More than that and he is in danger of overheating, which he probably already is given his infection. And lower than that can bring on a cold for the hammy.
Any amount of stress or excess handling an make his condition worse. Do not place the hamster in direct sunlight, instead keep him in a shielded, darker corner. At all times, wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap before, but especially after handling your sick hammy. Wet tail can be fairly hard to survive for hamsters.
Once the signs of illness start to show, it becomes progressively harder to successfully treat. There were cases where the hammy unfortunately passed away, even after being cured. This was because of the stress brought on by the illness itself, and hamsters are terrible stress managers.
This means that you should be watching your hamster closely, and handling it every few hours. For older hammies, the chances are lower than for babies, This is because their immune system is already breaking down, as opposed to forming like in babies.
So, if your elder hammy is stricken with wet tail, do your best to treat him. But if worse comes to worst, be prepared for his passing. If you like this article so far, you can pin it to your Pinterest board by clicking the image below. The article continues after the image. The way wet tail develops is thought to be because of stress.
Stress brings a host of psychosomatic reactions from the hamster, including severe changes to the bacteria in his gut. That can trigger wet-tail. Which in turn may lead to wet tail. A stressed hamster will show any signs of illness.
Hamsters are very sensitive creatures, and can be stressed easily. A few factors for hamster stress include:. Overcrowded cage — the size of the cage matters so much more on that here , and keeping hamsters together in an appropriate sized cage. The right sized cage is a minimum of 24 x 12 inches, and about 12 inches tall. Not all hamsters can live together though, and some will fight to the death. Crucial info on that can be found here. Especially the babies, under 12 weeks of age.
Be very careful when handling your hamster, and never let a child or pet interact unsupervised. Hamsters require so much attention and gentleness, they are not well suited to families with small children or lots of pets. You can find out more on how to show your hamster affection the right way, without annoying him in this article.
And you can find out more about how to tame your hamster without stressing him out here. And also, an unclean cage can become moldy in some places. Imagine your tiny hamster, breathing in those mold spores, wreaking havoc in his immune system. An infection will be the last thing your hammy needs, but it might just happen.
Like in humans, hamster medications can sometimes interfere. Or, they can make it easier for some problems to appear. It can happen, rarely, but it can still happen. You can make sure your hamster survives by not getting wet tail in the first place. That means your need to follow a few steps in the first place. Hamsters are very susceptible to stress-related illnesses. So naturally, they must be kept away from stress factors. Do not house your hamster with another. One hamster will always be more dominant, and might start bullying the submissive one.
It can be hard to make out the difference between playfighting, and actual serious fighting between hamsters. Hamsters are mostly nocturnal , so a rowdy house during the day will be incredibly stressful for the hamster.
Do not introduce lots of new people to your hamster at the same time. Your hammy will be overwhelmed, and needed a few days to trust you in the first place. He will freak out and hide when faced with many new people he does not know. Try not to wake up or annoy the hamster , since it will not rest properly and he will be very irritable. Let the creature rest peacefully.
A hamster exposed to very cold temperatures will enter a state that can be confused with hibernation. More on hamster hibernation and the risk of keeping them in too cold a room. Hamsters are very sensitive creatures, and as such your hands need to be clean before handling them. Before you touch your hamster, make sure your hands are clean. Use an antibacterial soap, and try to find one with little to no scent. They too need to be disinfected and cleaned before you first place them in the cage.
The shipping, the handling, and where the toys were stored can all be health risks. Watery foods, like cucumber, watermelon, zucchini, grapes more about safe foods here can trigger diarrhea in your hammy.
Well, the water your hamster can decide how much to drink. I mean the water from the water bottle. But the water content in the fruit or veg is not up to him, and he can be overly hydrated. Conversely, do not give your hammy milk. The lactose content in milk is the highest compared to cheese or yogurt , and that can trigger a bout of diarrhea too. The water your hamster drink must be safe and clean. So, you can either boil the water beforehand, to rid it of bacteria. Or, you can use a bottled water that is labeled as safe for newborn humans, which is safe for hamsters as well.
You can find out here how much water a hamster needs, and how to clean his water bottle. I hope you found out how to save us if we ever get wet tail. I hope your hamster friend is alright too. If you want to know more about us hammies, you should check out the articles below for more info how to care for us and feed us right. Table of Contents. Related blog post. What Noises Do Hamsters Make?
Now, we all know hamsters are very quiet creatures and barely make any sounds, at all. But when they do, you might be at a loss for what they mean. But they all have a specific meaning. Squeaking This is a sound you might hear fairly often from your hamster. What is clear though, is that the hamster is reacting strongly to something, and his opinion is very important and needs to be heard. My Teddy does this weirdly when he sleeps. A very small, angry rubber duck. I think it really depends on the context of that specific moment.
As in, so jittery and feverish in their clicking that handling them is not an option. Hamsters will also click their teeth at each other as a sign to keep their distance. My Teddy is a lone hamster, and he has a big enough cage. When he was younger he used to click his teeth every now and then and take it out on the cage bars. If your hamster is clicking his teeth at you, well, stay away. This is never a good sound, and it will tear right through you.
For example a neighbor came once, with his little girl. Said he wanted to show her the hammy, and she was very curious. Well, when Teddy was in my hands and the little girl tried to pet him, Teddy started hissing and thrashing, wanting back in his cage. You will also hear this sound from your Dwarf pairs, when they start fighting.
Sometimes it might not get very loud, but it can happen. Not many people have heard this sound, but I;m leaving it here anyway, in case your hamster does this. Standing up on his hind legs Hamsters do this when they get curious about something, and they want to hear things out. They can also freeze in this position, sometimes even for 2 whole minutes. You can find out more about hamsters freezing here. Mouth open, ears back, fur ruffled The hamster is trying to intimidate, and is getting ready for a fight.
Like when I leaned over his cage to get something and he saw that as a threat, when I looked down at him he was making himself very big.
When that happens, lower yourself to eye-level with the hamster. Not just your head, your entire body. Hamsters feel threatened by creatures bigger than them, so try to make yourself very small. Talk to him softly until he calms down. Try feeding him a treat to help things along. Rubbing his hips or belly on something This is the hamster simply marking his territory. Syrian hamsters have a scent gland on each hip, while Dwarf types have one on their belly.
The hamster will use his scent gland to mark when he believes is his. The hamster will stumble out of his nest and take a couple of steps before stretching all his limbs, and curling his tail back. He also yawns when he stretches, which reveals a gaping maw of teeth and the entrance to his cheek pouches. It looks awful and he is neither huggable nor fluffy. The hamster will mind his own business, as always, nothing exciting or extra boring happening. Then he will slowly, in slow motion, start to lay down completely flat and seem to fall asleep, wherever he is.
And I have no answer for why he did this. He opens his eyes and looks at me if I tap the cage. But he goes back to sleep is it sleep? A word from Teddy I hope you found what you were looking for in this article.
If you want to know more about us hamsters you should check out the related articles below. Read more So the best thing to do is to prevent your hamster from escaping in the first place. But for that, we need to figure out why hamsters try to escape in the first place. Table of Contents So why does your hamster try to escape? Since hamsters are very quiet creatures, easy to scare, they can get uneasy in their homes. So make sure that any other pets in the house leave the hamster alone, by separating the hamster in a different room.
Hamsters are very curious and want to explore Despite being easy to scare and sometimes too shy, hamsters are curious. So sometimes you might see your hammy all over the place, climbing the cage walls as well, to try to get to what is happening.
If that is the case, make sure you give the hamster plenty of attention. An example is when I make evening tea. I usually set the mug on the kitchen counter, which is where I keep Teddy at night. Or when you notice your hamster very focused on trying to reach something outside the cage, distract him with a treat on the other side of the cage.
Also remove the distraction, or move the cage. Rodents in general, and especially hamsters, live a very fast-paced life. They climb their cage, they run around, they will chew on everything. Make sure your hamster has enough toys to keep him entertained — like bendy bridge, a hide and seek tube, lots of hiding places. And most importantly make sure you keep your hamster well exercised.
That means a hamster wheel, for him to run in. This is to prevent back injuries and keep the hamster from feeling too confined. Also, an exercise ball for when he is outside the cage will help greatly. Your hamster can explore the house, and will learn the smells and sounds of it as well. As well as run as much as his heart tells him to. Just be sure to keep the ball away from other pets when the hamster is inside. A few considerations for a hamster exercise ball can be found here. For exercise balls the same space requirements apply as the exercise wheel.
The absolute minimum for Syrian hamsters is 24 inches by 12 inches in floor space. But I do recommend getting a cage with more space than that. Keep in mind that most of the cages you find in stores are too small for Syrians, and the accessories that come with them are too small as well. The best cages for Syrians are actually the ones that are suited for ferrets or chinchillas or guinea pigs. But there the space between bars is a problem because the Syrian can escape through them.
Giving your hamster a lot of space to run around and play is going to keep him much happier, and he will want to escape much less. In general hamsters need a wide and low cage, instead of one with many levels, but they can enjoy those too. The distance between the cage wires is important, since the hamster can squeeze through them.
If they can get their head through, they can get their body through as well. So for Syrians the wire distance should be 0. Siberians and smaller breeds need much less space between the wires. He has bridges connecting the floors and a thick layer of bedding in case he falls. If your want to know more about what kind of cage to get your hammy, look here to know how to choose a hamster cage.
I cover the 3 main types of cage, as well as how to clean the 3 kinds of cages. A scared hamster will try to escape If there is something bothering or even scaring your hamster consistently, he will try to escape.
He will try to run as far away as possible, and will keep escaping if you bring him back. This is a case where cage size and temperature and food quality does not matter. So watch your hamster for a few days, and see what keeps spooking him. Pets, kids, lawnmowers, visiting aunts, it could be anything. Find the reason, and figure out a way to keep your hamster safe. An idea would be to keep the hamster in a different room, where nothing can bother him and he can sleep peacefully.
If the hamster is scared of you, the owner, then you need to build trust with him. Let him get used to you, let him know your smell, and do not rush him. Check the article on how to tame your hamster. Place your hand into his cage, with a treat on it.
He will come to take the food, but possibly run away after that. Repeat this every day until your hamster trusts you to touch your hand. From there, small steps towards holding your hamster in your hand, inside the cage. He knows a friendly tone from a harsh one. A happy hamster might try to escape sometimes, since we are a curious and energetic bunch. If you want to know more about hamsters, and why we throw our poop around or the best way to feed us, check the articles below.
If you want to know how a hamster would fare if he were to live in the same cage as a rat or mouse, then you should read this article here. As in, leaving the hamster in his cage all his life is not a problem, as long as he has a large enough cage. He does need a bit of exercise, but this is where his exercise wheel comes to the rescue. The only exceptions are the Dwarf types, who can live with a sibling or two of the same sex. Even so, I recommend keeping any and all hamsters alone, one hamster per cage.
Their cages need to have plenty of hiding places, so they can feel safe. This also means that taming the hamster will not be as easy as taming a puppy. He will take anywhere between a few days and a few weeks to trust you.
And that trust can always be lost, or forgotten if you stop interacting with him for a few days. Still, hamsters make for very entertaining pets. This means that if you go to bed before 10 PM you might just miss their waking up. They want to explore and see everything. There is no in-between. For example 3 females, or 2 males seems to be the best kind of match. There will always be one mouse trying to be the dominant one.
Mice are much smaller than hamsters — smaller than a Dwarf sometimes — and are so much more agile and quick. But it is much harder than with a hamster. Usually mice are kept as pets to look at, rather than play with. Mice are only a slight bit smarter in this area. Still, seeing a small colony of mice interact and build their own little nests, and lay with every little toy is going to be fun. Given how shall mice are, even the mellow, chill ones will seem skittish.
They must be siblings, and never been separated at all. Even then, they might argue from time to time. Actually rats bond with their owners much more than hamster or mice, and actually like it when their owners hold them.
When it comes to food, rats will eat almost anything. This means they will eat about equal proportions of meat, grains, veggies, and fresh fruit. They will steal anything if ever left outside of their cage, and let them out your should from time to time. A bored rat is never good news. But, a rat is a smart animal, and he will be very entertaining.
They all eat mostly grains, with some fruit and vegetables thrown in for good measure. Nuts and peanuts are welcome too, ans so it a bit of meta. Do keep in mind that the serving sizes vary from animal to animal. This is per hamster, per day. A mouse will need just the one teaspoon, once a day, aside from whatever treats you give them. A rat will need much more, amounting to 2 tablespoons of their commercial mix food. However all 3 have teeth that never stop growing, and they will need to gnaw on something all the time.
This is where the dry grains or pellets come in handy. Social needs of all 3 rodents and how they get along with owners Hamsters are solitary animals. This is mostly because hamsters are very territorial, and they end up fighting over everything, unless they have a very very large cage.
They should be siblings, of the same sex, and never separated. Handling them — and as such taming them — is going to be difficult, like with Dwarf hamsters.
They can grow bored very easily, and need a whole lot of toys. For example a hamster can live in a cage of 24 x 12 inches, and about 12 inches tall.
This is for one lone Syrian hamster, or two Dwarf types. This same size is enough for one male rat, or 3 female mice. Females live together easier. The condition is most common in young hamsters around the time of weaning. A presumptive diagnosis of proliferative ileitis is often made based on observation of the characteristic clinical signs in a young hamster.
Treatment can be attempted by administering a suitable antibiotic. Replacing fluid losses and providing supportive care including supplemental feeding; however, many affected hamsters will sadly succumb to the illness or require euthanasia due to the severity of the condition.
Some conditions causing diarrhoea or wetness around the back end are just as serious; however, others are minor and much more successfully treatable. Diarrhoea caused by something other than proliferative ileitis is an important alternative to consider. Something as simple as a sudden change in diet can upset the digestion, resulting in softer or wetter droppings. These can collect around the back end and tail, causing signs similar to those of true Wet Tail.
Your vet may have an idea as to the likely cause by asking questions about the diet and any recent changes and by checking your hamster over to assess general health. Hamsters presenting with sudden onset diarrhoea due to simple reasons such as a sudden diet change will often still be bright and active in themselves and eating normally in contrast to hamsters with proliferative ileitis which are often unwell.
Other causes of diarrhoea include bacterial, viral or parasitic intestinal infections other than Lawsonia intracellularis , side effects of certain antibiotics and as a secondary symptom of other diseases. UTIs can result in increased frequency of urination and urinary incontinence. If you notice any of these symptoms, please take your pet to a small animals vet or an exotic vet immediately. If untreated, wet tail kills. A Syrian Hamster in foul condition suffering from wet tail.
The ONLY way to cure wet tail is to take your hamster to the vets for antibiotics and sometimes even a course of hydration the vet may use a syringe or dropper to force feed your hamster water. There is no diet to cure it, no natural remedies, no home remedies, and they don't get better alone. If untreated, your hamster will die. Wet tail is extremely serious and can kill them within hours. Once your pet has seen a vet, make sure you keep a close eye on them in a clean cage.
Quarantine your animal from any other pet, don't allow your clothing to come into contact with the infected animal, always change clothes, wash up thoroughly and even wear gloves when handling or feeding the pet to prevent contamination. Your hamster should be somewhere warm, quiet and comfortable and not in direct sunlight, against a radiator or around other animals.
If your hamster has a cage mate, separate them and make sure you keep a close eye out for symptoms in the other one, your vet may also prescribe them antibiotics to prevent infection or just in case they show signs.
Make sure you clean the cage thoroughly before putting your pet back in; boiling water will kill the germs as will cage cleaner with antibacterial elements. Replace all of the bedding and wipe down the bars or tank sides. Thoroughly wash food and water dishes each time you feed your hamster. Make sure clean water is always available. Like with any illness, your hamster may have symptoms similar to wet tail without wet tail being present.
It is important to be very clear with your vet and have the animal checked. The outlook for wet tail is not usually a positive one, especially in very young, very old or very sick hamsters that have gone untreated. Remember to get your pet immediately to the vets if you suspect wet tail or another health condition.
Deaths can be prevented and illnesses CAN be treated. With proper care, there is no reason why your friend cannot make a full recovery in time. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.
Just took 3 syrian babies age weeks from local pet store and all of them are died in 2 days. Always take your pet to the veterinarian. Trying to treat it at home or with over the counter products not approved by your veterinarian may not be effective.
This will help prevent contaminated food or water, and dry bedding is healthier for hamsters than damp, soiled bedding. Avoid handling young hamsters for a few days after bringing them home. This gives them time to adjust to their environment and reduces stress.
You should also avoid switching their food right away. Find out what food the pet store fed your hamster. Transition them slowly over a few days after your hamster has settled in to avoid upsetting their digestive systems. On top of all this, it is important to isolate sick hamsters from other hamsters.
Thoroughly clean and sterilize the cage. Be sure to provide clean, fresh bedding for your healthy hamsters. Keep an eye on them for symptoms of illness. You can help prevent contagion by keeping new hamsters separate from other hamsters until you have had your hamster examined by a veterinarian or at least a week has passed without signs of illness. Wet tail is not always preventable, but following these steps will give your hamster their best shot at avoiding it.
But it is the most frequently seen hamster disease, so it always pays to know the symptoms. Some hamsters do recover from wet tail disease. The faster you get your hamster in for treatment, the greater the chances are that he will make a full recovery.
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