i dont have anything hard for my dwarfs to chew on..

[Gotnodice]

well i havent used milkbones in a while.. what are some home things that hamsters can chew on?

[Zouave]

Hartz Mountain sells a Hamster and Gerbil Food (or is it called "Diet"?) that consists totally of small round green thingees. I think they have too much protein for a major part of their diet, but now and then is OK, and they are hard. I see the dwarfs pouch them.

My Syrians gnaw on filberts and Nylabones, too. The former may be way too big for a dwarf.

I assume you bought Puppy-sized MB's and broke each into three pieces - dwarf size.

[Gotnodice]

cool, oh i use LIVING WORLD CLASSICS hamster food, is that good for my dwarfs?

[Zouave]

I mix Living World with several other mixes including Kaytee Fiesta, Sun Seed Vita, LM Bounty Buffet, Ecotrition. These are all mixes designed for Syrian hamsters - not dwarfs and not gerbils. So it is not ideal for non-Syrians. Why?

Gerbs need a bit more protein, and it seems they and dwarfs are really loathe to eat kernel corn or any really large piece (I break many into smaller pieces). Sometimes I just add in a little LM mouse food, and SunSeed Vita gerbil mix. Plus stuff I add, such as regular kashi, along with the usual treats, not to mention occasional veggies, tofu, scrambled eggs, cheese bits, etc. Not too much.

I really wish there was a "Dwarf Hamster Mix" designed specifically for them.

Does anyone's dwarfs (or gerbs) eat kernel corn? Mine don't.


I wish there was a mix dersigned sole

[Gotnodice]

mine dont i heard its not good for them

[cheekoandkeiko]

Mine eat kernel corn. Actually they seem to eat everything. All the grains go first...they pouch that, then all the other stuff, the chunks and stuff. And they love their veggies. and treats. I don't think they're very picky eaters at all... :P

[Philosopher]

My Chinese hamsters will eat corn kernels that come in their mix. they will sometimes eat the germ out of the middle and leave the rest until later. When all the best parts of the mix are eaten, then they come back for the outside of the corn kernels and the bigger pieces. (The best parts being sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and millet.) :)

[Fluff N Roll]

are pimpkin seed good for them? and what is the best kind of food for a hamster?

[riegfinnid]

if you want home things for hamster to chew on, use uncooked pasta.

[Fluff N Roll]

riegfinnid- i hear you give out some hafl way decent advice, so can you answer my question up above?

[riegfinnid]

Yes pumpkin seeds are ok. My girl doesnt really like them but she LOVES sunflower seeds.

As for best kind of food? hmmm HOme made grain mixes are the best kind, because you know EXACTLY whats in it...and fruits and veggies to go along with it.

I use a low protein home made rat mix for all my rodents. Since its low protein, i dont have to worry about my hammy or mice getting fat...And for the rats, to make sure they get all the protein they need, i also give them lab blocks and dog food.

[Fluff N Roll]

well if you're making it home made you usually use some kind of regular hamser&gerbal food am i right. so what kind is best? have you heard of prettybird Natural Gold, that's what she was on, but then i was going to add some seed in becasue pretty bird is only pellots, and it seems i put a crappy kind in. It had onions and stuff that they say is bad for hamsters. i mixed it in with her pretty bird food.

I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO UNLESS I GO AND BUY MORE FOOD. I ALREADY HAVE SO MUCH FOOD FOR HER.

[riegfinnid]

No...home made mix means you MAKE it YOURSELF at HOME, you dont buy any regular rodent food.
you can go to a whole foods store and buy all kinds of grain stuff and puffy rice, sunflower seeds and so on....and just mix it proportionally

do a google search on rat mixes...or even try hamster home made mix search.

[Fluff N Roll]

oh ok i was kind of confused there, thanks. umm one other thing.. how will i know if it's a good recipe or not?

[riegfinnid]

go to rats forums and make a post, i dont remember the name of the mix. i know people on rats forums have links to good mixes

[Fluff N Roll]

not to be rude but will they put pictures on, because i personaly dont like to look at rats. Now i'm not trying to be rude, i got jumped on last time i said this. i just need to know.

[riegfinnid]

why would they post pictures of rats on a post about diet??
lol

if you dont like rats, thats fine..to each its own. but you are sooooooo missing out. Rats are great. So much more fun than hamsters.

[Zouave]

. . . I use a low protein home made rat mix for all my rodents. Since its low protein, i dont have to worry about my hammy or mice getting fat...

Since when does PROTEIN make animals or people fat?? Refined carbos are the big problem there, and saturated fats.

[riegfinnid]

too much nuts can make them fat.

[Fluff N Roll]

yeh the sunflower seed and stuff like that... and i ment the sites that they direct me to..

[FemaleCheetah]

I feed premium 8 and 1 but only as treat occasionally, bonanza, natural gold, and hartz hamster and gerbil diet. I also feed veggies, dog discuits, yoggie treats, timothy hay, uncooked spaghetti noddles, cheese, eggs, and sometimes I give them pieces of bananas.