Are big chunks in dwarf hamster food safe or should I change it?

This could be an impacted cheek, an abscess or a tumor. Your vet may want to sedate Neville in order to properly look into the cheek without causing him too much stress. If Neville has an impaction, the vet will remove the food and check the pocket and teeth for injury or reasons for the impaction. If he finds an abscess, which could easily occur when some spiky food causes an injury, he will likely drain and flush it. As for a tumor, he may suggest to remove it or not. That will depend on the type of tumor and the size and also on the age of your hamster.

I would recommend a commercial diet as well to ensure he is getting all the nutrients he needs. He also needs hard substances to chew on to help file his teeth down. Hamsters have constantly growing teeth and without proper diets and care, they can have malocclusions and teeth problems in the future. I hope this helps!

You are right in thinking this is unusual for a mouse. It is possible for food to get caught in the space between the chewing teeth and the cheek. Sometimes this happens if the there is dental disease, particularly a malocclusion of the teeth. It is possible for the food pellet to be too dry and that is why it could be lodged/stuck there. Lastly, there could be tissue swelling, such as a dental abscess that is at this location and it is not food at all. If your mouse will let you safely look in the mouth using a q-tip or a popsicle stick, I would start there. You may need a flashlight to help you be able to see as well. If this causes Nutmeg to stop eating, traumatize the skin around the mouth and become lethargic, then I recommend having her examined by your veterinarian.

I would recommend feeding rodent blocks designed for hamsters. They are available at your local pet store. Most diets are full of seeds and dyes. These are generally picked through and can make your hamster gain weights. I prefer the block form of food.

Thanks for reaching out about Oreo. Are you sure they are both males? Some animals grow at different rates. Is the smaller one skinny? Diseases such as bacterial/parasitic enteritis, metabolic disorders, dental disease, can all prevent weight gain. Weight can be controlled by offering a balanced diet which is pellets, versus seed which is high in fat. If the problem persists, a veterinary visit should be scheduled. Good luck.

Hello, This is a great question. This food should be fine for your hamster since they have similar teeth to rats and mice. However, seeds are very high in fat and have little vitamin content. Therefore, they’re considered “junk food” and really should be a minority of the diet. A rodent block type food (the ones that are very boring looking, tan, and all look the same) would be idea as he majorly of the diet. These rodent blocks come in different sizes for rats vs hamsters but they’re likely the same formulation.

Have your caretaker offer fresh vegetables. If Toffee is eating just corn kernels and sunflower seeds from her mix, switch to a mix with less of both and consider a lab block type hamster chow. If she will allow, check her teeth for uneven growth or misalignment. She probably has a food hoard in her cage, so going without food is likely not a concern.