Russian Dwarf Hamsters Frequently Asked Questions

Russian Dwarf Hamsters lifespan is between 1-3 years, so make sure you enjoy your pet and treat them well for those short years of their life!

Q. Should I get a male or female Russian Dwarf Hamster?

A. Female Russian Dwarf Hamsters tend to be easier to tame then their male counterparts. It seems that males need more patience to domestic properly.

Q. Why do male hamsters start riding the backs of other male hamsters? Are they mating?

A. No silly, male hamsters cannot mate. First make sure that they are actually both male and if they are males then it is simply that the male hamster is reaching its puberty stage of development.

Q. Can you fix a Russain Dwarf Hamster?

A. It is definitely possible but not suggested. If your objective is to make sure your hamster does not breed, then the best solution is to make sure a male and female are not in the same cage together because they will mate!

Q. Can I place my Russian Dwarf Hamster with other hamsters such as Syrian or Chinese or Winter White or Robo Hamsters?

A. No, this is absolutely not a good idea. Each breed of hamster should be enclosed into a den of its own kind of species. For example, Syrian hamsters should never be placed with any other kind of hamster because it will naturally fight and try to kill rival hamsters.

Q. Should I bathe my Russian Dwarf Hamster?

A. They naturally sprinkle water on themselves from time to time, personal bathing is not needed.

Dwarf Hamster illnesses

Dwarf Hamster illnesses

Hamsters are pretty hardy pets, but are so small that injuries and illness can quickly become serious. If you notice any signs of illness in your dwarf hamster, you need to see a veterinarian as quickly as possible. Signs to look for include loss of appetite, inactivity, huddling in a corner, ruffled or unkempt coat, sneezing, discharge from the nose or eyes, wheezing, wetness around the tail, and diarrhea. Hair loss can be a symptom of skin disease or parasites, and also warrants a trip to the vet.

If a hamster is ill or injured, keep the hamster warm, and encourage it to take some food or water (by dropper if necessary) until a vet can be seen.

Respiratory Infections: hamsters can get respiratory infections that can lead to pneumonia. Signs include sneezing, discharge from eyes or nose, wheezing and labored breathing. Occasional sneezing is not too worrisome, but if there is any loss of appetite, decreased activity, wheezing or difficulties breathing, immediate veterinary attention should be sought.

• Hibernation: if the room temperature is allowed to drop below normal room temperature, hamsters will go into a sort of hibernating state, where they are very still and breathe very slowly. Many owners panic and think their hamster is dying or dead, when might be a matter of the hamster getting too cold (for exapmle if the owners go away for the day and turn the thermostat down in the house). Rewarming the hamster should be sufficient.

• Wet Tail: also called proliferative ileitis and regional enteritis. This is a highly contagious disease, and most common in recently weaned hamsters. The cause is uncertain, but a bacteria called Campylobacter jejuni may be involved, and in some cases the disease is associated with stress, crowding, and diet changes. Affected hamsters may die very quickly, exhibiting signs such as diarrhea, lethargy, loss of appetite, and ruffled coat.

• Diarrhea: a number of infections can cause diarrhea (including but not limited to wet tail), along with diet changes and treatment with antibiotics. Over feeding vegetables and other fresh foods is a fairly common cause of diarrhea, but in this case there is usually no loss of appetite or decrease in activity. Dehydration is a real concern, so make sure the hamster is drinking if diarrhea occurs, and a veterinarian should be consulted. With diarrhea, withhold fresh foods for a few days and resume only if the diarrhea is completely resolved, and start back onto fresh foods slowly.

• Skin Diseases: hamsters can be infested with a number of mites, which can be identified by a skin scraping by a vet and treated accordingly. Ringworm (actually a fungal infection) can also occur, and requires treatment by a vet. Allergies and skin infections can also occur. Hair loss is not all that unusual and can be seasonal or happen in older hamsters. If there is flakiness or redness of the skin or any lesions on the skin, or the hamster appears to be itchy and scratching more than usual, a vet should be seen.

• Abscesses: these are pockets of infection, which can form from fairly minor breaks in the skin. . Abscesses can form from cuts or scratches on the skin and also in the cheek pouches if abrasive food material causes scratches in the lining. If a hamster continually looks like it has food in packed in its cheek pouches, there may be an abscess or an impacted cheek pouch present. Abscesses require veterinary attention for draining, flushing, and treatment with antibiotics.

Dwarf Hamster Care

While dwarf hamsters are smaller in size as compared to their Syrian counterparts, both species are similar in the amount of TLC required.

That said they do tend to be more fragile and edgy and are quick to seize upon any chance to escape. Being small, they can slip out from tiny nooks and cracks so extra care should be taken that they are kept in a secure, escape-proof cage.

In the wild, hamsters live in burrows that they dig in the dirt and sand. Pet hamsters on the other hand, are happy in modular plastic habitat cages that can be found at most pet stores. Due to their diminutive size, however, dwarf hamsters often have trouble moving about in hamster cages designed for the larger hamster species. When buying a cage for your dwarf hamster you need to choose a smaller cage that is specifically designed for mice and dwarf hamsters.

Dwarf hamsters are also happy in 10 to 20 gallon tanks or wire cages. Despite their tiny size, hamsters are hyper-active creatures and a wheel placed inside the cage is a must if you want to have a happy pet. Studies suggest that hamsters can run distances of up to 5 miles on their running wheels. What’s more, they thrive on it! You can find smaller wheels that are designed especially for dwarf hamsters.

Dwarf hamsters also need some form of substrate to line the bottom of their cage to satisfy their natural urge to burrow. This substrate should be absorbent and dust-free, such as wood shavings. Be careful not to use pine or cedar shavings, however, as these substrates have been known to cause respiratory problems in hamsters.

A hamster’s cage should be emptied and cleaned and the substrate changed once every week. Hamsters are also fond of building nests out of the substrates in their cages. Other materials for building nests can be provided, such as tissue paper, shredded paper, and paper towels. Your pet hamster will appreciate having a nesting box; some kind of small, enclosed space in which to build its nest. These naturally shy creatures appreciate the feeling of security that such boxes provide.

Dwarf hamsters have high metabolism levels and they are known to eat almost as much as the larger Syrian hamsters. Their food typically consists of dried fruits, seeds, vegetables and pellets. While hamsters love hoarding their food in their nests, you should always provide your hamster with fresh food and water every day. You also need to provide your hamster with chewing toys. Hamsters’ teeth are constantly growing, so they need something to chew or gnaw on. If you do not provide your hamster with soft wooden objects to chew on, it is likely to start chewing on its plastic cage accessories, and the jagged or rough pieces could injure your hamster.

In addition to changing the substrate regularly, you also need to clean the accessories and the cage itself every week. A diluted soap and water solution can be used for cleaning but make sure that you rinse everything thoroughly to remove all of the soap. Dry the cage well before you put in the fresh substrate. Avoid any harsh chemicals that could irritate your pet.

For those of you debating over whether or not it is worth keeping a russian dwarf hamster as a pet, you should know that the sheer joy and pleasure of owning this interesting and amazing creature far outweighs any amount of effort that goes into taking care of it.

Dwarf Hamster Cages

There are many cages available for hamsters and there are many factors to consider when choosing the best one for your pet. Most importantly, you want to pick a cage that is a good size, escape-proof, safe, and easy to clean. Unfortunately, many cages you will find at the pet store do not meet all these requirements when it comes to dwarf hamsters.

Here are a few of the things you need to bare in mind when you’re out shopping for your hammy’s new home.

• Style of Cage

Your main choices will be between a wire cage (usually on a plastic base), a plastic modular cage (the kind with many compartments and tubes), or an aquarium (with a secure mesh lid). Each style of cage has advantages and disadvantages.

• Ease of Cleaning

In general, a wire cage with a plastic tray is the easiest to clean; just lift the wire off the bottom, clean out the bedding, and wipe down the wire part as necessary. The more complex the cage, the more difficult it will be to clean, which is very important if you are looking a plastic cage with multiple compartments and tubes. These cages can become a real chore to clean. Let’s face it, cleaning cages is not a fun task, so keeping it easy will make owning a hamster more fun.

• Ventilation

A wire cage is easily the best option here. The tubes and enclosed compartments of plastic modular cages can pose real problems with ventilation, so air quality and condensation can become problems. Likewise, aquariums can also have inadequate ventilation. Keep in mind that the openness of wire cages gives them great ventilation but means you must keep the cage out of drafts. Plastic cages offer better protection from drafts.

• Size

Despite their small size, dwarf hamsters need ample space to run and play. Aim for a minimum of 24 inches by 12 inches, and at least 12 inches tall. However to keep your hamster active and happy, try to get a bigger cage — when it comes to hamster cages, bigger is always better!

• Cage Security and Safety

The space between the bars on a dwarf hamster cage should be no more than 1/4 inch apart – a dimension that is really difficult to find on wire cages that are large enough. Check the doors on any cage to make sure they are secure, as hamsters can become quite expert at opening doors .. If you choose a cage with multiple levels or tubes, make sure there is no place where your hamster could fall a long distance.

• Dwarf Hamster Cages and Chewing

The drive and ability of hamsters to chew can affect the type of cage they are suited for. On plastic cages, make sure there are no exposed edges or ridges of plastic where a hamster can start chewing the cage, or your hamster is likely to escape at some point.

• Bedding Depth

No matter what style of cage you use, make sure you can provide a nice deep layer of bedding for burrowing. This is most important for wire cages — choose one with a nice deep tray to allows a nice deep layer of bedding, and also to reduce the amount of bedding your hamsters will push or kick out of the cage.

Baby Dwarf Hamsters

Exotic, cute and interesting, the thought of breeding and rearing dwarf hamsters is undoubtedly exciting. However, their diminutive size coupled with their high activity levels can make this a very challenging undertaking! It is best to take the time and trouble to do thorough research into what is required before you start the process rather than after.

The gestational period of hamsters is between 18 to 20 days after which a mother dwarf hamster will give birth to between 1 to 10 baby dwarf hamsters or pups. The typical litter size is about 5 to 6 babies.

The First Few Days…

The pups should be left with their mother to nurse at least till they are 10 days old. During this time, it is best to avoid touching the babies and to leave the cage alone too; do not even attempt to clean it.

When the babies are about four days old, they will start to get pigment in and around the seventh day, they will begin to grow fur. The babies’ eyes will open and they will start crawling around when they are about 10 days old. At this point they are just about ready to be handled, albeit for short periods of time only. Do this cautiously though and get a feel of how the mother hamster feels about her baby being handled by you. Some mother dwarf hamsters are over-protective of their young ones and will not approve of this intrusion, so be extremely careful when reaching out to touch the pups for the first few times.

Taming Baby Dwarf Hamsters

It cannot be overemphasized that you need to be extremely careful when you handle baby dwarf hamsters. They can be extremely nervous and jumpy in the early days and may well try to run and jump right off your hands. If your hand is a long way from the ground, this could result in the pup getting seriously injured. Regular, gentle and careful handling of the babies will help to tame them.

Weaning Baby Dwarf Hamsters

Baby dwarf hamsters can begin to be weaned at about 2 weeks of age at which time they will start to eat solid food. Ideal food for the babies should consist of oatmeal, oats, small birdseed and wheat germ. Babies can also be fed lab blocks once they are 3 weeks old but keep in mind that they will not thrive on this sort of food until they are more fully grown.

A diet of small grains will help babies to grow up quicker and healthier. Some dwarf hamsters relish thin slices of red apple or cucumber. They will finally be able to reach the water bottle when they are about ten days old. Once the babies start to eat and drink on their own, their mother will gradually begin to stop nursing them.

4 Weeks & Counting…

The babies should be completely weaned by the time they are four weeks old. By this time, they are also ready for their own cage. You need to be careful about keeping the male with the mother during this period as she will most likely be pregnant again soon after the first litter is born. If that happens, the first litter should be moved to their own cage just before the new litter is born, which is within 18 to 20 days of the first litter’s birth. When keeping them in their own cages, keep the sexes separate. Keeping the
females in one cage and males in another will prevent inbreeding among litter mates.

General Care Instructions

Caring for a baby dwarf hamster is similar to caring for any other hamster. Cages should be cleaned once every week unless there are several babies in a single cage, then cleaning should be more frequent as the cage will become dirtier faster.

Fresh food and water should also be provided daily. It is vitally important to constantly monitor the health of your baby dwarf hamsters. In addition to ensuring that all the pups are physically healthy and getting the nutrition and water they need, you also need to keep an eye on them to make sure none of them have gotten hurt while fighting with their litter mates.

Baby dwarf hamsters are ready to be given away or sold when they are about four weeks old.