# Hamsters ill! Any suggestions?



## groovieghoulie (Sep 1, 2008)

Heya, 

I have a male syrian hamster whos about 1 1/2 years old and has been perfectly healthy up until now. At the moment though, his face is swollen, his eyes were slightly crusty but have now become red and look swollen too (they're not opening as much as they used to) and he has a load of irritation on his tummy, with a big scab on one side. His stomach is always a bit soggy as well, obviously from him constantly scratching/cleaning it. I took him to the vet a day or two ago who said his teeth were fine but trimmed them just in case, and said that anti-biotics would reduce the swelling, as it was probably just due to feeling a bit under the weather. Worringly though, he said he couldn't see anything on his stomach, which doesn't bode too well considering there definitely is something there! He's also sleeping loads, way more than usual and doesn't seem as interested in food as he used to be, although he is still eating a little bit. 

Does anyone have any ideas as to what it could be? I'm a bit reluctant to fork out more money for the vet to make me feel silly again! The only thing I could think of was that the other day, there was a ladybird in his cage and he ate it...could that have caused an allergic reaction of some kind? Alternatively, could mites be responsible?

Thanks in advance!!


----------



## scoobydoo (Aug 28, 2008)

it sounds like you need to take him back to the vet. i had a hamster that wasnt well and i ended up taking him to the vet and getting special food to syringe feed him and he lasted a week after that and died  
it does sound like it could be a mite or allergic reaction but i really think you should take him back to the vets. good luck and please let me know how he gets on


----------



## StolenkissGerbils (Aug 8, 2008)

Take him to a different vet. A second opinion will do no harm.


----------



## ChrisTheGerbilGuy (Aug 9, 2008)

it sounds to me like your vet is fairly useless. You need a second opinion from a different vet.

at a guess, although i cant' tell for sure without photos, your hamster could have had/still having a severe allergic reaction to something. If this is the cause, antibiotics will do little as he will need an injection, probably a steriod injection which has a natural anti inflammotory in it.

Also, ask your vet for pain relief, as your hamster at the very least sounds very uncomfortable to me. 

Ask for metacam (pain relief). this is only used in cats and dogs but i've used it successfully in rabbits, chinchillas and hamsters in the past. it's effective for 24 hours. but you only need to administer a tiny drop.

let us know how you get on


----------



## Guest (Sep 1, 2008)

:s it may be the ladybird having a reaction. As everyone has said - take him to another vet.


----------



## groovieghoulie (Sep 1, 2008)

Heya, thanks everyone for all the advice! I took him to another vet who agreed that it could be an allergic reaction, although there was a small chance it was skin cancer. She said that since it was teamed with the swollen face etc though that is was most likely the former and she gave him a steroid injection and treated him for mites just in case. I was holding off updating you all on this til I saw some sign of improvement but unfortunately he's just got worse still  The skin around the front of his neck is now just hanging off him, like about a cm, and he has no fur on his tummy at all, just big black scabs. One of his eyes is now completely swollen shut and is back to being crusty, and the other one is similar but not as bad. He looks like he has trouble walking comfortably and spends all his time in his bed biting/cleaning himself, only ever coming out to drink. 

I'm now completely out of ideas as to what this could be  I'm going to take him to the vet again tomorrow and hope they can come up with something, but I have to say, I'm fearing the worst! 

Ahh why do we buy pets?! I don't think I'll subject myself to this again, at least not for a long while! Thanks again for all your help!


----------



## StolenkissGerbils (Aug 8, 2008)

Oh dear  that sounds very bad.

If it IS an allergy it's a very very bad one, but something tells me that it's more than just that. The black scabs sound very worrying. It sounds like he's in pain from what you've said about him having difficulty walking.

I'm sorry to say that you may well have to prepare yourself for the vet to advise you to let the poor little thing go. But you can take some solace in knowing that you did the very best you could for him if that's the advice you get.

If he were my hamster I would probably have him put to sleep and end his suffering.  I'm so sorry to have to say that to you. I'm certainly not suggesting any wrongdoing on your part. There really isn't another way to say it. If he continues biting himself he will probably end up bleeding to death or getting septicaemia. It might be better to let him go painlessly and with dignity.


----------



## Guest (Sep 7, 2008)

poor little thing, will he let u wash his eye???
luke warm water and cotton wool or cloth and a light wipe, if he really wants to getaway from you when doing this then stop, otherwise you'll stress him!!

Do tell us what happens.


----------



## groovieghoulie (Sep 1, 2008)

Hey again everyone,

Well I took him to the vets again this morning and unfortunately, the conclusion was indeed that he should be put out of his misery  It's so upsetting but as soon as I saw him this morning I thought it might be likely...he looked so so ill and every other time I'd taken him he'd been scrapping at the corners and running round the box, but this time he just sat there. He had a bit to eat and then just seemed to wait...weird how animals sometimes seem to know. The vet reckoned that it was skin cancer and that his swollen eye and the bumps on his back were down to tumors as well. Poor little guy.  At least it wasn't something I could have prevented...would have felt awful if it was my fault!

Thanks so much for everyone's input. It was really much appreciated!! Best of luck with everyone else's rodents..!


----------



## Guest (Sep 9, 2008)

awwww *big hugs for you* I'm dread when I have to face loosing one of mine.


----------



## StolenkissGerbils (Aug 8, 2008)

I'm so sorry. There's very little that I can say to comfort you but you did the right thing, and he's at peace now. Amazing how they can just tell you that they're ready to go.

Remember him for how he was and not how his life ended. I wish you the very best.


----------

