Hamster very ill -dying?old age?

11-28-2005, 05:54 AM

My hamster has become very ill over the last 2 days. She has lost a lot of body weight and when I pick her up she is just bones. Both her eyes are closed fully all the time even when she's trying to move around her cage. At first just one eye was closed.

She is very disorientated and cannot even sit up to drink from her water bottle (she tried this morning but fell onto her back and couldn't get back up). I've been holding the water by her mouth so she can have a drink. Also, she's strugling eating so I've been handfeeding her lettuce and apple sauce on a spoon. The vet has said previously that she can have apple sauce.

She is only 1 yr old - I know hamster have a short life expectancy but this seems too short. Does this sound like an old age thing? How much longer will she live for?

Amethystbelle · 11-28-2005, 06:31 AM

Please get her to a vets is my advice as it sounds like there is something wrong and she really needs looking at as soon as possible!

jennawing · 11-28-2005, 09:09 AM

She sounds dehydrated. The crusty eyes would probably indicate a repiratory infection which might explain why she is not eating and drinking. She needs to see a vet. Now.

11-29-2005, 03:46 AM

Just an update - the vet says there is nothing really they can do so I'm just keeping her warm and am handfeeding her water and fresh lettuce, etc as she can't get to the water bottle herself. She actually climbed the cage bars last night so I think her strength is up and one of her eyes is open. I'm hoping she will continue to improve - so lots of TLC at the moment.

jennawing · 11-29-2005, 06:07 AM

No antibiotics? That's quite strange. Surely he would have prescribed Baytril. I am glad she is doing some better.

Banshee · 11-29-2005, 06:23 AM

Yes it is strange isn't it, that the vet would say there's nothing to be done. Even stranger still is that they didn't advise that a hamster needs more than just lettuce and water to survive, much less recover.

She's not going to recover if she's only eating lettuce. She needs protein especially. This site gives a list of foods for hamsters. Check out the protein section: http://www.hamsterific.com/HamsterUn.../FoodList.html

Here's another link on food: http://www.hamsterific.com/Nutrition.html

In future, if you think your hamster is ill/dying, don't wait for two days and then post on a forum. Call the vet first thing.

11-29-2005, 07:57 AM

I didn't take my hamster to the vet immediately as she's had a cold in her eye before and I bathed it in lukewarm salty water and it cleared up. i was doing this and it wasn't until the day I took her to the vet that she became worse. The vet has said to hand feed and keep her warm and take her back after a couple of days if she still hasn't improved. i'm not just feeding her lettuce, she's started to eat other stuff aswell now. It's been hard trying to find stuff she'll eat as she keeps turning her nose up at things I try to give her. Plus she can't sit up very well to eat nuts and stuff. The vet didn't want to stab her with a needle and i didn't want him to really either as I had a hamster before that was weak and she died from the shock of the needle. I want to try and get her strength up first. I'm not being cruel I just don't want to stress her out any more. Sorry if this doesn't seem right to some people. I think some people on here can be a bit sarcastic and horrible really. I didn't post on the forum straightaway as I didn't even know it was here. And by feeding her what i have been - she is recovering. It's not all about drugs and tablets. Every post on here seems to have exactly the same answer - see the vet. surely there is other advice. You don't go to the doctors if you have a cold or if you cut your finger.

Banshee · 11-29-2005, 08:19 AM

Every answering post on here seems to be 'see the vet' for a very good reason. We are not experts on our pets' medical problems. Certain small things we can sort out ourselves and can offer advice and suggestions to each other, but if a pet is lethargic, having trouble eating and drinking on its own, has lost a dramatic amount of weight quickly, is disoriented, and has problems with its eyes - all at the same time - we take them to the experts. That's basic commonsense. And quite frankly if a pet is in bad enough condition that one needs to post in the 'Emergency' section, it should go without saying that a vet is the best bet.

Your vet should know that a needle is not the only way to give an animal antibiotics. There are oral antibiotics as well, that you can give in a syringe with no needle, or can put in their food. If your hamster needs antibiotics and doesn't get them because your vet doesn't seem to know the first thing about giving oral antibiotics (or giving needles safely), then I think you need to find yourself a new vet, quite frankly.

Listen, I'm sorry if I came across sounding rude, but as per the sarcasm bit - if you've been around the forum for any length of time, you'll have noticed that lately for the most part the only people who post in the 'Emergency' section are messers, making up scenarios just to upset people.

jennawing · 11-29-2005, 09:28 AM

The same medicine they give in a shot can be given orally- it don't taste good- but at a dose of 0.01ml per ounce of weight- it's only about three drops- considering my largest hamsters only weigh about 5oz. Some vets will mix it with a flavor- but in my experience that is just more to get them to swallow and they spit half of it out.

Lettuce is a no-no anyway. It has easily soluble fiber which causes diarrhea. Cucmber or celery would be better foods for hydration. But her on some baby food, some canned cat food, scrambles eggs, tofu, cottage cheese. Mix her water with half pedialite. Call back and try to get some baytril. She's too old and weak to fight an infection on her own.

11-30-2005, 04:27 AM

Another quick update - she's getting better by the day. Both her eyes are now open and she's moving round a lot more. she is drinking from her water bottle by herself and is now eating much better. She's on the mend and am sure she'll recover well. she comes to the door now and tries to climb out - before she was just staying in her bed. Her balance is much better and last night I found her on the top shelf of her cage so she's getting her strength back loads.