why is my hamster so fat?

Question

i do not over feed and she has excersise she has a varied diet but is stuggeling to get around her tubes in er cage

Answer 1

I'm assuming you have a teddy bear hamster and a habitrail.

Your hamster is not fat, just normal. Habitrails, while designed for hamsters, they are better suited to smaller breeds. Teddybear hamsters once full grown have a tendancy to get stuck in habitrail tubes. Might think about a cage change\

The person above me said to give more veggies. This will not decrease weight, merely give it diarreah and possibly diabetes.

Answer 2

Question, how long have you had your hamster? If your got her recently within the last 20 days, then she may be pregnant. If the is the case she will be building a nest. However if this is not the case, then she may have a medical condition that makes them gain too much weight like we as humans can get. How often do you feed her and how much? Don't forget hamsters will store their food, so only feed them every couple of days and never fill up their bowl, about half an inch is good usually. You can adjust amount as needed. We have 21 Syrian and dwarf hamsters presently and they are feed every two days, if they are found hoarding food, then we extent their feeding to every 3 or 4 days until their stash is reduced. For now if she's struggling with her tube, I'd remove them and get one of the balls that you can use on the floor. It will provide some extra exercise for her. Also don't forget that in the wild, she would normally put on some extra weight in the winter time, it's like there's an automatic timer in their body with the seasons. Try adding a little bit of frest fruit and veggies to her diet also. I have a list of foods they can and cannot eat available if you email me for it. It's too long to copy into here. Otherwise I can't think off had of any other things, I'm dealing with cancer in several of our dwarf hamsters and just the opposite - too thin, but we're getting there with our vets help. When doubt though, consult your vet. Make sure they have knowedge of rodents.

Answer 3

you want a hotter room. hamsters do hibernate if its chilly. that could no longer good for a hamster so flow the hamster to a hotter room. you are able to favor to purchase a wheel so it can lose some fat.

Answer 4

i take a guess you have a syrian hamster in something like a rotastack or habitrail cage? syrian hamsters are the largest of the hamster family. Hamsters are like anything else, you have small ones and slightly tubby ones!! I have a syrian in a rotastack mega pod and he's tiny and is 2 years old!! It's nothing to worry about. Syrians can squeeze through gaps of 2cm so you dont have to worry about her getting stuck!! if you really are worried, try and cut nuts out and replace them with sunflower seeds. nuts are very fatenning to hamsters. If in doubt always consult your vet. I hope that helps..

Answer 5

I would agree that salmon Brien with saute potatoes and peas is varied, but this little blighter needs hamster food(dry) plus a little veg!
Mind you I sometimes have trouble getting around me tubes at home, and I'm getting me grans best recipe for tripe and onions!

Answer 6

I hope you understand the definition of fat. First of all, it might be skin, my hamster has that, its not fat. Plus hamsters are naturally chubby, a thin one is unhealthy, continue feeding it a healthy diet and exercise with her often.

Answer 7

it might just be the normal sixe for it, we had one who sadly died last year :( he was nearly 3 too, and he was huge (only when we took it to be put down were we told it was a girl), and we had always called it big dave! big because it really was the biggest hamster i had ever seen, and it was the also about the 7th

Answer 8

You will just have to give her more excercise! On a wheel maybe... or in a ball! My hamster has started putting weight on too! I tend not to give her treats too often and make sure she has plenty of water! x

Answer 9

For general care for animals large and small go to www.allaboutpets.org.uk you will find a good section on hamsters

Answer 10

she might just look fat if she has pouched food or some hamsters just look fat. my hamster looked fat (she was a russian dwarf hamster) and they just look fatt. Sometimes longhaired hamsters just look fatt.
but remember how smallo a hamsters is compared to bigger food amounts