# 2 of my hammys are showing weird symptoms



## Guest (Aug 13, 2008)

Burger - well we've come to the conclusion she is diabetic - but she shares a cage, and i feel mean cutting out lots of food Fry can have because burger can't, do you think this is ok?!
Also - Burger is very hyper, and loosing weight and I'm worried on what can calm her down or put weight on her?!

ALSO
Nom has little reddy brown poo...and this started last night - is this due to carrots?! (he's had them in 2 days, i didn't realise he had already had some the day before yesterday)


thanks
SB


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## ChrisTheGerbilGuy (Aug 9, 2008)

i think you need to get your hamsters to a vet straight away. Diabetes is very rare in hamsters, did your vet diagnose it?
Most hamster mixes have fruit and molasses in it which are very high in sugar, if your hamster is diabetic, you will need a special hamster food. 

Please seek a vets advice or these problems could become worse.


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## Guest (Aug 14, 2008)

when we got our 3rd hammy we asked about what could be the reason she was drinking so much, and she said monitor it - it may be a phase e.g dehydrated from exercise.
and it kinda got better - but not its back to drinking LOTS.
Should any vet be happy to deal with hamsters?


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## ChrisTheGerbilGuy (Aug 9, 2008)

our vets love to see our hamsters 

i wouldn't worry to much about drinking loads, sometimes hamsters drink lots of water and sometimes they drink hardly anything. 

as long as your hammy is getting water and is still hydrated, i wouldn't worry. you can test to see if it is dehydrated by pinching it's scruff. If the skin goes back to normal very quickly, it's fine but if it's slow, it may be dehydrated.


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## Guest (Aug 14, 2008)

its just the mad exercising and gone skinny so quickly, she's put some weight on again - but not much, but she'll loose it again soon  she's so light and her sister is like a heavy ball of fluff compared to her haha


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## ChrisTheGerbilGuy (Aug 9, 2008)

are they males or females? if it's a girl, could she hyperactive because she's in heat?


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## Guest (Aug 14, 2008)

both girls.
well we thought that...so unless shes in heat everyday...then i guess not...

she no longer likes our male hamster either - she squeaks and slaps him. heheh


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## u-look-like-a-hamster (Aug 17, 2008)

If she is urinating and pooing alot aswell as drinking loads she may be diabetic as my lil jeffrey is.


give her lots of veg DONT GIVE HER APPLE(high in sugar)


infact avoid giving her fruite anf milkdrops ect

your other hamster should be fine but if another diet is requird 

introduce the new food slowly.
xx


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## Guest (Aug 17, 2008)

well we had an emergency last night and was the scarist thing in my life (ok except my dogs emergency...but this hammy is mine!!! lol) and basically the vet gave us a choice - insuilin and risk killing her by accident - or change the diet. so i have written up a lil menu for them  I have decorned and de-pea-ed the food and its all ok now and then adding the new foods in slowly 

she also did the biggest wee i have every seen a hammy do!! i was like  geebus!! look at that puddle!! lol

xx


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## ChrisTheGerbilGuy (Aug 9, 2008)

no green veg should be given to a hamster because it can lead to wet tail. why would your vet chance insulin? has your vet performed any diabetes tests?


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## u-look-like-a-hamster (Aug 17, 2008)

ACTUALLY (to above)

yes you can 

cabbage, lettucce, brussel sprouts.

Can be given in small amounts to hamsters 

but to much lettucce can lead too poison,liver problems & death so keep it as a treat (Lettucce) and give half a leaf after you have cleaned them out

xxx


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## Guest (Aug 19, 2008)

yea they will only get a tiny bit of lettuace if we have any, I read about the liver problems etc.

Because she weighed so little and started to become quite and calm and not herself she didn't wanna take blood to see (and she had already done a giagantic wee so she wasn't due to do another 1 soon), she said from everything we told her sounded like diabetites and she gave us the option of insulin (which she would of had to of done a test then) or change the diet, and we opt for the diet because the thought of accidently over dosing and killing my lil baby broke my heart.

We've made a lil menu of foods to give them, and we're gonna choose one or 2 to use as treats because they can't really have many now LOL!!

We have a fruit stick in their - well - did!
Anyone know of anything like that that they can have??


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## u-look-like-a-hamster (Aug 17, 2008)

Do you have any 

Alafa (sticks,ball,chew etc)


Hamsters love alafa

Or mabey try one of them sweetcorn thingys

or mabey get a 'snak-a'shack'

or even instead of a fruit stick try a veg stick

xx


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## Guest (Aug 19, 2008)

they're not allowed corn, veg stick i shall hunt down!!
I might make one...a mini kebab hahah


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## ChrisTheGerbilGuy (Aug 9, 2008)

no hamsters should not recieve green veg. I'll stick by that because i know what it does to hamsters. Try helping a hamster through wet tail and then you'll know how it feels.

A really good healthy treat for any rodent is mini shredded wheat, it's full of fibre


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## Guest (Aug 21, 2008)

wahooooooooo!! Cheers 

How many at a time? (theres 2 in the cage)

I don't think we've actaully fed them anything green to begin with.


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## u-look-like-a-hamster (Aug 17, 2008)

HAMMIES ARE ALOUD GREEN VEG!!!!!!!!!

u obiosly fed him/her ot much of it

AND FYI I HAVE HAD A HAMMIE WTH WETTAIL

AND HE IS FINE NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

so i know how it feels!!!

nd

A small list of fruite and veg including GREEN veg, that hammies CAN eat

Alfalfa 
Apple (seedless) 
Asparagus 
Avocado (skinned and seedless) 
Banana 
Basil 
Blackberries 
Blueberries 
Broccoli 
Brussel Sprouts - small amounts occasionally - not all hamsters like the strong taste 
Calabrese 
Cabbage - should only be fed in small amounts occasionally as too much can cause health problems 
Carrots 
Cauliflower leaves and stalks 
Celery 
Cherries - stones should be removed as they can be dangerous if gnawed 
Chestnuts 
Chicory 
Chinese Leaves 
Coriander 
Corn-on-the-Cob 
Corn Salad 
Courgette 
Cranberries 
Cress 
Cucumber 
Curly Kale 
Dates 
Endive 
Fenugreek 
Feijoa 
Figs 
Grapes 
Green beans 
Kale - should only be fed in small amounts occasionally as too much can cause health problems 
Kidney Beans (cooked) 
Kiwi Fruit 
Kumquat 
Lettuce - small amounts occasionally - in excess it can cause liver problems 
Logan Berries 
Lychee 
Mange Tout 
Mango 
Marrow 
Melon 
Mint 
Mung 
Okra 
Pak Choy 
Papaya 
Parsley - a good tonic 
Peach 
Pear 
Peas 
Plums - stones should be removed as can be dangerous when gnawed 
Potato (cooked) 
Raspberries 
Raspberry Plant leaves - beneficial for diarrhoea 
Rhubarb (cooked) 
Rocket Chard 
Sage 
Sorrel 
Squash 
Star Fruit 
Strawberries 
Sugar Cane - small amounts 
Sweet Potato 
Soybean Sprouts 
Swede 
Sweetcorn 
Sweet Peppers 
Ugli Fruit 
Turnip 
Water Chestnuts 
Watermelon 
Water Spinach

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA TOLD YOUO if u dont belive me

Hamsters


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## Guest (Aug 21, 2008)

he's a vet.

I think once you've dealt with a ham with wet tail you shouldn't risk it with others.

They're not rabbits so it's harder for their bodies to digest/accept.


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## ChrisTheGerbilGuy (Aug 9, 2008)

all i'm saying is that i've seen wet tail time and time again. And although it's difficult to dertermine the cause, i've asked hamster owners if they feed green veg and they've more often than not replied with a yes. 

One of my hamsters had wet tail and i had to be up every 2 hours through the night with antibiotics, cleaning her cage and injecting her with a pain killer. wet tail is an incredably infectious and painful thing. 90% of hamsters will die. 

In my opinion, i won't risk it. I give healthy treats that won't harm my hamsters in any way.


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## Guest (Aug 22, 2008)

what is it exactly??
I just know its not nice for the hamster to go through.


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## u-look-like-a-hamster (Aug 17, 2008)

They dont always die of 'wet tail'

the genrally die of dehydration


because of the diohria.

i know what its like, it not a nice thing to go through so i feel for u.

Green veg in smalle amounts will be okay 



Saz try loofaa its nice 'my hammies said'

*shifty eyes*

:


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## u-look-like-a-hamster (Aug 17, 2008)

oh yh nd i forgot to put

im a trainee vet, specialising in hamsters, like you and gerbils

The most common reason is because the hammie has had a change in diet

Thus the reason to introduce it slowly like fruit,veg, plants and what-not.

The 2nd most common reason is stress.


Or is it the other way round *thinks*


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## Guest (Aug 22, 2008)

I don't wanna risk it 

where can i buy loofa from?? a general pet shop? or will i need a big one like [email protected]?


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## ChrisTheGerbilGuy (Aug 9, 2008)

u-look-like-a-hamster said:


> oh yh nd i forgot to put
> 
> im a trainee vet, specialising in hamsters, like you and gerbils
> 
> ...


ok, then if your a trainee vet, where do you study? and you can't study hamsters or rodents straight away. You have to fully qualify as a vet before you do an exotics pets course. im sorry, but i don't believe your a trainne vet nurse


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