Orsa

[Eriathwen]

So I figured I'd venture out of the introduce yourself section and make the girls a post each over here.

I collected Orsa in April 2021 when she was 14 months old, she was purchased in March 2020 for her previous owners son along with her sister Pasha.

Originally they were kept together but Orsa being Orsa (and a typical hamster) didn't fancy sharing her tiny shoe box of a cage with her sister and attacked her, so they were separated. A year later the previous owner decided to sell them both as her son no longer bothered with them and she wanted them to find a loving home.

I hadn't been looking for a hamster at the time, I was trying to find a friend for my bereaved gerbil, but when I saw how these guys were living I knew I had to give them the best life possible for however long they had left, being already quite old for hybrids, I expected to only have them for a few months so I'm delighted to still have them with me.

They'll be 3 years old in January and while Orsa has had some health issues recently, she seems to be going from strength to strength! Earlier this year she was treated for E.cuniculi, and is currently on antibiotics and metacam for an URI although while she has improved, I'm starting to get concerned she may have a tumour rather than an infection but she is being checked by my vet again soon. She's a brilliant little lady although likes to nip from time to time due to her neuro issues, she can be a little cage aggressive but with the help of a loo roll tube that is easily managed.

So...thats Orsas life so far! Hopefully I have plenty more of it left to document here going forward

These first pictures are the first ones I saw of her, and what made me decide I had to go rescue these girls.




And these are her more recently, although they're also in my other thread too!

 

[RainbowBrite]

I am so pleased you have given Orsa her own diary. That first picture is heart breaking. She really blossomed in your care.

 

[Member ID2]

The transformation in a hamster when they are happy, loved and well cared for really shows in their little faces.

 

[Maz]

Lovely to hear about Orsa fully. She was desperate to get out of that little cage wasn't she. It just shows - the wheel was about the right size and she had a nice little rainbow bridge. But the cage was too small and not that much substrate. People really need much more information on what substrate is for. Not just to protect the bottom of the cage! Having said that it was 2 or 3 inches maybe which isn't that bad. So it must just come down to - cage far too small and not enough enrichment. She wanted out.

 

[Maz]

I wish someone would make a serious TV programme or documentary about this issue and show the difference - like the difference between Orsa's first environment and behaviour and how she is now. To demonstrate what is needed and what a difference it can make having the right cage set up. A TV programme would reach so many people. I did once contact one (I think it was Panorama) but didn't get a reply,

 

[Eriathwen]

Yes, they kind of had the right idea with some aspects but it seemed like ultimately they just weren't fussed to fix the things they needed to, she provided me all their bedding and leftover food, which went in the bin apart from the food to help transition them to a better diet, the bedding was cotton fluff and (very heavily) lemon scented shavings.
I wish I could find the picture I had taken of their own wheels vs their new ones, Pasha only had a little flying saucer which I'm sure would have been too small even for a robo!

The first night I got them home all I could hear was the soft pat pat pat of their feet as they zoomed in their wheels, it still makes me smile hearing it they love to run.

 

[Eriathwen]

I wish someone would make a serious TV programme or documentary about this issue and show the difference - like the difference between Orsa's first environment and behaviour and how she is now. To demonstrate what is needed and what a difference it can make having the right cage set up. A TV programme would reach so many people. I did once contact one (I think it was Panorama) but didn't get a reply,

That's such a great idea! It's a shame no 9ne got back to you about it, its something that really needs attention brought to it.

 

[Daisy]

Orsa is lovely and she's done so well to make it to nearly 3!

There is a Youtuber (Lennon the Bunny) who makes videos where she goes into people's homes and fixes their rabbit care. Her style isn't everyone's cup of tea but the principle is good.

I would like to see a TV series where people's pet care is corrected or improved on. Not just hamsters but maybe a different animal every episode.

 

[Maz]

That sounds great. A bit like the three day nanny for pets Eriathwen - when you contact them they say they get a lot of enquiries and may not get back to you. Maybe I should try Louis Theroux . He's not really prime time though. It needs a prime time programme like Dispatches or Panorama. I remember (really showing my age here!) a couple of documentaries in the 1980s that really changed things. One was about awful practices in abbatoirs in meat production. I believe it led to massive changes in humane methods of meat production. The other was about the RSPCA and (allegedly) inhumane methods of euthanasia. Electrocution I think. The RSPCA was very unpopular for a number of years after than, and people used to donate to alternate animal welfare charities for a long time. I remember at the time it showed these cheap and inhumane (allegedly) methods contrasted with the Director or Chief Executive or somebody who was on a massive salary with a luxury lifestyle. It caused a huge scandal. The RSPCA cleaned up their public image at some point and do a grand job now. It was probably bad management before.

But documentaries like that can massively change society's views. Instead we get cutesy ones narrated by David Tennant that kind of ignore the welfare aspects and just make it a fun scientific programme (it was very interesting though).

Hamsters just don't get enough respect. Most other pets have reasonable sized cages with specific sizes, recommended by the RSPCA. In a way, hamsters are a vulnerable species with very little protection. Dogs and cats have a lot more protection by law. Although I'm aware the RSPCA rescues hamsters from bad conditions as well.

I have no idea where all these tiny commercial cages come from but I read something once that said they were produced for about £6 (mass production) so made huge profits for the companies selling them. There really should be a law on minimum cage size that is allowed to be sold.

Even it's not as big as 80 x 50. Because some are teeny tiny. And on wheel size too! Nothing smaller than 6.5"!

At least we have the animal welfare act, but that's a bit vague with no official guidelines as to what a suitable enclosure is - just vague stuff and shops allowed to legally sell tiny cages for hamsters.

Very sorry Eriathwen - that is a big digression from your thread about Orsa, even if related!

It's wonderful that she and her have a great life with you with the correct care and I have never heard of a dwarf hamster living to the age of 3 before so you're definitely doing something right. Probably getting them treated when they need it (some people leave that too late).

 

[Eriathwen]

No not at all, the more discussions had about their welfare the better, no need to apologise!

Orsa was back to the vet today, last week she had to see whoever was available rather than my regular vet as Tuesday mornings he's in surgery, I figured anyone would be able to give me antibiotics for her. But I got a call earlier that my vet had a cancellation so her latest appointment was brought forward. He thinks it's likely that the respiratory infection is a secondary infection but we're not sure what to, but I'd imagine a tumour so she's to stay on the baytril for another 2 weeks, if she goes downhill again when she's finished those 2 weeks we will just keep her on the antibiotics for the rest of her life, at her age we don't have to worry about the effects of long term usage.
We could always xray her to see if there is a mass but the stress of going in for the day and risk of being sedated will likely be too much for her as well considering her age and isn't worth putting her through. She's bright, alert and currently comfortable so keeping her that way is the goal for now

 

[RainbowBrite]

Sorry to hear she has a secondary infection. It is a good idea to keep her on the antibiotic's. I agree, there is no point in doing an xray. It will be a lot of stress for Orsa. It is lovely to hear she is bright and alert today.

 

[Eriathwen]

Thanks, it's been difficult for me dealing with hamsters. I usually try to throw the kitchen sink at an animal to figure out what's going on and how we can fix them but with such small, delicate animals that's not always in their best interests. Knowing what it is won't bring a solution that we can fix and it won't extend her life so I'll settle for palliative care while she has a good quality of life.

He did say she looked good for her age though so I'll take that, she was happy as anything while there as well, running around exploring the little box he put her and the scales in nosy little thing.
Shes also up 1g, she was 41g last visit, 42g today so it's not like she's started to lose weight again.

 

[Member ID2]

That sounds like a sensible plan to me.
A scan wouldn't change the outcome so there's no point.
At Orsa's age every day is a bonus and she's still enjoying life which is the mainthing.

 

[RainbowBrite]

How cute she went and explored while being at the vets.

 

[Maz]

I think palliative care is all there is with older hamsters - keeping them comfortable with Metacam usually. It's interesting about the idea of keeping her on antibiotics for life. This is something my vet refused point blank to do. I know others have kept on a low dose of antibiotic sometimes. My vet felt strongly that this could lead to antibiotic resistance generally - not just for that hamster but for others in the house, or me or even her. Then they'd run out of antibiotics to use. Clearly that is her stance but I can't see how it could cause resistance in a human if a hamster is on them. The longest I was allowed to give it was two weeks. It was a difficult situation as I ended up having to have the hamster put to sleep when the infection came back again worse. But it was secondary to a tumour and other things were going on. And the hamster went downhill quickly so it was the right decision. My choice would have been to have kept our hamster on antibiotics in the hope he kept stable for longer - although I accept that they can stop working if they're on them a long time.

 

[Member ID2]

I cannot see the logik in that at all. How can another hamster or a human become resistant to an antibiotic a hamster takes?

I have heard of hamsters and humans staying on a low dose of an antibiotic indefinitely.

 

[Maz]

With humans there are more antibiotics available if they get resistant to one, but I agree - maybe vets vary - mine had very strong opinions about it.

 

[Eriathwen]

I can see the logic if using the antibiotics preventatively, but if an infection is present and the animal is otherwise comfortable and enjoying life it seems a bit of a strange stance. Orsa is on the maximum dosage she can have currently so I wonder if that may be why my vet is taking a different approach?
It's an approach I find works for me and my animals though, I very rarely have to euthenise pets when doing things this way, when medicated and kept comfortable and supported for a long period of time, the body becomes frail, I find natural death to be extremely quick and peaceful when it comes.

 

[Maz]

I agree. The infection in question was behind an eye. It did clear up with antibiotics but I was concerned it would just come back again (bony socket area) which it did. I wanted to keep the hamster on antibiotics as a preventative yes. The vet said no - if it comes back we'll give antibiotics again. It did come back but the hamster went downhill incredibly quickly when the infection came back and needed help then. The hamster also had a tumour pressing on the head area hence going downhill quickly when the infection came back. It was all very sad.

If there's no infection then Metacam can keep them comfortable up to a point, but for some hamsters with tumours even that isn't enough. I think every situation must vary so much. I wish there was more palliative care available for hamsters but there aren't strong enough pain meds for some things sadly.

 

[Maz]

I even looked into herbal vet medicine (hard to find anyone but I did) at one time but that vet said the biggest issue is getting the hamsters to take it regularly - same with homeopathy. I know what he meant - I tried white willow bark (which is salicylic acid - aspirin basically) and the hamster ignored it ha ha. That was when Metacam was contraindicated. The vet profession should licence more medicines for hamsters.