Could my russain dwarf be a hybrid? or is he just fat 😕

[HammieMumma]

Hi,

This is my first post on here but I have actively used this website daily since I got my hamsters.

Basically I'm not sure if my russian dwarf could be a hybrid as he weighs a lot more than the typical dwarf hamster. He doesn't look too fat tbh but he is rather lazy and refuses to excercise!!! I have tried putting him on a diet but he just got heavier! I'm worried about him and feel like a bad hammie mummy as I don't want him to have any health issues because I can't refuse him a treat. I will attach a photo below of him to see what you all think?

Thank you.

Hammiemumma to Tommy the Russian dwarf and Quinn the syrian

[cypher]

Hi & welcome to HC
I always say if you don't know then a Russian ham is a hybrid, if yours came from a pet shop then he will be a hybrid, the only chance of getting either a pure Winter white or Campbells is if you get one from a breeder who can provide a pedigree or history showing pure parentage.
He does look like quite a chunky guy bless him!
How much does he weigh? Their weight varies a lot so there isn't a correct weight for him to be but weighing regularly to be sure they don't gain or lose too much is always a good idea.
How old is he?
Some males can be a bit lazy, make sure he has a suitable wheel (it should be about 8"/20cm with a solid running area not mesh or anything with holes in) that spins easily, also try to make the cage interesting & scatter feed or hide the food around the cage rather than using a bowl to encourage natural activity & behaviour.
Try giving him a play pen if you don't already with lots of nice things to explore.
What food & or treats do you give him?

[HammieMumma]

Hi cypher and thank you for replying to me 😊

He is about 4 months old and he did come from a pet store. He is definatley chunky haha he weighs around 90g 😕 I've looked online at the typically weights and it varies so much so I have no idea.

He eats burgess dwarf hamster food and he loves mealworm and broccoli on occasion. Treat wise we give him a milky bone for his teeth and pumpkin seeds (I've stopped giving him too many seeds as I've learnt they are fattening) he has a bit of boiled egg when I have it too.

He has a flying saucer which he uses sometimes and he come out in his ball every night and in a pen when our other hammie is in her ball but he just finds a corner and sleeps 😕

Thanks for your help I just worry that he will get diabetes or something as I know that's common..I was just hoping he could be a hybrid and is naturally a big boy 😊 also I heard hammies grow until they are 6 months? So he could get even bigger !!!!

[AmityvilleHams]

Maybe stop the milk bones and switch to Whimzees(there is a UK version as well that I'm aware of but stay away from Greenies,not only is their composition terrible in comparison but they've also caused illness in at least dogs including vomiting).

The food itself should be fine though,aside from the milk bones.Change the wheel to an upright wheel,flying saucers are not as natural as they claim to be An upright wheel preferably an enclosed one is best,like the Wodent Wheel or Silent Runner.

Stop using the ball as well,they don't really benefit hamsters in any way and are even considered animal cruelty in some places.Something like a very enriching playpen or bathtub would be so much better and far more natural,plus the hamster would actually have freedom to go where it pleases as well as actually be able to smell things properly and use its whiskers as well.

[cypher]

He is quite a big guy! I had a fairly lazy male who got to about 80g at one point & he was similar although he had a saucer & wheel in his cage & would enjoy a run in those at night he wasn't generally that active & would rather have a cuddle than play I think some of the boys are just like that naturally.
His diet sounds ok, milky bones are fine for young hams if not given too often, I give mine a small piece of Biscrok once every few weeks but I do agree that giving him a whimzee would be a good idea, something nice to chew on that isn't really going to add much weight. Dandelion roots, just a small piece once in a while make good chews too although not all hams like them.
A pumpkin seed (preferably in the shell) or maybe a few extra hemp seeds or flax seeds although high in fat are still ok as an occasional treat & are really healthy, try giving a good variety of veg (only one at a time!) for more interest & nutrients, the egg is fine too.
Scatter feeding is one of the best things you can do, hide it around the cage or literally scatter some around so he has to hunt it out & work for that food! You could keep some back to hide in the play pen too to encourage him to have a forage while out of the cage.
I don't like balls for dwarf hams, many really don't like them & it can be dangerous as they are easily hurt.
A wheel in the play pen is far better, if he only has a saucer at the moment you may find he does better with a wheel in the cage too.

They do grow until about 6 months so it is important not to restrict food although he will have done most of his growing by now, diabetes is a worry but you are feeding a good diet so I don't think you need be unduly concerned about that.

[HammieMumma]

Hey guys thanks for replying it's been very helpful!!

I did start him with a normal upright wheel but he never used it so switched to the flying saucer and he got on with that better.

I didn't know that about milky bones so will definatley look for an alternative! Thanks.

I think the idea with scattering his food might work well as he does like his food haha.

So are mealworms ok? He really likes them but I'm not sure if that would add to his weight gain?

I might stop him with the ball then and try to make the pen more interesting so he doesn't just sleep!

Thanks again guys!! Hopefully he will get back to a healthy weight and I'll stop worrying, my syrian is the complete opposite she is very active and hoard her food whereas my dwarf doesn't he just eats it as never found a hoard when cleaning him out.

Thanks again for your help and advice x

[AmityvilleHams]

Mealworms are great in moderation,but they're high in fat so you have to be mindful of how many are fed!However,freshwater shrimp are a lot lower in fat so they can work well too Burgess(as far as I'm aware)has mealworms in it though,so those mealworms should be enough and you could handfeed them or hide them in the playpen to encourage foraging for them.

What sort of wheel did you try?Some hamsters can't use things like Silent Spinners because they're stiff and hard to spin,others could also get nervous with an open front wheel as well.Try something like a Wodent Wheel or Silent Runner,they're closed front wheel.The Silent Runners are very light and easy for hamsters to use,but they're also very durable so they're a great choice and definitely worth trying.

Since he likes food,scatter some treats in the playpen.However,you do need to be sure these are healthy treats like fresh vegetables,nuts,seeds,grains,etc especially with his weight problems.

[HammieMumma]

It came with the cage and looked a bit cheap tbh he would stand in it but not run so maybe it was too heavy to push. I will definatley look into another wheel for him ☺

Oh I better cut down on the mealworms then I didn't know they were fatty my other hamster picks out all he food bar her mealworms so I've just been giving her leftovers to him 😮 now I know haha.

I have some great ideas to try out now. Thank you so much ☺