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RobbieH
It's been 6 days I believe since I noticed his symptoms
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RobbieH
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He looks ok in that video Robbie, I can’t really see what his breathing is like but it doesn’t look really bad or anything.
Heart failure in elderly hams isn’t so much a disease as the heart beginning to wear out with age, there isn’t anything you can do about that treatment wise, they just get weaker & begin to struggle to breathe normally. I don’t know if that bit about them dying in a week is about hamsters with heart disease & symptoms at a much younger age but that doesn’t apply to hamsters who are old. You can’t really predict how things will go, you just have to keep a close eye on them, keep them comfortable & be prepared to seek help from a vet if there is are any signs of suffering or distress.
Heart failure in elderly hams isn’t so much a disease as the heart beginning to wear out with age, there isn’t anything you can do about that treatment wise, they just get weaker & begin to struggle to breathe normally. I don’t know if that bit about them dying in a week is about hamsters with heart disease & symptoms at a much younger age but that doesn’t apply to hamsters who are old. You can’t really predict how things will go, you just have to keep a close eye on them, keep them comfortable & be prepared to seek help from a vet if there is are any signs of suffering or distress.
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RobbieH
Okay thank you I've decided that I want to take him to the vet and see if there's anything they can do to help him with comfort or slowing it down or something like that I have asked for an appointment for tomorrow
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I think that's a good idea as you can ask them about having some Metacam in case he has any pain. It's very common for older hamsters to be on Metacam and it's very easy to give because it tastes nice - a bit like honey. It's the equivalent of Ibuprofen for humans. An anti inflammatory that gives pain relief. Older hamsters get things older humans get too, like arthritis and toothache so it can give them a bit more bounce when they're on pain relief. Ageing is quite sad, but the hamster's spirit is still willing. All the while they are enjoying their food and life generally and still doing normal hamstery things, they have quality of life, and the Metacam just helps that quality of life.
The MSD piece you linked is a veterinary manual so will be quite clinical. However many vets still don't know a lot about hamsters, unless they are an exotic vet. Exotic vets do a lot more training in hamster illnesses. So if you can, when looking up local vets - trying googling exotic vets in your area. Sometimes there is only one exotic vet in the practice for small animals so then you ask for an appointment with that vet. The price is no different. Sometimes there aren't any exotic vets for some distance so then you'd need to go to a general vet, but as long as they are a good vet they will know about Metacam and ageing symptoms in hamsters.
That piece you linked is specifically talking about thrombosis (blood clots), and as Elusive says, what commonly happens with hamsters is it's just wear and tear on the organs as they get older. There are many types of "heart failure" which is a dramatic sounding term but generally just means the heart is having to work a bit harder. Most older hamsters have a degree of kidney failure as well, but they manage fine. They just start drinking and peeing more usually.
I think the way Cookie is, he doesn't seem like he has a critical condition where he could die within a week. He seems like a little old man who is just ageing gracefully.
Having said that, when they do get older, we always have to be prepared that one day they may just pass peacefully. But the best way to look at it is just enjoy every day and hope they carry on for another few months to a year.
The MSD piece you linked is a veterinary manual so will be quite clinical. However many vets still don't know a lot about hamsters, unless they are an exotic vet. Exotic vets do a lot more training in hamster illnesses. So if you can, when looking up local vets - trying googling exotic vets in your area. Sometimes there is only one exotic vet in the practice for small animals so then you ask for an appointment with that vet. The price is no different. Sometimes there aren't any exotic vets for some distance so then you'd need to go to a general vet, but as long as they are a good vet they will know about Metacam and ageing symptoms in hamsters.
That piece you linked is specifically talking about thrombosis (blood clots), and as Elusive says, what commonly happens with hamsters is it's just wear and tear on the organs as they get older. There are many types of "heart failure" which is a dramatic sounding term but generally just means the heart is having to work a bit harder. Most older hamsters have a degree of kidney failure as well, but they manage fine. They just start drinking and peeing more usually.
I think the way Cookie is, he doesn't seem like he has a critical condition where he could die within a week. He seems like a little old man who is just ageing gracefully.
Having said that, when they do get older, we always have to be prepared that one day they may just pass peacefully. But the best way to look at it is just enjoy every day and hope they carry on for another few months to a year.
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There are different types of heart disease. If you look at that article, written by a vet, I linked earlier, they mention cardiomyopathy (general heart disease) which is "progressive". What that means is it's a slow progression, not something acute like thrombosis. I think Cookie would be much more unwell if he had had a thrombosis. So try not to worry too much. The article also mentions diagnosis by echocardiogram, but that's not something they would do for a hamster usually as procedures can be stressful for older hamsters so diagnosis is based on symptoms usually.
Vet piece
Vet piece
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RainbowBrite
I hope the vet visit goes well today.
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Frida
I hope all goes well at the vets. Sending hugs 
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RobbieH
Thanks for all the research Maz
And I am hoping I can get the vet visit tomorrow but it's not for certain that's just the day I asked for thanks for everything guys it means a lot
And I am hoping I can get the vet visit tomorrow but it's not for certain that's just the day I asked for thanks for everything guys it means a lot
M
Member ID2
I don't think there's anything that can be done to slow down a failing heart, kidneys, liver, lungs or whichever organ is the most likely affected by the natural ageing process. Even getting a diagnosis is difficult and often based on symptoms not diagnosed with tests like in humans.
I can see what you mean by Cookie's breathing but he is not wheezing or struggling for breath.
Ears down is normal for a hamster who came out of his nest for a snack.
I'd ask the vet for metacam/loxicom in case Cookie experiences age related aches and pains and see what the vet says after examining Cookie.
I can see what you mean by Cookie's breathing but he is not wheezing or struggling for breath.
Ears down is normal for a hamster who came out of his nest for a snack.
I'd ask the vet for metacam/loxicom in case Cookie experiences age related aches and pains and see what the vet says after examining Cookie.
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RobbieH
I am very sad to say that unfortunately cookie has passed away I just found out I found him laid down in the middle of his cage
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RobbieH
I am going to be burying him Tomorrow morning I feel so upset rn
Thank you all so so so so much for all your kind words and help you helped me give cookie the best life I could give him and I love him so much
Thank you guys
Much love too you all
Thank you all so so so so much for all your kind words and help you helped me give cookie the best life I could give him and I love him so much
Thank you guys
Much love too you all
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I am so sorry Robbie. It's incredibly hard and upsetting. I know this doesn't feel like a positive, but he didn't suffer a slow lingering passing and he didn't need to be put to sleep. He passed in his familiar comfortable home where he was cared for.
We're thinking about you.
We're thinking about you.
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I hope you sleep ok. Look after yourself and keep coming on here. For Cookie - he is playing free over the rainbow bridge and is free from any suffering. But for you it's a huge loss of a little friend. They leave a hole in our hearts for a while, but time helps and then you remember all the happy times. It can be upsetting seeing the cage afterwards so putting a blanket over it can help until you feel ready to deal with it/clean it out etc.
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RobbieH
Thank you for the kind words Maz it really really means a lot
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I know his cage is in your room, I'm just wondering if you have a cardboard box you could fill with his nest and put him in there, ready for tomorrow, and have the box in a safe place in another room, so it doesn't stop you sleeping tonight.
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When you feel like it at some point, there's a special thread for memorials to hamsters who have passed, called the Rainbow Bridge Corner. After a burial it can help to do a little memorial to say goodbye. Cookie was a wonderful hamster who lived a good long life for a hamster, and trusted you. He couldn't have had a better owner.
www.thehamsterforum.com
The Rainbow Bridge Corner
A place to say farewell to your hamster when they go to the rainbow bridge and find solace from other members
www.thehamsterforum.com
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RobbieH
Thank you so much right now he is in a cardboard box filled with his den and I gently laid him in it. in his cage
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It’s very late but I just wanted to let you know, as you mentioned burying him tomorrow, that you need to dig a hole about two feet deep and then put something like heavy stones on top after you’ve filed it in, otherwise other animals can dig them up. Sorry I know that’s a bit clinical but I wouldn’t want you to have the further upset.