What do hamsters get sick? How do you treat them?

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While it is not easy to detect deterioration and diagnose diseases in dogs and cats, it is even more difficult in rodents. Owners turn to a veterinarian for help too late. When it comes to rodents, it is even more difficult to find a veterinarian. Therefore, an idea of what diseases of hamsters are most common, how they manifest themselves and how they are treated, will allow you to prepare for any problem that may arise with the health of a small pet and deal with it in a timely manner.

How do I know if my hamster is sick?

Habitual appearance and active behavior of the rodent is a sign of good health. If the animal is inquisitive, eats well, is happy to make contact, has a well-groomed coat and clean eyes, and breathing is calm, then it is healthy. Any changes in appearance or behavior indicate health problems:

apathetic, lethargic state, refusal of contact with the host
constant stay in closed areas of the cage (e.g., house)
partial or complete refusal of food and favorite treats
increased thirst
weight loss
nasal discharge
Increased salivation, causing wetting of the neck and chest fur
discharge from the eyes: abundant transparent or purulent
sneezing
difficult breathing, wheezing, sniffling
deterioration of the coat, its loss, fading, formation of tangles
skin problems: scabbing, scaling, wounds, ulcers
diarrhea, wet hair in the tail area
constipation, in which feces are absent or hard and dry
movement disorder, seizures
swelling of the body, unnatural masses

Any symptoms should be taken seriously. The fact is that even the most seemingly innocuous signs can lead to serious consequences. Respiratory infections lead to pneumonia, and diarrhea – to dehydration and death.

What do hamsters get sick?

The most common hamster diseases are gastrointestinal, respiratory, skin, and trauma (often bites). Some rodent species are characterized by certain diseases to which they are genetically predisposed. For example, dungarees suffer from diabetes mellitus more often than other species. Hamsters are prone to stress, which negatively affects the condition of the skin and coat. They are susceptible to parasitic, fungal, bacterial and viral diseases.

The state of health largely depends on the conditions of keeping, feeding and handling of rodents.

Colds

Reasons	Signs	Treatment	Prevention
Overcooling due to drafts, fans, air conditioners.	– sneezing – nasal discharge – increased lacrimation – fever – lethargy – weight loss	1) place the animal in a warm room 2) give warm drink, you can give milk with honey 3) vitamins 4) immunomodulators	1. Observance of the temperature regime of maintenance. 2. Complete balanced nutrition.

Colds pass in 3-4 days, if you recognize the disease in a hamster in time and perform all therapeutic procedures. A neglected disease turns into bronchitis or pneumonia, which are treated with antibiotics and vitamins. Pneumonia is often accompanied by conjunctivitis.

Avitaminosis

Reasons	Signs	Treatment	Prevention
Insufficient micronutrients in the rodent’s diet.	– flaking of the skin (without signs of inflammation) – dull hair – baldness in wisps, more often in the ear area	Introduce special vitamin and mineral supplements into the diet.	A balanced diet with sufficient vegetables, fruits and greens.

Hamsters are most susceptible to avitaminosis during the period of formation and growth, when the need for useful substances is much greater than in adults. Most often this disease of hamsters manifests itself in winter.

Conjunctivitis in hamsters

Reasons	Signs	Treatment	Prevention
1. Failure to maintain hygienic conditions. Hay or sawdust in the eyes. 2. Colds. 3. Viral or bacterial infections. 4. Allergies.	– redness of the skin around the eyes – itching – eye discharge, which may be purulent – drooping eyelids – increased body temperature	1) flush both eyes with saline solution 2) inject with medications prescribed by the veterinarian, Albucid is more commonly prescribed	1. Timely cleaning of the cage. 2. Use of quality materials as bedding. 3. Proper diet.

Rodent poisoning

Reasons	Signs	Treatment	Prevention
Expired, substandard or banned product in your hamster’s diet.	– weakness – lethargy – food refusal – thirst – profuse salivation – fever – diarrhea	In the first 30 minutes after poisoning: 1) flush the stomach with boiled water 2) use vomiting agents as prescribed by a ratologist 3) take to a specialist	1. using only quality and non-expired products. 2. complete elimination of banned foods from your diet.

Inflammation and trauma to the cheek sacs

Reasons	Signs	Treatment	Prevention
Poor quality hamster food (hard or sticky). Injury with a sharp object.	– restless behavior – the animal often rubs its cheeks with its paw as if washing its face – food refusal	1) remove the stuck food by gently twisting the cheeks 2) rinse the damaged area with water 3) treat with a bactericidal solution and ointment 4) do not feed for the first 12 hours after cleaning. Only a veterinarian will perform the procedure correctly!	1. Introducing into your hamster’s diet only good quality food that is not too hard and not jagged. 2. Avoiding contact with small and sharp objects in the cage or during walks.

Boils, abscesses in a hamster.

Reasons	Signs	Treatment	Prevention
Infections, mechanical trauma or poor immunity.	– swelling – redness – soreness at the site – loss of appetite – decreased activity	In case of purulent abscess – it is opened and treated with chlorhexidine and ointment. If necessary, antibiotics are prescribed. In abscesses: 1) wound-healing ointments are used, such as levomekol, etc. 2) immunomodulators	1. Maintaining a safe housing environment. 2. Maintaining immunity with a quality and nutritious diet or vitamin feed.

Eczema

Reasons	Signs	Treatment	Prevention
Stress or allergic reaction.	– dry hair – wounds – scales on the skin – stunted growth of young animals	1) tests are taken to rule out parasitic infestation 2) the affected areas are treated with a special ointment, e.g. Zoomikol	1. Avoidance of stressful situations. 2. Eliminating allergenic foods from the diet.

Demodecosis

Reasons	Signs	Treatment	Prevention
Infestation by microscopic mites.	– dandruff – scabies – hair loss	As prescribed by a veterinarian: 1) injection of ivermectin 2) use of ointments to treat affected skin areas	A 2-week quarantine for the new little cage dwellers

Cystitis in hamsters

Reasons	Signs	Treatment	Prevention
Body hypothermia.	– restless behavior, squeaking – frequent urination – the urine is tiny and bloody. – pains	1) antibiotics as prescribed by a veterinarian 2) diet correction 3) vitamin support	Avoid the possibility of hypothermia of the animal. Protection from drafts, fans and air conditioners.

“Wet Tail”

Reasons	Signs	Treatment	Prevention
GI upset caused by infections, bacteria.	– restless behavior – decreased appetite – lethargy – the animal is hunched over, shrinks into a ball. – severe diarrhea – wet hair around the anus	1) isolate from other hamsters 2) drink electrolyte solution 3) administer medications prescribed by a ratologist 4) give only hay and chamomile decoction for 24 hours	1. Observance of hygienic conditions of confinement. 2. Balanced nutrition of the hamster.

Stress in hamsters

A small pet can become upset for many reasons – loud noises, frequent moving of the cage from place to place, poor feeding or grooming, obsessive or insufficient attention from the owner. Stress causes hamsters to develop coat and skin problems. The coat becomes stiff, dull and dry, and wounds appear on the skin due to scratching. Sometimes the hair falls out in clumps. But the most dangerous is a severe fright, when the animal has a heart attack (cardiac arrest) or paralysis (partial or complete).

Treatment of stress in hamsters begins with the elimination of the factors that caused it, and then already the elimination of the consequences – treatment of the skin and coat.

Veterinarians in general know about rodent diseases, what hamsters are sick and how to treat them. However, it is best to turn to doctors of narrow specialization – ratologists. They are able to make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment as soon as possible. In order not to lose a small furry friend, a specialist is consulted when there is a suspicion of any disease, when there is a change in appearance or strange behavior of the animal. It is better to be reinsured than to blame yourself later for being too amateurish and careless.

Take care of your little pets, let them please you with excellent health, good appetite and fun pranks!