Dwarf hamsters.... short lifespan?

Question

for the longest time i always had regular hamsters. in the last few years my bf and i have been getting dwarf hamsters..... and for some reason we cannot get them to live longer than a few months - 6 at the most. from what i understand they are supposed to live longer.

i have a good knowledge of hamsters and i am doing everything i know how to do. i clean their cages every 4-5 days, sooner if it needs it. i give them fresh water daily. i make sure their wheels move right and everyhting.

is there something special for dwarf hamsters or are the hamsters im getting bad quality maybe?

Answer 1

Well DUH! "DWARF HAMSTERS" of course they will have a shorter life span they are smaller or shorter correct? lol

Answer 2

From the breeder you must have an older hamster.

Should live for at least 2 years.

Answer 3

dwarf hamster do have a shorter life span of about 6-12 months

Answer 4

Dwarf hamsters can live anywhere from 1.5-2 years so maybe the source you're getting them from is bad.

Some pet shops get their stock of pets from a bad breeder and they have genetic defects and die early.

Also make sure you are not giving them too much fresh food like lettuce, carrots, apples, etc. as it can cause wet tail and also lead to diabetes if they are fed sugary foods too much.

Answer 5

I had 2 dwarf hamsters that I had to put to sleep a few months ago. One of the was put to sleep and then about 1 1/2 months after that I had to put the 2nd one to sleep. They were about 2 1/2 years old. I got them when they were approx 6 months old.  

Answer 6

actually there is a robvoski dwarf hamster that can live for 3 or 4 years so they live pretty long and there is the chinese hamster that lives for 5 years and that can live the longest but take good care of your pet and it may live pretty long.

Answer 7

their not suppose to