Tako the Takoyaki

[Daisy]

thanks for the information Daisy,
Should i clean all the items in the cage that he used before sick? Or the items i brought into his emergency cage which i put there when he was sick?

For the grass tunnel (Hays Tunnel) its the best to throw it away. If we are trying to dry it under the direct sunlight, is it still cannot be cleaned?

It depends how careful you want to be, but if it were me I would clean everything from both cages.

Sunlight does have some disinfectant effect but I'm not sure how strong it is to be honest.

 

[ponyo]

That's a difficult one - not knowing if he was sick before you moved him to the temporary cage. Can you remember when he started to get sick? eg how long after the cage move?

I did notice that Tako had red skin and the skin went bald around his left eye and i was immediately moved him to temporary cage. After that i brough him to the vet, the vet said he doesn't have any cold or runny nose only eye infection. I have an assumption why tako got cold, but not sure if its the cause. Before the vet went handled Tako, she wash her hand but not dried it yet. After the vet finish, isaw tako fur a little bit wet and the room condition is cold because of the air conditioner.
We went home and only after several hours arrived at his cage, Tako catch cold and sneezing.

 

[ponyo]

It depends how careful you want to be, but if it were me I would clean everything from both cages.

Sunlight does have some disinfectant effect but I'm not sure how strong it is to be honest.

Thanks Daisy, i will follow your suggestion.
Boil them and dry it under the sunlight

 

[Socks' Mum]

To be on the safe side, it's probably best to replace the grass tunnel. It could be used as an ornament perhaps. They are very nice, but not as easy to sterilise as wood and plastic.

 

[Socks' Mum]

I did notice that Tako had red skin and the skin went bald around his left eye and i was immediately moved him to temporary cage. After that i brough him to the vet, the vet said he doesn't have any cold or runny nose only eye infection. I have an assumption why tako got cold, but not sure if its the cause. Before the vet went handled Tako, she wash her hand but not dried it yet. After the vet finish, isaw tako fur a little bit wet and the room condition is cold because of the air conditioner.
We went home and only after several hours arrived at his cage, Tako catch cold and sneezing.

The red skin might have been ringworm, which is a fungal infection diagnosed using a skin scraping. It's a very common infection and most animals, and often people, carry a few spores. It develops for various reasons and can easily be treated once diagnosed. The more frequently encountered related condition is athlete's foot in humans. He could have been more vulnerable to a secondary infection due to the eye infection, but you are right, the vet should have dried her hands or worn disposable gloves. It's difficult to isolate the exact source of infection. Poor hammy, and you must be very sad now your beautiful friend is gone. Try to take care of yourself. A small ceremony sometimes helps to lay him to rest. Hamsters are small, but they conquer our hearts.

 

[ponyo]

The red skin might have been ringworm, which is a fungal infection diagnosed using a skin scraping. It's a very common infection and most animals, and often people, carry a few spores. It develops for various reasons and can easily be treated once diagnosed. The more frequently encountered related condition is athlete's foot in humans. He could have been more vulnerable to a secondary infection due to the eye infection, but you are right, the vet should have dried her hands or worn disposable gloves. It's difficult to isolate the exact source of infection. Poor hammy, and you must be very sad now your beautiful friend is gone. Try to take care of yourself. A small ceremony sometimes helps to lay him to rest. Hamsters are small, but they conquer our hearts.

ouch that was a fungal? The vet said to me, the red skin caused by scratch because his eye is itchy. What is the cause of ringworm except? Is it because of the wood bedding ?

 

[Socks' Mum]

Ringworm is caused by a fungus, but it can come from anywhere. All animals and people can get it and it is present in the environment. I can only guess whether or not it was ringworm as only a skin scrape and examination under a microscope can identify it. Usually the animals and people have an immunity to it, but this can vary due to so many factors. Guinea pigs and rabbits can get spores from hay, but we can't avoid or sterilise hay. Possibly a way of finding a good supplier is by talking to people who have been customers and who are happy, or have found that any problems are not too great to solve. The same with a breeder would be to try to find someone with a good customer record for their hamsters. It can be difficult though as many breeders don't talk about what they do.

 

[Maz]

It might not have been ringworm if that wasn’t diagnosed. It’s a possibility but we didn’t see it. The fact the vet gave antibiotic drops suggests they thought it was infection. I think ringworm is usually other parts of the body rather than round the eye, but it’s possible it was a fungal infection rather than a bacterial one.

We won’t know. But ringworm isn’t something that could lead to a hamster dying so quickly. Infection in the blood stream could. Which would also lower immunity so the hamster is more likely to catch a cold.

It’s just very sad. If it helps reassure, I’ve found white mould in bedding before where a water bottle was dripping and my hamster had no ill effects at all. (Which is why I have a tile under the bottle partly now).

 

[ponyo]

Thanks Maz and Socks Mom. Yeah, i kinda shocked when i found Tako had red skin around his eye and immediately went to vet as fast as i can. When he arrived home, suddenly he catched a cold and he became more less to eat and drink.

Yeah, got many lesson and thanks a lot for the forum.

I just wanted to ask, does thyme leaf / thyme tea drop can lessen the cold?

 

[Maz]

Not really. Some people used to use it to bathe a sore or would as it has antiseptic properties but it wouldn't be suitable for internal use. I looked into herbalism in some depth at one time, when there is no licensed medication for hamsters - and even spoke to an animal herbalist at one time. And as he said, the problem with hamsters is working out the dose of herbs as they are so small and have such a fast metabolism, and there isn't enough research.

At the time I had an older hamster with suspected cushings (according to the vet). I wasn't sure that it was cushings and there was no definitive diagnosis from the vet, who wasn't able to do blood tests (not many vets can do blood tests on hamsters). But because the vet said it was Cushings, she wouldn't prescribe Metacam for him as that is contraindicated in Cushings. I found that very upsetting so looked into herbalism and did try putting burdock and white willow bark (small dried chunks) in his cage to see if he'd nibble from them - but he just ignored them

I have since changed my vet and the new one has assured me that there is other pain relief can be given if metacam is contraindicated. It was our first family hamster and I now recognise that sometimes you can't get enough or strong enough pain relief and then the kindest thing is to help them on their way.

But I wouldn't give a hamster herbal remedies. Homeopathy maybe but the problem there is, how do you get them to take it? You can't put things in their water or they can stop drinking if it tastes odd.

 

[ponyo]

Well yeah, i saw one of famous hamster youtuber video (all of hamster parent maybe know her). In the video, said the thyme can be help as natural respiratory remedy. Crushed the fresh leaf in front the nose and take a few drops of thyme tea and drop if in to the mouth. As you said, that questioning me before, would hamster stop drink if they think we give him a bitter water? Because i never use herbal before and based on what i saw on internet, thyme can be a first kit of remedy.

 

[Maz]

I wouldn't use it internally. It would be better to get antibiotics from the vet. It's an antiseptic rather than an antibiotic, which is why it "might" be helpful for wound cleaning (but then saline/salt water is also good). And yes hamsters don't like strong smells and some of these herbs are very aromatic. It could be a first aid kit remedy as something to bathe a wound but I wouldn't feed it or a tincture of it.

 

[ponyo]

Ah thanks, Maz. I found that thyme really have bitter smell. I bought it before because i though it is a first aid for Respiratory Infections. When i tried it oh well i smell really bitter.