Our rescue hammy died unexpectedly last night…

[WickedGlinda]

Hello, I’m just after a bit of advice or information please. We brought a little rescue female Syrian hamster (called Beryl) home 4 months ago, we were told she was between 4-6 months old and had been surrendered for rehoming because she had an infected foot and the previous owners couldn’t afford the vets bill. We had recently lost our sweet little boy hamster who had sadly got bladder cancer age 2 (we had him PTS and have his ashes from an individual cremation). Beryl was incredibly difficult to hold and very bitey but we persevered very gently, she was always incredibly busy and frantic in her cage (which was a good sized one), we had her out in a play pen daily with lots of enrichment and fresh food. She would chew the bars on her cage every evening despite having time out of the cage and a good sized cage. We decided to get her a bigger cage and bought a Ferplast maxi one which was a metre long and we added shelves and things so she could see out at different levels. At first we seemed so much happier, then she started biting at the plastic rim. We reinforced it but she was still frantic every night, even though we let her out etc. Last week I went downstairs at 5am to discover she had chewed a massive hole in the cage overnight (I’d checked on her at 11pm) and had escaped. She had been all through the house and unbelievably managed to find her way through her airing cupboard into the wall cavity. We couldn’t reach her so waited until the evening when she emerged and we tempted her with some chicken and apple! She was always very bitey but not scared of me if that makes sense, she was happy to walk up to me and be stroked but did not want picked up. We respected that.

Anyway, we had to put her back in her old cage as the new one had the enormous hole and she seemed frustrated again but we couldn’t get another one this month (as had just paid £250 for the ferplast one). She was acting normally but insatiably hungry this week. Last night when my husband and I were going to bed I realised I hadn’t heard her get up, I went to put more food in the cage and there was no movement. I moved her bedding as she was buried in it and she was very cold, eyes almost closed and every 10 seconds or so it was like she was dry heaving, no sound just opening her mouth wide and scrunching up her body. She was skin and bone, whereas she was a little chunk a week ago. I held her and stroked her and told her we loved her. After a little while I rested her back in her bedding and we sat until 1am when she had a massive heart attack, it was horrific. I can’t get the image out of my mind. I’m not sure what anyone can say but I just feel absolutely sick and don’t know why this would happen. She was under 10 months old. My husband wonders if she may have eaten something when she had escaped or she may have eaten some of the plastic from the hole in the cage. I’m just devastated. I took her to the vets for them to arrange her cremation. I just don’t think I can go through this again so I think our hamster days are over.

 

[WickedGlinda]

This was the hole she created one night

 

[Jain]

I am so sorry to hear of the traumatic loss of Beryl I can imagine how awful you are feeling but none of it was your fault you were good carers understandably you don't feel able to go through the loss of another it's hard but given time you may decide to give a lovely home to a rescue meanwhile try think of the good things you did for them while you had them they were loved

 

[elusive]

I’m so sorry to read this, it really is heart breaking & I can imagine how devastated you must be.
My first thought was also that she may have eaten something when she escaped but there’s no way of knowing really.

You did your best for her, female Syrians lovely though they are can be very challenging, demanding & difficult to care for so please don’t feel you let her down in any way.
This must be so hard after you lost your boy too.
I know how hard it can be to lose a hamster unexpectedly & have myself believed I would never be able to go through it again & my heart goes out to you at this sad time.

 

[Steve]

Hello WickedGlinda, I am so sorry to hear this, it must have been so hard. I'm afraid I can't offer any advice as to why this may have happened as I am not a very experienced hamster owner, but there are some very knowledgeable people here that mat be able to help. That said, it sounds like you were doing everything you could, and loved her very much. I'm sure there is nothing else you could have done so please don't feel bad. I know it's hard but you did a wonderful think to rescue a hamster in need so please don't be put off from helping another hamster one day in the future.

 

[Maz]

I am so sorry to hear about this. It's incredibly sad. I agree, none of this was your fault. Female Syrians are notoriously active. I also doubt very much anything she had eaten would cause a heart attack or the symptoms you describe.

Sometimes there is no good reason for these things other than genetics and that can happen with a hamster at any age. I am guessing it was the Ferplast Maxi Duna cage? It is a good length but perhaps a bit limited in height for activity. And I have heard of hamsters chewing through the base of these before. And also with large wood Pawhut cages.

It is especially hard when you had just lost your other little boy at such a grand age.

I think I understand how you feel right now and many of us have had similar feelings but gone on to have another hamster. It's almost a way of ensuring that you have a good experience the next time to help overcome some of the trauma.

The thing to try and remember now (even though I know it's quite recent) is you gave her a loving home and it was just very sad. She probably had great fun the night she escaped and I am sure had happy times with you.

Rescuing an older hamster always has it's uncertainties as we also don't know what they have been through in their previous lives. There are rescues who have litters of baby Syrians and there are also ethical breeders who breed for health and temperament.

In terms of cage, something like a Savic Plaza cage suits most Syrians but for a female a glass tank may be necessary.

 

[Hamster Haven]

I'm so sorry for your loss. It's sounds like you have her a much happier life than she's had previously though. She was well- cared for.

 

[Socks' Mum]

So sorry to hear that your beautiful hamster died in an awful way. You tried everything you could to make sure that her life was not just OK but really good and got to know her and understand her. Very sad and difficult. She could have swallowed some plastic and died from that. You were an excellent carer and friend to her and were there for her at the time of her passing. She was given up by her first owner, but you stayed by her and that is something to be proud of.

 

[Maz]

It's extremely unlikely that chewing a hole in a plastic cage base would lead to a heart attack. Many many hamsters have chewed large holes in cage bases before and been fine. I think they wouldn't eat the plastic or want to - it's more likely they pouched it and disposed of it later. I believe it's primarily female Syrians also.

 

[Doodleham]

So sorry for your loss.