# Wet Tail (Hamsters)



## kaitlynw (Oct 18, 2014)

I have 2 dwarf hamsters and have had many in the past. One of my hamsters got Wet Tail a few weeks ago and my friend has had the same problem, I have read tonnes of articles about how to cure it, and now feel confident enough to advise other people about it. 

I would recommend having a hospital tank (a small tank with a small heat pad on the outside, used for reptiles). A heat pad stuck on the outside of a tank creates a warm, snug area in the tank for a hamster to snuggle up to and recover. Warmth can make a lot of difference to the speed of recovery, particularly in cases where the animal is in shock.

Keeping your hamster warm is crucial, another important thing is making sure everything around your hamster is clean. Clean out its bedding regularly and make sure to clean the actual cage, and all of its' toys. 

If you are unsuccessful in curing your hamster, take it to the vets and get it checked out/buy some medication for him/her. 

Good luck, let me know if there's anything else you think is important in the comments.


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## Amelia66 (Feb 15, 2011)

i think the best advice in a case of wet tail is to take them to the vets and not try to cure yourselves as it can kill hamsters very very quickly. 

im glad your hamster is ok.


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

dwarf hamsters can not catch wet tail, wet tail is a syrian specific diesise.
wet tail and diariah are not the same thing, however diariah is a symptom of wet tail

wet tail needs antiabiotics, you can not cure it yourself


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## StormyThai (Sep 11, 2013)

Advising home treatment for something as serious as wet tail is irresponsible at best..especially as Miss pointed out that Dwarves can not get wet tail so you had a icky tummy rather than a life threatening condition :001_huh:


Just to make it clear...If you (general you) suspect wet tail or even just standard diarrhea then the first port of call should be the vets.


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## Freep (Dec 19, 2012)

I say vets too, I bought a tiny hamster from a pet shop to save it. It had wet tail so took it to the vets, it was given anti biotics and probiotics but due to it being poorly it had an anal prolapse which can happen to hamsters that have wet tail or diarrhoea. 
We paid £100 for the operation but he only made it a week and went in his sleep.

Never try to just hope for the best, if your hamster's stool s different to normal and there is no reason for it then get it to a vet for anti biotics  xx


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## Phoenix24 (Apr 6, 2013)

I used to keep hamsters a long time ago, and wet tail was inevitable at some point no matter how hard you try and keep them clean (by which I mean I had a lot of hamsters, i'm not saying every hamster gets it!). I always went straight to the vet at any hint of illness; a small animal like a hamster can go downhill very quickly. Providing therapeutic care (nursing) is of course a must for any sick animal to recover, but this cannot be done in isolation for some problems and wet tail is one of them.

I never knew it wasn't possible for dwarf hamsters to get 'wet tail' - learn something new all the time


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## Amelia66 (Feb 15, 2011)

Phoenix24 said:


> I used to keep hamsters a long time ago, and wet tail was inevitable at some point *no matter how hard you try and keep them clean* (by which I mean I had a lot of hamsters, I'm not saying every hamster gets it!). I always went straight to the vet at any hint of illness; a small animal like a hamster can go downhill very quickly. Providing therapeutic care (nursing) is of course a must for any sick animal to recover, but this cannot be done in isolation for some problems and wet tail is one of them.
> 
> I never knew it wasn't possible for dwarf hamsters to get 'wet tail' - learn something new all the time


Actually the contributing factor to hamsters getting wet tail is stress. Feeding sugary food or sudden diet changes can also cause it. I have had many many hamsters and they have never had wet tail [thank god] its not hard to keep hamsters in clean conditions.

So i wouldn't say it was inevitable.


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