Cookie

[Maz]

That is a good point. My vet won't prescribe it without seeing the hamster. But they will sometimes do a follow up prescription if more is needed. It isn't too stressful for them if you're prepared and they have a cosy pet carrier to sleep in with some food and a bit of cucumber. They hide away a bit for a couple of days afterwards, but soon get back to normal.

 

[RobbieH]

Thanks guys I will look into it all a little later and keep you posted on Cookie

 

[Frida]

Just a thought...

Is your bedroom very hot?

You said you keep Cookie's cage on top of a wardrobe.

Heat rises up. Maybe it's too hot up there for him. Hence the heavy breathing.

The reason I mention this is because my son used to sleep in a high sleeper bed. In the summer the heat would rise and he would get very hot and struggle to breath.

I might be talking rubbish but I thought I should share my thoughts.

 

[RobbieH]

Yeah my room does get quite hot I could try placing him somewhere lower and hope the cat leaves his cage alone

 

[Maz]

You would need to keep the cat out of the room unfortunately. Maybe have a window open a bit?

 

[RobbieH]

Yeah I have windows open for Cookie and my room is pretty much my cats room as well because half of the house our dogs are in and the other half my cat

 

[RobbieH]

I will leave him by the floor for now because my cat is asleep and I will keep a close eye on the cage

 

[RobbieH]

Cookie came out a while ago not sure really what he was doing just looking around I think but his ears were completely up I still have not seen or heard him drinking any water though

 

[RobbieH]

I could move him into the spare room where it would be a lot cooler and the cat does not go in that room but is that worth it? The scent will probably be different and it will be quite quiet in there as well

 

[RobbieH]

Normally their is a curtain between his cage and the window I have moved it to one side to let fresh air flow through his cage better he is currently back on top the wardrobe

 

[RobbieH]

Just a little update he has been running on his wheel and I have finally heard him drink water

 

[RobbieH]

I caught this video of him sleeping tonight it definitely still looks better to me then it did in the first video I sent of it but definitely not completely right still my friend told me that with most things with animals it gets a bit better before getting worse again is this true?
I hope not

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[elusive]

He definitely looks better sleeping in that last video, there’s no sign that he’s really struggling for breath as he was before.
I don’t think you can generalise & say it gets better before it gets worse but as they age these symptoms can come & go for a while as they gradually decline.
You just have to take it one day at a time really, he seems to be doing really well at the moment, the heat may have exacerbated things a bit, is it cooling down there yet?

 

[RobbieH]

Thank you Elusive. Thank you all of you for your kind words and help
It has somewhat started to cool down its still sitting around 20c in the day to about 12c to 15c at night cooler then it was before but still quite warm

 

[RainbowBrite]

20c is perfectly fine so I would not worry about that. It is so nice it cools in the night too.

 

[Maz]

He’s a little trooper. Maybe the heat was affecting him.

After the age of two, all kinds of things can happen. He could live to 2.5 or more but he will start having signs of ageing. Or he may just slow right down over a month or two. So as Elusive says - enjoy every day. I would maybe save a bit for a vet fund in case you need it though - in case he needs any medication.

 

[Member ID2]

No, i don't think what your friend said is true.

Cookie is an old man and i'm an old woman. We have good days and we have bad days and that's just the way it is with humans and with animals alike.

So, best thing for you would be to enjoy every day you have with Cookie while he's here with you and still happily hamstering about.

If things change and you think that he may be in pain or distress then a vet should be able to help.

 

[RobbieH]

Okay thank you guys I appreciate it so much

 

[RobbieH]

Hey guys a little update I recorded this video of cookie just a bit ago (Early morning) and he looks bad again at least to me he does his ears are down but I think he had just woken up and his breathing or heart was quite fast I can't tell if it's his breathing or heartbeat or both

But to note as well my room felt a lot hotter Tonight my window I though was open but was actually not maybe the heat could of possibly of made him feel worse again?
The window is open now so he is getting some nice cool early morning air

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[RobbieH]

Congestive Heart Failure in Hamsters | PetMD

Congestive heart failure is a condition in which the heart muscles weaken and cannot pump blood efficiently throughout the body. This causes blood to collect in the veins and subsequent edema.

www.petmd.com

I was reading up on heart conditions that hamsters can have is it possible that this is what he has? It's concerning though because I read usually about a week after you have seen symptoms they die without any medication from the vet to help them live a while longer