Hi,

I have a couple of things I wanted to check - I may be worrying over nothing, but I wanted to check just in case.

I got my hamster about 9 months ago, he was quite small then so presumably pretty young. He's a Syrian, by the way.

Until recently, I would fill up his food bowl about 2/3 full each week, and by the end of the week it would pretty much be empty, I sometimes had to top it up slightly towards the end of the week. There would obviously be some bits of the food hidden around the cage, but mostly he would finish it.

However, over the last 3-4 weeks, his bowl has still been pretty full at the end of the week, he just doesn't seem to be eating much of it at all. I haven't changed the food I've bought him, I have introduced a few more wooden nibble sticks (he was chewing his bars a lot), but other than that nothing has changed. He has a hanging edible nibble stick which he tends to work his way through, and I give him some of the Rotastak choc drops (maybe 3 a week). He appears perfectly healthy, but I'm just worried that he's not eating his food. Is he just eating less because he needed more while he was growing, and he's now fully grown?

He also seems to be less energetic, appears to be sleeping a little more, and doesn't seem to run around quite as much when he's out in his ball.

My other question is around an area near his hind legs which he seems to constantly be grooming. Every time I take him out to play, this area is damp from being groomed. Is this normal? I've seen books refer to this as a scent gland.

When I touch the area, he doesn't seem to bother, so it doesn't appear to be irritated/sore. He seems to concentrate on the left-hand side more than the right.

Any advice with either issue would be greatly appreciated.

didn't want to read and run and im sure more knowledgeable people will be along soon...

but males (esp syrians!) are lazier than females in my experience - honestly, Ash sleeps away most of the day AND night he'll get up to eat and drink then go back to bed, but once i get him out he's fine...

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Thanks to metame for taking the time to respond.

Anyone else have any thoughts on the other queries?

OK this part is pretty normal...mine go through stages of eating more and then eating a lot less. Think change of season may have something to do with it sometimes too.

[/QUOTE]He also seems to be less energetic, appears to be sleeping a little more, and doesn't seem to run around quite as much when he's out in his ball.[/QUOTE]

This too is normal. As he gets older he will be lazier...and my Charlier was certainly less energetic than my girls, though saying that when he free ranged...not always allowed free range ...he was pretty energetic then!! But they are lazier.

[/QUOTE]My other question is around an area near his hind legs which he seems to constantly be grooming. Every time I take him out to play, this area is damp from being groomed. Is this normal? I've seen books refer to this as a scent gland.

When I touch the area, he doesn't seem to bother, so it doesn't appear to be irritated/sore. He seems to concentrate on the left-hand side more than the right.

Any advice with either issue would be greatly appreciated.[/QUOTE]

OK not sure about this...just been looking it up... Look about 2/3 way down this page as there is a section on scent glands...

Hamster Health Checks - National Hamster Council

Welcome to the British Hamster Association Web Site

Basically seems to be a behavioural thing and maybe leaving some of their old bedding in might help...but also look out for growths as it can be a site for tumours.

Hope this helps. If your worried contact a rodent vet!!! Not normal vet!

I wouldn't worry...unless he is losing weight or the above! xx

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