5gms per month weight loss. It's only been a few weeks.

So, the 2tx per day, workout, plus, the low fat, high protein, high fiber diet certainly seems to be working.

Any suggestions on how to maintain her weight, for a few weeks? Maybe cut out 1 of the workouts per night? I don't want to increase her calorie intake, or she may gain the weight back.

Suggestions are welcomed.

ETA: It was recommend that Candy lose, 20-30gms total!! (that is quite some weight) for a dwarf, but that would be a more healthy weight for her, so she has some time to go, but I'm hopeful she will get there, at the rate she is going. YAY!

cypher · 10-25-2014, 12:00 AM

That's great Teddy, sounds like she's really doing well now.

A few weeks is almost a month so I wouldn't worry about slowing her weight loss down too much, it may even slow down naturally & I wouldn't cut out any of her exercise, if she's getting too much I'm sure she'll let you know & toddle off back to bed!

Now she's getting healthier she may well naturally balance her appetite with her exercise & just control her own needs without you needing to worry too much.
Unless she loses more weight much too quickly I'd just go on as you are if I were you.

If only I had a spare room like that *sigh* I'd love to have a ham room but they just have to squidge in with me lol!
Flynt lost another gram this week so something must be right

Teddy001 · 10-25-2014, 12:20 AM

I know!! I know, we got it right!! Candy just ran for a few minutes, and for the first time, she didn't fall asleep. Lol! I'm just AMAZED!! She was sitting in the bowl with Timothy hay, earlier. I know what to do, if God forbid, my hams need to drop weight..! I'm SO proud of Both Candy and Flint!! Way to go ickle FLUFFS!! Losing weight is not an easy thing to do.

Teddy001 · 10-29-2014, 04:46 AM

Just an update: Candy has lost 6gm, in a little over 3 weeks.. I can start to see a difference, in her appearance and energy level..

cypher · 10-29-2014, 05:09 AM

That's brilliant! Well done both of you

Teddy001 · 10-29-2014, 05:20 AM

. Cypher.. 24 gms to go! That just seems like a lot. lol. I bought parsley and Kale, which she doesn't really care for. She gets tofu, for add' l protein, each day, and she loves sprouted fenugreek..also, I've tested her with Diastix and both times, the results showed normal.. YAY!!
How's Flint doing?

cypher · 10-29-2014, 05:46 AM

24g does seem like a lot but she's lost a quarter of that already so it's not so much

As she loses more she'll probably have more energy & enjoy her exercise sessions even more so I'm sure her general health is going to keep improving.
Great news that her diastix tests are clear now too.

Mine aren't at all keen on parsley either but they all love their kale, fussy hams we never know what they're going to like! I think one of mine has been burying the fenugreek, there's a distinct curry whiff in here lol!

Flynt's the same this week, no more weight loss for him yet. I'm a little stuck with him tbh, finding a way to get him to exercise more without stressing the poor boy out is taxing my imagination at the moment! I won't give up though.

Teddy001 · 10-30-2014, 12:33 AM

Cypher, I agree.. She needs to lose the weight- long term, her health will benefit from it.
It's difficult some nights to get Candy to exercise, as well. For those nights, she runs 1 time, per day- as I don't want stress on her. The diet is also helping, although, she really doesn't seem to like eating her hamster food- although, I know she will eat if she's hungry enough. I've replaced treats with fresh veggies- that's seems to have helped as well. I'm thinking the weight loss will level out t at some point. I'm rooting for you and Flint, and I do understand it's not easy to help them with losing weight. We take 1 day at a time

. Xx