What should a hamsters teeth look like

Occasionally, your hamster may break a tooth. When this happens, the opposing tooth will tend to overgrow, since it has nothing to press against. The veterinarian can treat the overgrown tooth by clipping it down to keep it from causing damage. If you have an older hamster, breaking teeth can become a more serious problem.

If your hamster struggles to eat, feed him soft foods, such as bread, eggs, wet cereal or softened hamster mix. When it comes to which would make the best pet for you, you need to take those into account. So, guinea pigs do well in groups or at least pairs. They can have varying personalities, the piggies themselves. Some are more outgoing, curious, and might come to check you out.

It varies from piggy to piggy. The one we have, Ka is a bit more outgoing, and is okay with being held, while Jessi hides most of the time. This is another reason to never keep a lone piggy. He has his own things, and will not share them with anyone. Putting two hamsters together is generally a bad idea, even the Dwarf types. While they may tolerate each other, they usually end up fighting and need to be separated. Hamsters are also skittish and will try to run away or hide when you try to interact with them.

They have no problem biting you if you handle them wrong, or they feel threatened. Some hamsters are a bit more tame, for example a family friend had a hamster named Oscar. He was the tamest, most relaxed hammy, and he let anyone hold him. Maybe a few select will, but as a whole this is something they learn to associate with food, and nothing more. Kid-friendly or quiet home? Another important aspect, and a possible deal breaker for many people out there.

This is because hamsters are very sensitive to everything — the room temperature, the noise level, the light level, drafts, being picked up wrong, being held too long, a sick person, and so on. Guinea pigs are sensitive too, but much less than hamsters.

A hamster can get stressed very easily and develop an entire host of illnesses based on stress. A curious cat or a barking dog can be too much for the hamster, and kids continuously prodding at their cage can be very stressful.

A guinea pig on the other hand is more relaxed. For kids I think a guinea pig is the best choice, instead of a hamster. A rowdy home with many pets and young children is not recommended for piggies, nor for hamsters.

Feeding requirements for hamsters and guinea pigs Both the guinea pig and the hamster have very specific feeds. There is also the question of how often to feed them, and how much.

For Syrian hamsters 2 teaspoons of commercial food mix is enough, daily. The Dwarf types only need one teaspoon. Much of the food will be hoarded for later snacks. Guinea pigs, on the other hand, need a fresh supply of timothy hay, available at all times, in endless amounts. Commercial food mix should be given 2 tablespoons per piggy, daily. There always needs to be a hay bag on hand, to re-stock their hay pile. Both Jessi and Ka go through about fistfuls of hay, each, per day. Both guinea pigs and hamsters can be fed various treats that are already in your pantry or fridge.

Fresh fruit and veg are favorites, a few examples include: guinea pigs — raw bell pepper, lettuce, cucumber, carrots, small slice of apple hamsters — cucumber, carrots, peanuts unsalted, shelled , plain cooked chicken While the hamster will pick up all the food in his food bowl and store it in his nest for later use, a guinea pig does not.

Piggies pretty much mess with their food and it ends up all over the cage. For example ours put a paw inside their bowls and tip them over to get to the feed. If we put the feed directly on their bedding, half of it ends up forgotten in the bedding.

Exercise and floor time for guinea pigs and hamsters This is a very big difference between hamsters and guinea pigs. They both need exercise, and will run around pretty much all their waking time. But, they do it differently.

Hamster exercise and running routine Hamsters are famous for their running wheels and exercise balls. In fact, the only way a hamster can spend time outside his cage is inside his exercise ball. This keeps things safe for everyone involved. Even then, they should not be kept in the ball for more than 30 minutes at a time. They will need water, a quick snack, and they will probably need their pee corner as well.

This means that whatever running wheel you end up getting your hamster, it better be sturdy. He will use it every night, for hours on end, pretty much all his life. Many times this can lead to chewing the cage bars, or even trying to escape. Some people decide to let their hammy roam free in a hamster-proof room. This means that the room needs to have no hidden corners, or furniture that the hamster can get under, behind, into or between hamsters are ridiculously good at this , and have no exposed surfaces that can harm them.

Or that the hamster can harm, like a power strip cable, or charger for example. If you decide to let your hamster have floor time, have a good plan to catch him. Baiting him with food into his cage or exercise ball usually helps.

Guinea pig exercise and floor time Guinea pigs are fairly different from hamsters in this respect. This is because they need to be able to roam as much as they like, at all times. Some people dedicate an entire room to the piggies. This means that a certain patch of a room you designate will have to be guinea pig proofed.

News paper lining on the floor, a small wire fence to keep them inside their enclosure, food and a hideout or two to cuddle in, and lots of running around. Giving your guinea floor time will greatly reduce their boredom levels and will keep them happy and bouncy. This means that their cages need to be very large in order to keep them happy and not stressed. For hamsters the absolute minimum is 24 x 12 inches, and about 12 inches tall.

Since guinea pigs should be kept in pairs you will need a cage almost double that size for both of them. Most of these cages can be handmade, as long as you have the proper materials. Bedding, nests, and objects in their cage Both hamsters and guinea pigs need toys and some basic objects in their cage. Both can live well enough with paper-based bedding, or aspen shavings. Neither of them tolerates dust, and they have sensitive noses. Pine and cedar shavings or toys should be avoided.

A hamster will need a hideout, in which to build his nest. So does a guinea pig, but she is not as attached to her hideout as the hamster. While the hamster will build his base and make it an impenetrable fortress, the guinea pig will switch between multiple hideouts. This means that yes, she will need many places to hide. Both the hamster and the guinea pig need wood-based objects to chew on. They need to constantly file down their teeth, in order to keep them in check and avoid dental problems.

In the same vein, both hamsters and guinea pigs need toys in their cages to stave off boredom. Bored piggies and hamsters can get restless, start chewing the bars, try to escape, and even get depressed. They both need food bowls, simply because scatter-feeding them often ends up with a lot of food forgotten under all the bedding. Take your schedule and daily life into account Hamsters and guinea pigs need lots of time with their owners in order to come to trust them.

Even after being tamed, they can lose that trust if you make a wrong move or scare them too much. Remember that they are prey animals, in the end.

So in order to take your hamster or guinea pig, you need to dedicate time and effort. It could take days, it could only be a few weeks. Possibly the guinea pigs too. But, hamsters sleep during the day, all day. A cat, however, will be able to come and go as she pleases and will be with you in bed, the kitchen, the bathroom, and possibly in your work bag as well.

Finally, keep in mind that guinea pigs are noisier than hamsters. The array of sounds they make, the loudness, and the frequency are all much higher. Depending on what kind of bedding you provide, you might also hear the guinea pigs moving about in their cage at night.

So take into account the kind of life you have, and whether you can dedicate enough time and energy to these creatures. A word from Teddy I hope you found what you were looking for here. If you want to know more about us hamsters you can check out the related articles below.

Yet hamsters have many habits like humans. They love to play, exercise and relax. In order for your hamster to play, it is necessary to have as much content in the cage that will be interesting to him and encourage him to play. The hamster game is also an exercise. Hamsters are animals that normally move a lot in the wild in the dark in search of food. In a cage, the hamster does not have to look for food or move too much, so it can easily gain weight. Putting different toys in the cage allows your hamster to play, but also to exercise.

Exercise allows the hamster not to gain weight in order to maintain normal body weight. In addition, it prevents the development of diseases such as diabetes or heart attack. Besides that, toys help hamsters to use their innate instincts and meet their natural needs.

In order for your hamster to be happy and healthy, you need to play with it every day and entertain it. Wheels, hamster ball, or DIY maze for your hamster, are all toys that will allow your hamster to play and be healthy. To make your search easier, we have prepared a list of the best hamsters toys to stop boredom.

Table of Contents 1. Silent Runner Exercise Wheel2. Niteangel Tunnel 3. Zalalova 10pack Hamster Chew Toys4. Hamster House Maze5.

Niteangel Suspension Bridge6. Two layers Wooden Hut8. Hideout and play house9. Willow Branch Ball Chew Toy 1. Exercise wheels are a great choice for a toy because they allow the game to your hamsters whenever they want in the safety of the cage. In this wheel, the hamster can run for hours until he gets tired, and sometimes it can be quite noisy. Since hamsters are most active during the night, the noise produced by the wheel when the hamster is playing can be quite irritating and interfere with your sleep.

To avoid this we recommend this silent runner exercise wheel. This wheel has two stainless steel ball bearings within the backplate of the wheel, ensuring that the wheel glides smoothly and silently.

It has a textured non-slip surface that allows the hamster an excellent grip. In the package, you will get a wheel, stand, and cage attachment for easy installation. A solid metal base will hold the wheel in place and prevent it from falling and tipping over. To clean the wheel simply wipe it down with a non-toxic disinfectant wipe daily. Wash it once a week in warm soapy water, rinse, and air dry.

If you want the perfect toy for your little pet, you can find this silent runner exercise wheel on the following link on Amazon. Niteangel Tunnel Most of the time in a cage the hamster does not have the opportunity to use his natural instincts.

Yet hamsters in the wild have instincts that allow them to hide and survive in the wild, and one of them is tunneling instinct. To encourage the hamster to satisfy his natural instincts and at the same time encourage him to exercise, a great toy is a tunnel for the cave.

This tunnel is made of expandable, durable, and stain-resistant plastic. Plastic material allows the tunnel to expand up to 39 inches and contract. The tunnel is completely flexible and allows you to set it up in all different positions so you can fit it in any cage. In addition, you can constantly change the tunnel shape so that the hamster has to make an effort to get out of it and to make it more fun. The tunnel will encourage your hamster to play and exercise and it will be a lot of fun for him to crawl through the tunnel over and over again.

The Niteangel tunnel is big enough that the hamster in it can carelessly turn around and continue in the other direction. If you want to encourage your hamster to move and play in a fun way, you can buy this tunnel here. Zalalova 10pack Hamster Chew Toys If you want to buy a lot of toys for your hamster that will allow him to play carefree, this Zalalova 10 pack of hamsters chew toys may be the right choice for you.

In this set, you will get bark watermelon balls, bell roller, dumbbell, unicycle, squared molar block with rope, bell swing, rattan ball, climbing ladder, seesaw, and molar string.

All toys are made of high-quality wood that is made just for play. Every toy is polished many times to have smooth corners and a surface to ensure that the hamster will not be injured during play. Natural wood allows all toys to have a natural taste without any chemical treatments. You can attach some of the toys, such as a swing, to the ceiling of the cage with a hook, so it is very easy to install.

A variety of toys will allow him to find the one he likes and the one that suits him best. You can also exchange toys in the cage when you notice that he is bored with some of the toys.

To clean them, simply wipe them with a clean cloth. This pack of amazing wooden toys will look great in a cage and give it a natural look, while at the same time delighting your hamster. Among so many toys, your hamster will surely find at least one he likes, but he will surely be delighted with more toys. If you want to have this amazing budget set of toys you can find it on this link on Amazon. Hamster House Maze Hamsters, like all small rodents, love to play in mazes and find the right path.

This amazing wooden hamster home is made for dwarf hamsters. The door on the hamster house maze is around 5 cm in diameter so it is big enough for a dwarf and Syrian hamsters to slip through comfortably.

The maze has two entrances and 6 rooms. All rooms and roof platforms are easy to access and will allow for an interesting game. Also, your hamster can determine for himself which room he will use for sleeping, and in which he will have food.

The house also has a removable lid which is also a house roof. Moving the roof allows you to quickly find your hamster and inspect for any leftover food or dirt that you should throw out to keep his home clean at all times. The house is made of plywood without nails. Every corner of the maze is sanded to be smooth and safe for your little friend.

Hamsters seem to adore this house. Once you put it in the cage, your hamster will pack his things and go into the house enjoying his peace. If you want to give your hamster a house where you can play and satisfy your instincts, this house maze is the right choice for you.

You can find this amazing toy on Amazon. Niteangel Suspension Bridge The hamster in the cage mostly moves on the floor. The only chance for him to run uphill is if he has an exercise wheel in the cave. To allow the hamster to exercise more and to be able to climb uphill, a great toy for your hamster is a suspension bridge.

By adding a suspension bridge you will allow the snorer to run uphill and also give him more space in the cage to move around. Simply hang the suspension bridge on the sidewall of the cage. To begin with, hang the suspension bridge lower on the wall, and later increase the height to make it harder and more interesting for your hamster to climb it.

You can also put a bridge in different shapes and angles to make your hamster have a different experience every time he plays with his natural toy.

This bridge is made of natural wood and has a smooth surface so that the hamster is not injured. It is approximately 12 inches long by 4 inches wide and it is bendable. This very simple toy will allow the hamster to climb and satisfy his research instincts. It also promotes exercise and helps to develop coordination and balance skills.

You can also use this bridge as a ladder to guide your hamster to the next level of the cage. The possibilities are limitless, you just have to turn on your imagination to entertain your little five. This cool Niteangel suspension bridge can be found on Amazon. The set includes a wood rainbow bridge and a seesaw toy.

The wood rainbow bridge has seven steps that the hamster can climb and exercise his strength and balance. Under the bridge, the hamster can sleep and relax after getting tired of playing.

Wooden care bars can be detached and you can place them as you wish. The Seesaw toy allows the hamster to run up and down and enjoy the movement of the seesaw. This set allows the hamster to play and have fun in the safe. Both toys are fun to play with, climb, and rest. They relieve boredom and increase activity levels. All parts of the toys are rounded smooth with no burrs to ensure that your hamster cannot be injured during play.

The hamster can bite them freely because they are made of safe materials. When they need cleaning simply wipe them with a cloth and your job is done. Two layers Wooden Hut If you are looking for a new toy for your hamster, and at the same time thinking about buying a new house for a hamster, this two-layer wooden hut may be an ideal purchase for you.

This wooden hut provides a hamster with a hideout, promotes nesting, makes him exercise every day, and promotes chewing instincts. It is made of all-natural wood that is completely safe for animals. The house has several holes so that the hamster can get in and out in various places, so it is a small kind of tunnel.

It has stairs over which the hamster can climb on the upper floor from which he can exit to some kind of balcony and eat food. To get to the upper floor, the hamster will have to climb every day to practice. Once you put the house in the cage the hamster will decide for itself whether it prefers to sleep downstairs or upstairs. There is enough space under the house for the hamster to hide there and sleep or store food.

This house is truly a great toy and will allow your hamster to enjoy their home. You can buy this two-layer wooden hut on Amazon. Hideout and play house If you are imagining a house that provides a lot of content that will allow your hamster to play, this house is a perfect choice. The hamster can climb into this house with a ladder or climbing wall. A climbing wall is a great exercise for your hamster that will surely keep him active and healthy.

Once your hamster manages to climb to the upper floor, the hamster can go down by using a slide! Yes, read well. This house allows the hamster to play and have fun and be active at the same time. It also has a small bell hanging at one of the entrances to the house that will ring every time the hamster passes.

The house is made of natural wood with a colorful look to add a bit of charm to the hamster cage. Already assembled will come to your door. In addition to the house being great for playing, it will provide a hamster a great hideout. This cute multifunctional hamster house can be found on the following link on Amazon. Willow Branch Ball Chew Toy Hamsters love to chew things to strengthen their teeth and to consume them. The front four teeth of hamsters continue to grow throughout life so they constantly need something chew to wear them out.

Chewing helps them to keep their teeth at a healthy length. This willow branch ball will allow your hamster to play and catch the ball around the cage while promoting clean and healthy teeth at the same time.

You can buy this willow branch ball in several sizes to find the right one for your pet. You can also buy a pack of them. Your hamster will probably be thrilled with this ball and will chew it and play with it until it breaks it completely. It is not meant to last long but to promote healthy chewing instincts and healthy teeth of your hamster.

And of course to kill his boredom in the cage. If you want to give your hamster a toy that will promote his health and natural instincts, this ball chew toy can be found here Great, I wish you two all the luck. Best if you get most of these things at once, at lest the ones that go inside the cage. Cage for your hamster friend2. Bedding and nesting material for the hamster3. Hideout so the hamster has somewhere to sleep4.

Food bowl and water bottle for the hamster5. Food mix and treats the hamster will love6. Toys and tubes, so the hamster has plenty of fun7. Exercise ball for time outside the cage9. The minimum for a Syrian hamster is 24 x 12 inches, and about 12 inches tall. They look a lot like budgie cages. I learned that the hard way with my Teddy. When I got him, I got one of those cages. The moment I saw him try to use the much too small wheel I knew I made a mistake.

He needed a new cage ASAP. The thing about this one is that it provides half a level extra, while still being fairly large on its own. The level is adjustable, and can be put why way you want it. The spacing between the bars is small enough to keep a dwarf hamster inside too. Most toys and wheels would fit inside this cage fairly well. You can check the listing on Amazon here. They grow incredibly fast.

Actually a hamster is an adult when he reaches 3 months. Most hamsters get adopted before that age though, so that means your hamster will grow. Hamsters are after all wild animals, and they do a whole lot of running around.

Yes, budget can be an issue but the cage, the exercise wheel, and the hideout are what the hamster will use literally his entire life, until he passes away. No point in skimping on his essentials, since he only needs one of each. Bedding and nesting material for the hamster Bedding is something that will need to be repurchased every few months or so.

Your best bet is aspen shavings, since those are fairly easy to find, and are hamster-safe. Other types of wood like cedar or pine are unsafe, since their scent is not only too strong, but also dangerous for hamsters. The phenols released by those wood types are too much for the hamster. So that leaves you with aspen, you can find an example right here. A bag like this one can last you for months on end, since you only need to clean the cage and change the bedding once per week.

Another option is paper-based bedding, which controls odor a bit better than aspen. Just be advised that paper beddings tend to be a bit noisier in comparison to wood shavings. We have paper bedding for our guinea pigs and I can hear them moving about their cage. You can find a much more in-depth article about this right here. But in short, do not use anything but paper towels or toilet paper, unscented.

Stay away from fabric-based nesting material, some petshops have those too. So in order for him to feel safe, he needs a place or several to hide.

This means a hideout in which to build his nest. Now, keep in mind that hamsters chew on everything, including their nest and hideout. First, the hamster will chew on it.

So he has to always file them down with something. This means condensation forming on the walls, which will keep things humid, which will keep the hamster cold. And a cold, wet hamster is never a good idea. They do keep some of it, but wood is better at that. This hideout, for example, is very much like the one I have for my Teddy. Hamsters will love the wood and will chew on it whenever they need to file down their teeth.

All in all the best kind of hideout to keep a hamster happy. You can find the listing on Amazon here. Your hamster will hide in everything he can. This means that aside from his hideout, he will use cardboard tubes to crawl into and spend some time thinking about cheese.

Or maybe bury himself in the bedding, to look for hidden treasures, hamsters are hamsters, and they love to hide. So he will look for places to hide or crawl under. Food bowl and water bottle for the hamster Usually food bowls and water bottles come with the cage you buy.

Not always, but sometimes they do. You see, hamsters are foragers, and you can even scatter their food all over the cage to encourage them to look for it. They will appreciate the comfort of finding all their food in one place. Still, the main thing to look for in a food bowl is for the hamster to not easily tip it over. This means that the sides should not be up, like a regular human bowl, but rather pointing down much like a doggy bowl.

If your cage came with a food bowl like that, great. If not, you can look at options like this one for example. Just be advised that ceramic, like glass, can be fragile during shipping. As for the water bottle, the ones that come with the cage are usually alright too. For example this one on Amazon can hold 12 ounces of water for your hamster. Most water bottles go way bigger than that, so your hamster should be safe for days.

Food mix and treats the hamster will love Food is something the hamster will need, and you will have to repurchase every few months.

For example my Teddy eats 2 teaspoons of dry commercial food mix per day. A dwarf hamster on the other hand will need just one teaspoon per day. Keep in mind that hamsters will hide their food. Hamsters put all the food in their cheeks, and then hide it all away in their nest. That being said, hamsters eat mostly grains, with a few veg and fruit here and there.

They love nuts, and if you give them plain cooked chicken they will go crazy over it. However they need those hard dry grains to keep their teeth in check. This means that their main source of food needs to be their food mix. A good one like this one will bring all the nutrients your hamster needs, in a controlled, safe diet.

Those can be sunflower seeds, a peanut, a slice or carrot for example. You can also find pre-made hamster treats, for example yogurt based drops. Remember that hamsters will eat anything you give them, not matter how much you give them. So be responsible and do not overfeed your hamster, else it can lead to obesity and possible joint and diabetes problems.

But only keep those as occasional treats. Toys and tubes, so the hamster has plenty of fun Hamsters love to play and explore things, so they need toys. And tubes. Some toys you can make at home, with cardboard.

For example something like an empty egg carton with a few holes cut in it can be a great hide-and-seek toy, and safe for hamsters. If he gets bored, he may chew on his cage bars, which can chip his teeth or cause them to become unevenly worn.

Prevent boredom by providing your hamster with a range of activities from running in a hamster ball or wheel to exploring a variety of tunnels in his cage. He might also benefit from having a buddy in his cage.

You can see evidence of dental problems in several different ways. The incisors should come together evenly rather than overhang either the upper or lower incisors. If your hamster has a malocclusion, it may dribble drool out of its mouth. This is known as slobbers, and it can be hard to detect as your hamster wipes its face with its front paws. Issues with the gingiva may result in bleeding gums or other problems. Its tooth could be poking into its gums or the roof of its mouth, creating an oral-nasal fistula, an opening between the mouth and the nasal passageways.

Broken teeth can also impact the gums and lips. These result in sharp points which can lacerate the oral cavity tissues and cause bleeding or infections. If your hamster has a tooth issue, he is at a higher risk for bacterial infections occurring in his mouth. Infections can ascend up the root of the tooth and cause abscesses. Abscesses can manifest themselves in an array of different ways. You might see swelling near the back teeth, usually underneath one of the eyes.

This swelling may burst open with purulent material draining out. If you see this, your hamster likely has a draining abscess that needs to be medically treated. Your hamster may also develop issues within his cheek pouches. The material can get impacted in the pouches, which can be felt as very firm cheek pouches. Feeding your hamster material that is sharp or packs down easily can increase his risk of getting impacted cheek pouches. Your veterinarian may treat abscesses by draining them and putting your hamster on oral antibiotics.

In some cases, they may need to surgically extract the affected tooth or teeth, which will leave your hamster without a tooth. If the cheek pouches get impacted, your veterinarian will likely gently remove all of the material, such as by swabbing it out. If the mucosa is lacerated or infected, your vet will likely place your hamster on antibiotics. He may also have to go on a softer diet, which can increase his risk for malocclusion occurring in the future. Good oral health is important to maintain because your hamster only has one set of teeth, and these constantly growing teeth can grow unevenly and cause issues eating.

If you notice your hamster is having trouble eating, slobbering, or has consistently firm cheek pouches, you should contact your veterinarian and have your hamster evaluated. It is perfectly normal for a hamster to have yellow teeth. Depending on how severe each one is will depend on the treatment your hamster will need. Let us know in the comments below!