Baldrick weight loss

[Vierville]

In March, my 6 month old male Russian dwarf hybrid Baldrick weighed 77 grams. As winter began here (southern hemisphere), he began visibly losing weight and his gray coat began lightening and changing to white in places.

He has a very healthy apetite and is extremely active. He's the only hamster I've had who is awake much of the day as well as all night and as he's lost weight I've noticed him getting more and more active.

I was concerned at the weight loss and took him to the vets for a checkup last week At that stage he weighed 42 grams.

The vet examined him thoroughly including his teeth, pouches, checked for lumps and tested him for diabetes which was negative. The vet said he is in very good condition.

Since then, he's lost a further 5 grams and now weighs 37 grams.

I do think this is his physiological response to seasonal changes but I really want to try stop this weight loss.

His dry food mix is always there but I give my hamsters fresh veggies each evening. This is usually a variety of brocolli, cauliflower, cucumber, green beans, baby corn, spinach or lettuce. I usually add a pinch of linseeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds too.

I'm now going to give him this twice daily, as well as offering him some baby food. I bought spple and sweet potato baby food, which I gave him last night and he finished.

Any other suggestions to help reduce his weight loss would be really gratefully appreciated.

P.S. would banana baby food be ok for a dwarf?

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[LunaTheHamster1]

I have been feeding Twinkle (syrian) oats mixed with water, baby food, walnuts, plain popcorn cooked in a veg oil to help him gain weight sinc ehis accident. I'm pressuming those would be ok for a dwarf but maybe someone else can confirm that. Are there pellets in his food, if so mush them up with a bit of water and see if he eats them.

[Ria P]

Porridge and scrambled egg is favoured by my lot. I give Henry the Syrian the odd bit of banana but not the dwarfs because of the sugar content.

I don't really understand why Baldrick is losing weight when he's eating the same. Bit of a mystery.

[Vierville]

Thank you LunaTheHamster1 and Ria P. I did soak a few of his pellets until soft and gave them to him but he wasn't interested. He has however polished off three platters of veggies, half a walnut, some sunflower seeds, some apple and sweet potato baby food and about six worms. His cheeks were thoroughly stuffed!

I will try him on oats tomorrow but the stickiness of cooked oats worries me...

I gave him a piece of popcorn popped in sunflower oil last night but he wasn't interested...

[cypher]

I can understand your worry about the consistency of porridge but it's fine, it's been a staple for all my elderly or unwell hams over the years & they do well on it, most love it too.
Small pieces of nut are good too. Walnuts are a favourite with mine.
I would stick to veggie or savoury baby foods rather than fruit & wouldn't give banana, I don't know which baby foods you have available but cauliflower cheese has always been a favourite with mine.

[Ithuviel]

My Hybrid lost that much weight about 3 weeks before crossing the bridge . Baby food, did help restore him to 42g from 36. He didn't like mealworms for some reason...

[Vierville]

Originally Posted by Ithuviel

My Hybrid lost that much weight about 3 weeks before crossing the bridge . Baby food, did help restore him to 42g from 36. He didn't like mealworms for some reason...

I'm sorry to hear this Ithuviel. Was your hybrid elderly? Baldrick is only six months old...

[Vierville]

Originally Posted by cypher

I can understand your worry about the consistency of porridge but it's fine, it's been a staple for all my elderly or unwell hams over the years & they do well on it, most love it too.
Small pieces of nut are good too. Walnuts are a favourite with mine.
I would stick to veggie or savoury baby foods rather than fruit & wouldn't give banana, I don't know which baby foods you have available but cauliflower cheese has always been a favourite with mine.

Thank you Cypher. I will try oats then for sure. I am not too familiar with the range of baby foods available but I will look out for cauliflower cheese.

My little hams love walnut too! More so than pecan nuts or peanuts though they do eat them all.

Baldrick has been finishing off almost all his food the last three days but has also been going absolutely crazy all night running between his two wheels and his flying saucer then climbing all over his cage so he is probably expending much of that energy.

[Ria P]

Originally Posted by Vierville

Thank you Cypher. I will try oats then for sure. I am not too familiar with the range of baby foods available but I will look out for cauliflower cheese.

My little hams love walnut too! More so than pecan nuts or peanuts though they do eat them all.

Baldrick has been finishing off almost all his food the last three days but has also been going absolutely crazy all night running between his two wheels and his flying saucer then climbing all over his cage so he is probably expending much of that energy.

With diabetes ruled out this would point towards a thyroid problem in humans but don't know if that could apply to hamsters as well.

[Ithuviel]

Originally Posted by Vierville

I'm sorry to hear this Ithuviel. Was your hybrid elderly? Baldrick is only six months old...

I think he was elderly. he was a rescue. I aasumed that he was old because everything else was ok he was just starting to have less and less activity.