Cheek Impaction?

[Halogengirlie]

I have a new Dwarf Hamster, and I've noticed that her right cheek has had food in it since I brought her home (1.5 days).

I have heard of hamsters getting impaction of the cheek pouches... How long would you wait before deciding that the pouch was impacted vs. just that the little one likes to carry around little seeds in her mouth?

My best guess would be to check her cheek every day for a week??

She seems really active & healthy other than that... and I might be seeing problems where none exist..

What do people here know about Hamster Cheek Impactions?

[Krazie4pets]

actually that might not be food impaction especially if you keep and notice the food in her dish becoming emptier and emptier each day or so.

since hamster are noctornal it is possible to unload and refill her cheek pouches every night or in the wee hours of the mourning.

just look out for signs of larthargy...a contantly full food dish... showing signs of discomfort such as squeeling.

If you just bought her then she is probably keeping her cheeks full as a precaution or until she get use to her surroundings. That may easily take up to 3 or 4 days especially will younger hamsters since they are easily scared.

just remember to look for signs of discomfort and everything should be okay.

Thanks again,
Anatasia Netieb

[Halogengirlie]

You could be right. She is eating, and devoured some millet I hand fed her the other day. When I rubbed her cheek she didn't act like it was uncomfortable for her.

I must say her attitude is amazing. I decided that this time I was going to let the hamster choose me, instead of me choosing the hamster based on appearance.

I put my hand in the pet store cage and one hamster tried to attack me, the other one ran away, and the one I bought ran right up onto my hand! She has taken some little nibbles at me, but never bit hard.

They had three cages. The other cages had males and all of them were aggressive. So it was an easy decision. Even now if I put my hand in her cage she runs right up. What a sweetie! No training required.. lol!

[Padfoot]

Aww... your hamster sounds so cute! I really don't know about cheek impaction, but I had a hamster that I would fill her bowl, she would go and fill her cheek and then run in the wheel for hours before going to unload her cheeks in her nest. Usually she had her cheeks so full that she would fall off the wheel.. hahaha

[Halogengirlie]

Well I let her "fill up" on millet (a favorite treat) and then put her back in the cage... I took her out a few mins later... her face was soo thin! *lol* I've never seen her without food in her cheeks!

She dumped it out in her Hamster secret storage bin (aka her nest). *lol* So no worries.. she has no impaction. You were right in that she was probably feeling a little vunerable.

I have her in a Habitrail Mini cage.. the kind designed for mice, and she will follow a spray of millet from anywhere in the cage up the wire sides and onto my hand! Its a great bargaining tool!

[Krazie4pets]

Laughing out loud, Padfoot :D My hamster do the Same thing. It actually reminds me of them trying to imitate their lives in the wild. Like in the wild they would walk or run miles in search of food and once they have it they would go home. So running to their food bowl and running a mile or so on their wheel then nloading their food in their homes in kinda the same right? Laughing out loud.

Halogengirlie: It's okay and I'm glad that you had the opportunity to learn something new from your hammie. I'm also glad she was such a sweet heart in the Petstore. That reminds me of my dwarves. I bought one that was a total sweetheart in the store and still is and I bought a male who was being dragged into fights at the tender age of 3 weeks and now is a true sweet heart once he's out of his cage.

Thanks again,
Anatasia