Rubisco

[enismirdal]

I've been swinging between optimism and complete pessimism with Rubisco over the last few days. I've been diligently force-feeding her probiotic and although falling massively short of 25ml a day (and not feeling bad about that), she's been getting about 3ml, and certainly isn't dehydrated.

Yesterday she was very stinky and dirty so I cleaned out her cage and bathed her backside. I also decided to get suspicious of the new formulation Harry Hamster food that I bought on my last hamster supplies trip. It's been since I started feeding her that that the various symptoms have developed. It's a completely different recipe to the old stuff, and includes garish colours, big chunky alfalfa pellets that none of them seem to like much, a large percentage of soya, pumpkin seeds and giant sunflower seeds. Deciding that the timing was perhaps not coincidence and that the colours were just a bit too vivid, and wondering if that much soya is good for a hammy, I decided to cut out the Harry Hamster and feed her just the plain Wilko's food (which isn't exciting and has half the vitamin content, but also isn't as colourful or soya-heavy). Good thing I always buy in both brands and mix them!

Today she seems clean and her coat seems a little baby-soft, probably as a result of the bathingness, but plushy anyway. She looks a bit lean but not worryingly so, and is completely manic and hyperactive.

Taking this as a cautious good sign, I'm going to keep her off the psychedelic food and see how she goes, and if this sorts it out, I'm writing a grumpy letter to the Harry Hamster manufacturers. Am considering weaning them all on to an eco-hippie organic mix...

I've ordered bees for after Christmas. Although what will probably happen is that I'll get two lots of referee comments at about the same time and then have no chance to do any experiments, I'm going to hold out tentative hopes that time will work more conveniently and I'll be able to gather some data. I NEED data. I've spent all day playing with my old data and I've found one or two interesting things, some nonsignificant but surprising things (OK, quite a lot of them) and a couple of reassuringly expected things.

Comments

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

I was going to ask if you'd changed feed or anything like that, it sounded like an allergy from what you've said. And anything brighter than nature intended is always suspect. Hope the problem's sorted now.

[enismirdal.livejournal.com]

*nods* It's the only thing in her diet that's altered recently. I can't find any reports of other hamster owners noticing anything similar, though. Still, if keeping her off Harry Hamster continues to work, I'll be a happy owner, she'll be a happy hamster and it should all be good.

My gut feeling was that if it was an infection she'd either have got much better or much worse by now, rather than staying the same and showing no signs of malaise or being unhappy. I'm not a vet, but I know what's normal for my hamsters! Hehe.

Fingers crossed, this is the only problem and she'll stay clean and dry now...

[rainien.livejournal.com]

Too bad I can't send you the bees that took up residence in a family friend's tree this past spring. It's a pretty large hive from the looks of things and they're a bit of a nuisance because the tree is about 12 feet from her front door.

We've contacted local bee keepers and they say that since the bees are *inside* the tree, the only way to get them all out is to cut the tree down. Not an option as the tree is still living.

lol I think this spring I'm going to make her a sign that, instead of saying, "Beware of dog" it will say, "Beware of Bees!"

[enismirdal.livejournal.com]

Oh, eek! When they're inside the tree that does sound tricky! As much as I love bees, I can very much understand someone not wanting a hive right by their door. Tell her not to eat bananas before going out there and to avoid black fluffy sweaters!