# Urgent your help needed ill hamster!



## Sytheruk (Nov 3, 2009)

Hello Everyone, I am in urgent need of your help!

My little hamster Nora who is only about 5/6 months old. Since Wednesday she has been making these squeaking noises. Sounds like her nose is blocked. Well since Wednesday she is 10x worse. Squeaking is awful and all she is doing is sneezing.

PLEASE check out this video I just took of her. If you could listen to her and maybe tell me what could be wrong, I would be so grateful.

What's wrong with Nora?  - YouTube

We have already tried different wood shavings, bedding. We have cleaned her bed every day since. We have removed her play sand (Chinchilla bath sand) away incase it was that but she is still doing it as we thought maybe it was a grain of sand stuck in her nose.

She is seems to be eating and drinking ok. Her energy levels seem normal, i.e still wants to play and run in her wheel etc. But she just sounds so poorly.

Along with the squeaking noises you can hear she also when she sneezes sounds like she is very bunged up and flemmy.

We have considered she may have a cold or a respiratory infection. But we have no idea how she could of caught a cold etc as we havent had a cold and she is not in any drafts and we always make sure the house is warm enough. She DOESN'T have a wet nose either.

Our other Hamster Poppy is totally fine who uses the same bedding and materials as Nora.

I am planning on ringing a vet tomorrow but the vets I normally visit don't really know how to deal with Hamsters so will try and ring around afew different vets.

She is currently asleep as I write this and she doesn't make any noises when breathing in her sleep but only when she sneezes in her sleep.

Thank you everyone!

What's wrong with Nora?  - YouTube


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## purple_x (Dec 29, 2010)

I cant watch the video as my speakers dont work but if Nora keeps sneezing and sounds bunged up then I would guess she has a cold/some sort of infection.
Definitely ring the vets in the morning.
Hope she gets better soon.


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

Oh yeah that is odd. With her energy levels and then hearing that sound I would have been tempted to say it was an excited noise. but if she is sounded bunged up then it sounds like a respitory infection. I would get her to a rodent specialist vet tomorrow. Resp infections can get bad quickly so the quicker the better. Hope she's OK!


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## Acid (Aug 8, 2011)

that is way too loud and constant to be normal excitement, it sounds like its her breathing rather than a noise shes conciously making. put her on unscented toliet paper just incase and wash your hands inbetween touching her and the other ham as respiratory infections and colds (if it is one) are extremely contagious.

has she got anything like a bowl or waterbottle thats a bit leaky or does she sleep under it? she might have gotten wet and developed her wheeze from that

until you can get her to a vet (she definately needs to go!) :

she needs to be kept warm with a heating matt under half her bed (not all of it as she'll have nowhere to move to if she gets too hot) or if you dont have one of those a pop bottle full of hot water inside a clean sock popped in her cage next to her house/bed will do

mix up a little honey, milk and water and feed her some 

place a tub of vicks near the cage (not inside) close enough so that she can inhale it, itll help the congestion and clear her airways 

she'll most likely need anitbiotics asap though so the sooner you get her booked in the better


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

doesnt sound right to me at all, does she make a clicking noise at all when shes breathing?
i would be very tempted to say URI
she needs to see a vet now

what beddings have you tried her on? you say other types of woodshavings? wood shavings really should not be used with hamsters at all.
have you tried megazorb or aubiouse? they are great beddings, and no where near as dusty as shavings


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

For the record I didn't think it was excitement...but *from the vid *I only heard a little squeaking when Nora was put right up close to the mic...before that nothing. Plus I agree it is too constant to be just that!


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## Acid (Aug 8, 2011)

didnt mean it to sound like i was correcting you i was agreeing that its tempting to say its an excitement noise at first notice lol


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## Jarhead (Jul 11, 2011)

Thats an odd sound. Check her out. It will brobably just need some medicine


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## Sytheruk (Nov 3, 2009)

thank you all for your replies. Im on my phone at work so sorry if the format of this reply comes out strange. I took nora along to the vets yesterday morning and the vet had a listen and said it seems to be a upper tract infection, which could be caused by asthema as well. Theres definately clicking noises there.

Nora was climbing out her box and exploring at the vets yesterday so she said shed be more worried id nora didnt want to move or was dehydrated, but shes a perfect weight apparently 140g and seemed alert, she prescribed baytril 2.5percent i think, with 0.05ml to be given daily, so noras had two doses already. Got to keep it up for 2 weeks. Trouble is getting nora to take it lol. But we are wrried about her. She sounds so awfull, sounds like fluid there and like shes choking on it sometimes. Shes worse today than yesterday. Jusy hope she hangs im there and the antibiotics kick in and she pulls through. Were using tissue paper for bedding, alomg with paper wool bedding to keep her warm and dust free. Also got food next to her so she dont have to go for it. got vics tub just outside the cage next to her bed area to try and relieve the congestion. Got her in the warmest room and try to keep the house warm too.

Can anyone reccomend any other advice or anything that may help with trying to get food and fluids in her? 

Any help or advice would be great, were just so worried. Shes not just a hamster, shes a part of our family. Just hope she pulls through.

Thats for yiur replies, thought id update you and anyhelp or suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated. 

Thank you


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

please remove the wool bedding, that stuff is a death trap waiting to happen and should be banned 

while it looks nice and warm and cosy, which makes us buy it thinking it will be good for our fluffs, if they eat it, which most hamsters will at some point, it isnt digestable, and will get tangled intheir guts, tieing their intestines up in knots, meaning she will need an emergancy operation to try to save her life
also it is so easy to tangle round their arms, legs and even neck! which if you dont notice soon enough, can lead to loss of limbs, or even strangulation

have you got any probiotics for her aswell as the antibiotics? probiotics are good for the gut and will replenish and good bacteria the antibiotics kill


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## LostGirl (Jan 16, 2009)

Alposoya apparently is fab at masking the taste and getting little furry ones to take medicine 

I also found banana baby porridge worked a treat


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## Sytheruk (Nov 3, 2009)

Update: 

Well , as i said in my post i was at work when i wrote the post before. i finish work at 10pm (late shifts, hate them lol) and when i got home, i found a bright, alert little hammy , running through her tubes, stuffing her face and not making any clicking or wheezing noises! i was like  such a supprise to how she appeared that same morning. She sounded so awfull and didnt want to move, and was constantly wheezing and choking and sneezing and clicking, but now... not a peep from her! its amazing and im stunned. 

maybe the two doses of antibiotics and alot of rest and warmth really did the trick, and maybe a bit of luck and prayers on her side as well as we know how fast hamsters can go down hill..... 

so yeah... just thought id let you know she seems back to her old self.... Ill keep on with the prescribed antibiotics though. want the infection to be stomped out so will continue the two week course. As for probiotics for the gut, the only thing i have is probiotic natural yogurt, she seems to like yogurt so ill give her that. Ive also got vitamin drops for her water bottle as well so help.

Lil Miss:- i think you miss-read my post. Dont be alarmed, i know about using wool as bedding... even though pets at home and oher brands sell it as 'safe bedding' wich is a joke! but i said im using paper wool.... its not wool, nore is it made from it... its just like strands of paper like shredded paper really in simmilarity, but made from plant fibres or something so its safe and doesnt strand like wool , it just tears like paper  so no need to worry. i know full well about wool bedding :thumbup:

but yeah, just thought id let you all know how shes getting on. im just shocked shes shown such an improvement in 12 hours. 

Is there anything else thats pro-biotic apart from yoghurt and Pro C powder? 

Many Thanks


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## Sytheruk (Nov 3, 2009)

Heres some pics of our little nora, as i dont think ive posted them anywhere on the site yet  these are a little old. Was the Savic Peggy Metro cage (Biggest one they had at time in [email protected]) We got her from the addoption center In [email protected] No intention of getting another hamster. But instantly fell inlove with her and walked out with her and a new cage 30mins later lol.

So pics are of her in old cage, but she is now in the Savic Hamster Heaven Metro 80 (the New Design) .


































And if anyone doesnt know our other Hammy Poppy... Here she is too


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## purple_x (Dec 29, 2010)

Both your hamsters are so cute, lovely colours both of them.

I'm so glad that Nora is better after just a short time on antibiotics, brilliant news


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## Jarhead (Jul 11, 2011)

Glad shee is feeling better


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