Weight Loss

[Ameris]

I had a little question! I’ve had Cupid for almost 8 months now (since he was a baby). We aren’t sure exactly what species he is, our best guess is hybrid dwarf.

His whole life he’s been very… round. Much chonkier than my other hamsters. I noticed recently he’s been looking significantly skinnier so I took him downstairs and weighed him, it came out to 38.5 grams. Unfortunately I hadn’t weighed him before so I have nothing to compare him to. Here are the before and after photos.

One month ago:



Now (today):
You can feel the difference when you hold him, too. You can feel his bones more and he’s lighter.

Usually I would just adjust his diet, but nothing has changed so I’m not sure what to do. He’s still eating as much as he used to, other than weight loss his behavior hasn’t changed much. My other hamsters did all get skinnier as they grew old, but Cupid is barely 8 months old and I’m worried.

Any ideas?

 

[Daisy]

Have there been any changes to his enclosure recently? Sometimes a hamster can slim down a bit once they have more space or a more comfortable wheel.

That said, he looked a very normal weight before whereas now he looks a little too skinny which I think makes that possibility less likely. I think a vet visit is probably advised to investigate the possibility of any illness. I would also weigh him once or twice a week from now on to monitor for any continued weight loss.

Winter White hamsters (or hybrids with Winter White genes) have occasionally been known to lose a lot of weight as the weather becomes colder (they do this in the wild to reduce energy requirements and it may happen in captivity too). It's probably not that likely here as Cupid looks to be a hybrid with not much visible Winter White in him, and it's also quite early in year for it to happen. But it's a slight possibility.

 

[Ameris]

Much appreciated, thank you!

He has been running on his wheel a little bit more, but not to an extent where it’s unusual. I might set up a camera to keep an eye on him while im at work, and I’ll start weighing him more often.

Luckily his weight in numbers seems to be fine. Hopefully I’m just being paranoid. I want him to be happy and healthy! :’)

 

[elusive]

If there have’t been any changes like a change in diet or changes in his enclosure then I would keep a close check on his weight for a while & see how he goes, if you can feel the difference in him it does sound as though he may have lost quite a bit of weight.
I’ve found with hybrids if anything they tend to gain a bit in winter but usually once grown their weight is fairly stable.
If he loses any more or shows any behavioural changes then I would take him to the vet for a check.
It’s difficult to know how much they eat as they hoard the food so he could be stashing more.
Have you checked his teeth are ok?

 

[Maz]

Daisy and Beryl are more experienced with hybrid dwarf hamsters than I am (I have mainly had Syrians and Robos) so I can only speak generally. Syrians, as they grow out of babyhood, can become leaner - especially if they do a lot of wheel running. Robos tend to stay the same until older age.

Any significant weight loss can be a cause for concern, if it continues. However he is a healthy weight and I agree that weekly weighing (or twice weekly weighing) will give a good indication as to whether or not his weight is stable or he's continuing to lose a bit each time. It would help to do it around the same time each time you do it - and ideally when he hasn't just pouched food!

If he is active and doing normal behaviours and eating and drinking, I wouldn't worry too much, but keep an eye on things. He may also be a bit older than you think maybe? They are babies from around 8 weeks old but is it possible he could have been 3 months old when you got him? In which case he could be nearly a year old (or 11 months old).

I've found when Syrians become leaner and feel a bit bony they are usually about 18 months old though. And then I supplement with some high calorie foods with healthy fats, to help them keep a bit of weight on. Eg hemp seeds, the occasional pecan nut or walnut (once or twice a week).

Which hamster mix is he on? The other thing to check if they lose weight, is their teeth. If he has tooth problems then he may not be eating properly. Maybe next time he is out, for weighing, you could check his teeth? This isn't always easy, without stressing them too much, and you could just wait until he yawns! If he has lost a bottom tooth for example, or if they have got too long, then he might not be able to manage the hard food properly. It's usually the first thing I check when there is some weight loss.

You might feel happier having a vet check anyway to look over these things, but personally I'd give it a few days, weigh him again and check his teeth if you can.

 

[Ameris]

He’s very wiggly, do you have any suggestions for how I might best check his teeth? Unfortunately I’ve also never seen him yawn.

Right now he’s on a food mix I put together myself. There’s an assortment of different seeds/grains, mealworms, crickets, pellets, pea flakes, and a few other things. I also feed him cucumbers sometimes and other vegetables.

 

[Maz]

I'm sure it's a very nice food mix, but it's possible the proportions aren't quite nutritionally right for him. Maybe it would be good to put him on a commercial mix for a while and see if he gains some weight. The nutritional balance needs to be quite finely balanced. You could still offer mealworms and crickets as treats. Does he actually eat the crickets? The main thing as well is the right level of protein as they need quite high levels in the first year of life. Alternatively you could get some Science Selective Hamster food and add a few of those pellets to his current mix daily - they contain everything needed.

Yes it can be quite hard to see their teeth if they don't yawn! But presumably you've seen him eating and managing hard food ok. One way to test is give him a monkey nut in its shell and see if he can tackle that ok.

 

[elusive]

I found with my hybrids I could usually get quite a good look at their teeth by holding a treat above their noses so they had to reach up & yo could just see into their open mouth, if you can’t handle him enough to check that might give you an idea.
Does he have whimzees or other chews? If he’s chewing on something like that he should be ok.
If you really can’t get a good look & he continues to lose weight then it would be best to get a vet check.

Do you know the nutrient levels, protein & fat in your mix? It’s possible he might be missing some macro or micronutrients.

You can give a wide variety of veg, I give a small amount of veg daily & try to give as many different things as I can.

 

[elusive]

Another thing to do regarding the teeth is check the hoard & other places where things might get hidden.
When one of my Chinese was having trouble with his teeth last year his food was disappearing as usual but the he was hiding his favourite treats away & not eating them, a definite sign something was up.

 

[Ameris]

I'm sure it's a very nice food mix, but it's possible the proportions aren't quite nutritionally right for him. Maybe it would be good to put him on a commercial mix for a while and see if he gains some weight. The nutritional balance needs to be quite finely balanced. You could still offer mealworms and crickets as treats. Does he actually eat the crickets? The main thing as well is the right level of protein as they need quite high levels in the first year of life. Alternatively you could get some Science Selective Hamster food and add a few of those pellets to his current mix daily - they contain everything needed.

Yes it can be quite hard to see their teeth if they don't yawn! But presumably you've seen him eating and managing hard food ok. One way to test is give him a monkey nut in its shell and see if he can tackle that ok.

He loves the crickets, yup! I know he definitely gets a lot of protein and his teeth are probably fine because he eats a lot of his pellets. I’ll be sure to double check when I get home. Might order some nuts, too…