# Very ill hamster indeed



## Hamster is very ill help (Jun 9, 2013)

Hi,

Any help at all would be appreciated.

Our hamster escaped last night. He turned up this morning out from behind the kitchen cupboards. He was covered in black sticky oily stuff and couldn't walk very well. 

We managed to clean him up and dislodge a huge piece of pasta in his pouch. He still cannot breathe. He sits in his cage and coughs, squeaks or cannot make a sound. His eyes are barely open. He looks very swollen all round and is very dishevelled.

It's Sunday evening and no vets are open can you help. Does this sound like rat poison to you. We live in a rented building with a history of mice. Thinking previous tenants put poison down and he's eaten it. Or he has oil covering his throat so he can't breathe.
Any help would be great at this stage
Thanks,


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

you need to get him to a vets, there will be an emergancy vet you can take him to, if you ring your local vets there will be a number on their answerphone for you to ring to get in touch with a vet now


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

There has to be an emergency vet open somewhere. As said, ring your vet and they will give you the number on an answerphone message. Nothing else to be done, I'm afraid.


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## polishrose (Oct 26, 2011)

How is the hamster now?


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## Phoenix24 (Apr 6, 2013)

Whatever the oily substance was he might have tried to lick it off his fur, and that's what is causing the sickness. It also sounds like the sticky stuff has either blocked his throat (difficulty breathing) and/or lower down his digestive tract. With such a small animal time is of the essence, the only thing you could try I suppose is offering something that can absorb any toxins he might have consumed, e.g clay - many animals that eat poisonous fruit will consume clay for that reason. Your own option is kaolin (a form of clay), which you can buy online or from your vet (we use one called 'pro-kolin' for our dog which has probiotics as well, you can use this for your hammy it is meaty flavoured).

What did you use to get the stuff off his fur? Try offering vegetable oil, as this might clear out in the internal blockage.


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