# URGENT: Hamster - seizure, spinal deformity, & dying



## kat04kt (Sep 11, 2011)

Hi, 

I rescued a pet shop hamster today. I went in to get some supplies, walked past the cage and noticed a syrian hamster breathing funny. I watched him and then he went into a full blown seizure and was screaming, it was the most awful noise I've ever heard.

I grabbed him out and held him until his seizure subsided. He has a spinal deformity and has limited use of his back legs.

His bottom teeth are overgrown making his bite very difficult. 

He was starving and dehydrated. It felt like he almost felt relieved that I was holding him and had him out of the tank he was kept in. He had two more seizures on the journey home.

Once home I hand feed him food and water. At first he was too weak to take anything but I let droplets of water land on his mouth which he licked off. He collapsed but finally managed to take a seed and nibble it. 

Slowly I feel some energy has returned. I've hand feed him seeds and He must have been so dehydrated because he drank quite a bit of water.

So far he hasn't had a seizure since he's been back. But he's so weak he's collapsed numerous times, I've held his paw while he recovered. 

Any advice on anything else I can be doing for him right now? 

Is it possible his seizures were caused because of dehydration/hunger? 

I will either clip his teeth tomorrow or wait to get him to a vet. I think I can manage this myself because he has such limited movement it won't be hard to keep him still. 


I'm doing my best to keep my emotions together right now and I have to approach this clinically, so I'm sorry if I come across this way. 
I knew taking him, I was probably bringing him home to die. Better that he does that in as much comfort as possible, then on a shop floor with no-one giving him a second thought. He actually seems to have a lot of surviving spirit, I'm going to do everything I can for this little guy - so any advice much appreciated.


P.s: Right now - if it's ok, I really don't want to get into what I feel about this pet shop. I will deal with them later. And I mean I WILL DEAL WITH THEM. 

Right now I have to focus on Mr Fox, which is what I've called him because his little face looks just like a fox. I don't have time tonight to be wasting energy getting angry at them, but rest assure that is not how it will be next week.


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## Snippet (Apr 14, 2011)

One of my rats had a seizure. I phoned the vet, who told me it is possible for them to have seizures if the blood sugar level isn't high enough. They can also have seizures if they are dehydrated. You could syringe some sugary water into his mouth. This will give him some water and sugar, and will avoid him trying to eat if his teeth are that over grown.


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## LostGirl (Jan 16, 2009)

Defo try some sugar and water, If you could clip his teeth it would help But i think at the moment water and getting his blood sugars up are more important. 

fingers crossed he pulls through, hes lucky hes gone to a home that will try and help him shame on the pet shop  

I would also keep a dairy and take pics to use agaisnt the pet shops.x


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## WelshYorkieLover (Oct 16, 2011)

Poor little guy! I really hope he pulls through!


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## thedogsmother (Aug 28, 2008)

Fingers crossed that the little guy can find enough fighting spirit to help you to get him to full health.


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## Acid (Aug 8, 2011)

aww poor boy hope he makes it x 

if hes struggling to eat feed him soft foods like scrambled egg and soak his hamster mix in water to make it soft and easier to eat. depending on how bad his deformed spine is you might want to let the vet clip his teeth incase he suddenly struggles and damages his back, the vets should do it very quickly too which would be less stressful for him and lessen the chance of a fit (from stress)


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## thedogsmother (Aug 28, 2008)

Baby food is another easy food to give them, it puts weight on really well, if he can manage it egg food has always done wonders for building up my poorly, underweight or elderly hamsters.


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## Guest (Nov 12, 2011)

Aw, poor little guy.

It's great that you've rescued him, and I really hope he'll pull through. x


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

im going to be blunt, as sugar coating things will only make it harder for you

he sounds VERY much like a few hamsters we took in, mum dad, and a litter of 5 bubs, 3 of the babies were deformed and had problems eating, and walking, they also had seizures, we fought so hard for them, syringe feeding round the clock but to no avail

chance was the first to go, he lost all use of his legs and was helped over the bridge at just 10 weeks old
(pic and vid as links due to them being distressing to see)
http://i798.photobucket.com/albums/yy265/Lil_Miss_/hamsters/IMGP3125.jpg
hamsters :: Video-0008.mp4 video by Lil_Miss_ - Photobucket

then we lost baby at just 14 weeks old, due to a full neurological shut down
hamsters :: Video-0006.mp4 video by Lil_Miss_ - Photobucket
http://i798.photobucket.com/albums/yy265/Lil_Miss_/hamsters/IMGP2828.jpg

and then finally sassy fell into a coma as she went into neurological shut down and made her way over the bridge at just 15 weeks old
hamsters :: Video-0005.mp4 video by Lil_Miss_ - Photobucket
http://i798.photobucket.com/albums/yy265/Lil_Miss_/hamsters/IMGP3024.jpg

you are going to need to syringe feed him both food and water round the clock, and it isnt going to be easy 
i wish you the best of luck with them and have everything crossed that he isnt as bad as my sweet babies were


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## kat04kt (Sep 11, 2011)

Hey 

Thanks so much for your kind words everyone. 

Lil Miss - he has exactly the same spinal deformities as your three had and because he is so malnutrioned from being left in a tank for ten weeks he has no strength at all to move. I knew bringing him home that this was one hamster that doesn't have long to live. I just want to give him the best possible home for the little life he has left, just for him to know some love, kindness, and help. I'm glad I saw your videos. Atleast I know for pretty much certain what I can expect. 

With the baby food - is any type of baby food ok? Or is there something specific I should be getting? Also - where's the best place to get hold of syringes quickly? 

Thanks everyone xx


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

atleast you know what to expect, i just didnt want to sugar coat things for you and have you thinking everything would be fine only for it to all go wrong if that makes sense.

with ours we made a mix specifically for them, we used a chicken & veg based baby food (no garlic or onions), some oxbow critical care carnivore, oxbow critical care herbivore, & avipro plus which they all seamed to do really well on.
chance and sassy were able to eat bits on their own, but baby relied fully on us to feed him, if your newbie is like ours i would not feed him sugar water as was suggested earlier, as all 3 were diabetic on top of their deformities.

vets will normally be happy to supply you with a couple of syringes if you ask, we order ours online in bulk


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## thedogsmother (Aug 28, 2008)

kat04kt said:


> Hey
> 
> Thanks so much for your kind words everyone.
> 
> ...


I cant advise as to syringe feeding, but it sounds like Lil Miss will be able to help you there, as far as the baby food goes I used to get the jars, anything with banana in used to go down really well, also chicken and veg was another good one, I hope he beats the odds and makes it through this but if not he will have gone out knowing someone cares and has done their best for him, which is so important, Im still sending healing thoughts for him xx


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## kat04kt (Sep 11, 2011)

I don't know if this means anything in terms of how well he might do, but he has been out of his bed, collected a little food in his pouch, he then mastered the energy to make a bed in the little plastic house in the cage, doing the normal hamster thing of blocking the entrance - he did this laid on his back, I helped him by moving the bedding right outside but his determination is unbelievable.

And I've seen him eating on his own accord. I put a range of food in and he took sunflower seeds from my hand. To get his sugar levels up - I put a hamster honey and nut stick in - he went for it, and didn't do bad having a munch.

When I brought him home I bought a cage specifically for nursing him, the ferplast plastic one with a wire mesh on top. It's very small, compared to JC's mansion it looks ridiculous, but as he can't move about I thought something simple was best. I took the top tier out - makes it easier for me to reach in and help him back up when he falls over.

He's at the side of my bed and I've been singing lullaby's to him. He's the size of a drawf hamster - although he is a syrian.

I managed a sneaky picture when he was doing his best at eating a nut.










I've got cheese in and baby food, don't have any syringes but going to try and fashion something out of a straw - although as he is eating I just have to play this by ear.

Thanks again everyone, will keep you updated!
xx


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## kat04kt (Sep 11, 2011)

Just an update. Mr Fox is still going and he lapped up his baby food last night. 

He has an appointment on Friday with a specialised Hamster vet who's going to do a full assessment. Finger's crossed!


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## LostGirl (Jan 16, 2009)

Wow he's mega gorgeous!!

It sounds like he's a little better


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## zany_toon (Jan 30, 2009)

He is a beautiful little thing. I will keep my fingers crossed for him when he gets to the vet on Friday - maybe they could copy their notes for you for when you complain about the pet shop to the relevant people? I really hope he is ok, he is certainly a fighter.


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## kat04kt (Sep 11, 2011)

Hiya, 

Another update, Mr Fox is still with me. Vet's tomorrow morning 10am. 

Fingers crossed!

P.s I'm onto the complaint with the petshop - it's being seriously investigated. 
xx


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## missnaomi (Jun 4, 2010)

I hardly really come her, mostly lurk about in the dog section...and occasionally the cat one...but I just wanted to say what you're doing is so lovely...and whilst I'm willing him to do really well and thrive...it's so nice that he has a caring home.
Naomi xxxx


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

its great to hear hes still with us, hows his eating? have you been keeping an eye on his weight? have the fits calmed down any?


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## zany_toon (Jan 30, 2009)

Good luck at the vet tomorrow


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## Quinzell (Mar 14, 2011)

You're a lovely person, Kat. Thinking of you and Mr Fox tomorrow....I hope his visit goes well.


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## kat04kt (Sep 11, 2011)

Hi Everyone, 

Again thank you so much for your kind words. 

We've been to the vet and Mr Fox is still with me!!!!  xx

He's been given metacam which he has to take twice a day. He's eating and has managed to grind his teeth down! I'm sure they were over grown so I put plenty of gnaw toys in his cage plus a hamster feed stick - and it seems to have done the trick because he's attacked them with gusto and I've noticed his bite improving a little - he's sticking his tongue out less and he's clearly eating from the stick. The vet said his teeth were ok. He's not eating as much baby food anymore, I was worried about this but the vet said I should stop providing it now because it's done the trick to get his strength back and now he's going at the dry food for himself, which is clear because you can see how much he's eaten on the stick, so as long as I'm monitoring there's no need to keep providing baby food unless he's struggling to eat again or loses any weight.

The vet was impressed by his lovely clean fur and the fact he takes himself to the toilet at the opposite side of the cage and lifts his bum up to go. His eyes are much brighter. This was not a hamster this vet wanted to put to sleep, he's a little fighter and the vet wants to give him the best possible fighting chance! I was so worried the vet was going to say, there's nothing we can do, it's kinder to put him to sleep. 

He still sleeps alot but his seizures have stopped and last night in the car journey on, while he was on my OH lap - we saw him have his first proper play - this little man is fearless. He's in a car on the motorway you'd think he'd have hidden away the whole journey, not Mr Fox, he was out, wanting to see what was going on, when he realised there wasn't much to see, he took to attacking his toilet roll, and playing with this gnaw toys. 

The vet says it's one of two things - he was either dropped when young or it's neurological. The metacam will relieve any inflammation in his back that could be pressing on nerves if it was caused by trauma and that may very well help his walking and balance. If it's neurological then it won't help but it will relieve any pain. From his movements and the fact he's eating the vet doesn't believe his pain is too great is he has any. 

He was just badly neglected - needs the type of cage set up I've provided where everything is at ground level with lots to stimulate him (tunnels, grass house, gnaw toys, little hideys) and for now the vet says - 'we just need more time to see how this little man goes'. He has a course of metacam for 20 days so we'll review then.

All week I'd kept myself on this 'please just make it till Friday, please just make it till Friday' and I had to keep myself strong and not really let it all in, but when I came out the vets with him, I got in my car and broke down in tears! The relief to be bringing him home with a little ray of hope that he may have a shoot at life, when last Saturday I believed I was bringing him home to die - is just - oh, I can't describe what it is. But it was enough to have me crying in my car like a baby! 

xx


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## 1290423 (Aug 11, 2011)

Kat,
Just want to say waht a lovely person you are! Wish we could clone you as this world certainly needs more like you.
Thank you
love
DT

ps hopingYou can pull Mr Fox through this.xxxx


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## Quinzell (Mar 14, 2011)

So far, so good then. I really hope this little guy continues to improve. He really does deserve the best and it sounds like he's got just that with you


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## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

aww he is absolutely adorable, well done Kat for doing everything you can to give him the best chance possible, fingers crossed he continues to improve xxx


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## Faythy (Nov 15, 2011)

Thanks for the update, I've been reading this thread and hoping Fantastic Mr Fox pulls through. You're doing a great job, good luck to you and lil hammy. x


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## tinamary (Aug 17, 2008)

If only there were more people in the world like you. Well done for looking after him. He deserves the best and it looks like he is going to get it with you.


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