Hybrid diets

[elusive]

I think in general it’s just best to stay with tried & tested nutrition basics rather than being swayed but what someone might post if you’re not sure how well informed they are.
It can be a complex subject if you want to go into it in detail but the basics are quite simple, straightforward & well known now & it’s fairly easy to stick to those basic guidelines.
As for old age, personally I do think diet can make a difference but that again can be quite complex & I don’t think anything can really be based on our experience with one or two hams, it’s not the sort of thing yo can generalise about that much & will be very individual in each case, the most important thing is good basic nutrition throughout life.

 

[Veer]

What about nuggets as a main food? Is that ok for dwarf hamsters, concerning diabetes or old age? (And for young ones to prefent diabeyes? )
My new russian dwarf hamster prefers science selective over Bunny dwarfhamster expert or Little One mix..

Also, do the ingredients in the nuggets matter much for diabetes? Because it is al processed and fortified?

 

[Daisy]

Sometimes I'm unsure about nuggets for diabetic-prone species because the processing might change the way it affects a hamster's blood sugar as compared to whole grains.

On the other hand, because processed grains are more easily digested they can be good for elderly or sick hamsters who need extra calories or an easy-to-digest diet. So it's a balancing act really but I would err on the side of providing pellets for a hamster who benefits from them, because diabetes seems to be in large part genetic anyway (very unlikely to be triggered by diet alone) even within the diabetic-prone species.

Look for nuggets that are grain-based (e.g Science Selective), not hay-based (e.g Oxbow), as hamsters don't tend to eat hay in significant amounts.

 

[Maz]

I would keep putting out both the muesli and the science selective The science selective will give all the nutrients required and he may be taking some of the muesli mix as well - it might seem like he's not eating it but he may be hoarding some and snacking on it.

I have heard of some hamsters who would only eat science selective.