Very sick hamster please help

[Axolotl hammy]

Hi all, I am new here and needing some help.

My 6 month old Syrian hamster, Marshmallow, is sick. I noticed a little bit less activity from him late last week but didn’t think much of it until it had been a couple of days because he’s always been fairly lazy (rarely uses his wheel). He also hadn’t eaten the food and treats I left around his enclosure. Yesterday I checked up on him because of the inactivity and saw he had bad diarrhea. It was so bad that I had to trim his incredibly fluffy fur. He did not have this until Saturday. It was just sort of a constant leak and he was clearly dehydrated. I started giving him syringe feeding him some electrolytes and offering baby food. He refused the baby food until this morning, however he is refusing it again now. He still has not eaten any normal food or drank any water. He had more energy yesterday but today he is just falling asleep when I have him out and very wobbly. He’s falling asleep just out in the open. He is obviously feeling very sick. I plan to call the vet tomorrow unless he magically turns around. I’d have called yesterday but all exotic vets around were closed and there’s no emergency exotic vet around here. I am a university student taking a crazy course load right now but I will try to get him in as soon as I can. Any advice or ideas to what it could be??? He got new food but it’s the same stuff I’ve always used. I keep a number of other animals (reptiles and amphibians included) I wonder if salmonella is a risk? I sometimes need to feed everybody pretty fast and don’t wash in between animals as none are particularly new. Is there anything else that I can do for him in the meantime? He’s my and my boyfriends baby. He’s a perfect hamster who is very friendly, never bitten anybody, and reminds me of my first childhood hamster a lot. I’ve been keeping hamsters for years and it’s been a while since I’ve had one be sick.

 

[Maz]

Hello. I'm sorry to hear Marshmallow is sick. At 6 months old it could easily be wet tail, which is very serious and life threatening and it's very important you keep him hydrated (the electrolytes sound good and also water from a syringe if he'll take it). But the most important thing is see a vet because it needs urgent treatment - usually antibiotics.

So I would try and get an emergency appointment in the morning. I hope everything goes ok.

It's often stress in young hamsters that means they end up with wet tail. Any sudden changes eg. How long have you had him?

 

[Hamster Haven]

Hi all, I am new here and needing some help.

My 6 month old Syrian hamster, Marshmallow, is sick. I noticed a little bit less activity from him late last week but didn’t think much of it until it had been a couple of days because he’s always been fairly lazy (rarely uses his wheel). He also hadn’t eaten the food and treats I left around his enclosure. Yesterday I checked up on him because of the inactivity and saw he had bad diarrhea. It was so bad that I had to trim his incredibly fluffy fur. He did not have this until Saturday. It was just sort of a constant leak and he was clearly dehydrated. I started giving him syringe feeding him some electrolytes and offering baby food. He refused the baby food until this morning, however he is refusing it again now. He still has not eaten any normal food or drank any water. He had more energy yesterday but today he is just falling asleep when I have him out and very wobbly. He’s falling asleep just out in the open. He is obviously feeling very sick. I plan to call the vet tomorrow unless he magically turns around. I’d have called yesterday but all exotic vets around were closed and there’s no emergency exotic vet around here. I am a university student taking a crazy course load right now but I will try to get him in as soon as I can. Any advice or ideas to what it could be??? He got new food but it’s the same stuff I’ve always used. I keep a number of other animals (reptiles and amphibians included) I wonder if salmonella is a risk? I sometimes need to feed everybody pretty fast and don’t wash in between animals as none are particularly new. Is there anything else that I can do for him in the meantime? He’s my and my boyfriends baby. He’s a perfect hamster who is very friendly, never bitten anybody, and reminds me of my first childhood hamster a lot. I’ve been keeping hamsters for years and it’s been a while since I’ve had one be sick.

How close are you to an exotic vet? I would bring Marshmallow there ASAP.

 

[Axolotl hammy]

Hello. I'm sorry to hear Marshmallow is sick. At 6 months old it could easily be wet tail, which is very serious and life threatening and it's very important you keep him hydrated (the electrolytes sound good and also water from a syringe if he'll take it). But the most important thing is see a vet because it needs urgent treatment - usually antibiotics.

So I would try and get an emergency appointment in the morning. I hope everything goes ok.

It's often stress in young hamsters that means they end up with wet tail. Any sudden changes eg. How long have you had him?

I called a vet today who said they aren’t taking new exotics patients but im calling another one in the morning. The vet that I used for pervious hamsters is far away so I hope that the other one will take him. There are no emergency vets for exotics here unfortunately. He’s been a happy healthy guy since I got him in November. He lives in a cage that is well over 1000 square inches with deep bedding, large wheel, a balanced diet, etc. He really is my baby. If it’s an infection (thus an elevated temperature) should I use a heating pad when he’s out? He seems to want to curl up against me and fall asleep (when he’s out of his cage for fluids)

Can the bacteria be spread to humans? I’m chronically ill so I’d prefer to avoid unnecessary illness.

Also should I move him to a smaller enclosure with shallower bedding? Or would that be too much of a stressor? I just want the best for my boy

 

[Maz]

Providing you have normal hygiene like washing your hands you wouldn't catch anything if he has wet tail. If you handled him and then ate food with your bare hands it's technically possible if he has wet tail. It's more likely the other way round, that hamsters catch things from us. Wet tail is very contagious between hamsters but not humans. So don't worry about that.

It's the diarrhoea that's the concern - has it stopped now or does he still have it? Hamster illness isn't quite the same as humans - so you don't check for a temperature for example. Just keep the room at normal 20 degree centigrade comfortable temperature. Hamsters naturally go somewhere cooler or warmer if they feel the need. You could risk over heating him using a heat pad though.

I think it's best to keep him in his usual enclosure. It's possible it's an upset stomach from something he's eaten or too many veggies, but as he's unwell as well as diarrhoea it does seem like it could be wet tail.

It sounds like you're doing a good job keeping him hydrated. I hope you can get the vets sorted tomorrow.

 

[Hamster Haven]

I agree about the enclosure- switching it would likely stress him right now. Keep us updated!

 

[Socks' Mum]

Good luck, I hope he pulls through. Yes, constant diarrhoea is very dangerous and he needs to see a vet.

 

[Axolotl hammy]

Good luck, I hope he pulls through. Yes, constant diarrhoea is very dangerous and he needs to see a vet.

I agree about the enclosure- switching it would likely stress him right now. Keep us updated!

I agree about the enclosure- switching it would likely stress him right now. Keep us updated!

Providing you have normal hygiene like washing your hands you wouldn't catch anything if he has wet tail. If you handled him and then ate food with your bare hands it's technically possible if he has wet tail. It's more likely the other way round, that hamsters catch things from us. Wet tail is very contagious between hamsters but not humans. So don't worry about that.

It's the diarrhoea that's the concern - has it stopped now or does he still have it? Hamster illness isn't quite the same as humans - so you don't check for a temperature for example. Just keep the room at normal 20 degree centigrade comfortable temperature. Hamsters naturally go somewhere cooler or warmer if they feel the need. You could risk over heating him using a heat pad though.

I think it's best to keep him in his usual enclosure. It's possible it's an upset stomach from something he's eaten or too many veggies, but as he's unwell as well as diarrhoea it does seem like it could be wet tail.

It sounds like you're doing a good job keeping him hydrated. I hope you can get the vets sorted tomorrow.

Unfortunately the vet found a large mass on his liver, and after an ultrasound determined that it was lymphoma and gave him only a couple of weeks to live. She said his quality of life would not be good, especially with him refusing food. We made the decision to say goodbye. It was heartbreaking considering that he was still young. Thank you all for your help here

 

[Hamster Haven]

Unfortunately the vet found a large mass on his liver, and after an ultrasound determined that it was lymphoma and gave him only a couple of weeks to live. She said his quality of life would not be good, especially with him refusing food. We made the decision to say goodbye. It was heartbreaking considering that he was still young. Thank you all for your help here

I'm so sorry for your loss. At least you know you did your best for him. He was unlucky in health. I've experienced this with past hamsters as well; it's so difficult to lose them to cancer. He's lucky he had you to know something was wrong and to take him somewhere rather than just let him suffer.

 

[Maz]

I am so very sorry. It's heartbreaking when they are so young. It has happened to others as well as Hamster Haven, and sometimes it is because of the breeding, and they are born with genetic illness or predisposition. Even a hamster from a pedigree breeder isn't 100% guaranteed not to die young, but it's very rare.

Some pet store chains have more incidences than others. Poor little boy. He had love and care to the end and was lucky to have you. But very hard on you. Don't let this put you off.

 

[Socks' Mum]

RIP little Marshmallow, sleep softly at the bridge

 

[Axolotl hammy]

I understand that this is typically very viral for hamsters. Is it also viral to other animals? Do I need to keep everything far away?

 

[Socks' Mum]

Just regular hygiene such as normal hand washing between cages and keeping food bowls separate when cleaning. In quite a lot of cases of wet tail, the hamster is already carrying the virus or bacteria normally. The illness starts when the bug over grows because the hamster's immune system, which usually controls the bacteria or virus, becomes weaker and can't control it any more. That can be due to stress or other factors. I suspect that a lot of rodent mills and large scale breeders use antibiotics in their stock and in the long run, these medications can make the hamster population more vulnerable to illness.

 

[Axolotl hammy]

Just regular hygiene such as normal hand washing between cages and keeping food bowls separate when cleaning. In quite a lot of cases of wet tail, the hamster is already carrying the virus or bacteria normally. The illness starts when the bug over grows because the hamster's immune system, which usually controls the bacteria or virus, becomes weaker and can't control it any more. That can be due to stress or other factors. I suspect that a lot of rodent mills and large scale breeders use antibiotics in their stock and in the long run, these medications can make the hamster population more vulnerable to illness.

I responded to the thread before, but not sure if was unclear,
It was not wet tail that he had. It was a viral cancer. There was lymphoma on his little liver that was going to take him incredibly fast. It spreads like wildfire among Syrian hamsters and can live on surfaces for months (if not years) and is not killed by the usual disinfectants.

 

[Hamster Haven]

I responded to the thread before, but not sure if was unclear,
It was not wet tail that he had. It was a viral cancer. There was lymphoma on his little liver that was going to take him incredibly fast. It spreads like wildfire among Syrian hamsters and can live on surfaces for months (if not years) and is not killed by the usual disinfectants.

I'm so sorry for you. I would assume it was something that was spread through his group then before you adopted him. So unfair to him and you. Did your vet have any advice on cleaning your items should you choose to adopt again in the future?

 

[Maz]

I responded to the thread before, but not sure if was unclear,
It was not wet tail that he had. It was a viral cancer. There was lymphoma on his little liver that was going to take him incredibly fast. It spreads like wildfire among Syrian hamsters and can live on surfaces for months (if not years) and is not killed by the usual disinfectants.

Some lymphomas are contagious and some are not. Without a biopsy you wouldn't know if it was the contagious type or not unfortunately. So that does mean assuming it could be the contagious type. In which case, the main thing is, that the cage or enclosure the hamster was in can't be used again for a very long time, even if you disinfect it. If it's the Hamster Polyomavirus then even the strongest disinfectants aren't strong enough to kill it. We had discussions on this on here not so long ago as sadly another member's hamster had suspected Polyomavirus. I will check the length of time before the cage could be used again but I think it was about a year. Unlike other viruses that die off after a few weeks on surfaces, this one doesn't - which is why it is so contagious. It's mainly spread through urine and faeces.

Google AI information quotes from this forum! ie if it's a young hamster it's highly likely to be the viral lymphoma - hamster polyomavirus - and the symptoms do sound typical - mass in stomach, lethargy. And most likely contracted from other hamsters before he came to you. In older hamsters it's more likely spontaneous and with skin lesions.

However - it is not contagious to humans or other pets - it's highly specific to hamsters. So you don't need to worry about catching anything or passing it to other pets - only other hamsters. It is still best to do basic hygiene of hand washing between pets anyway.

The main thing is you will need to throw out all the hamster's items, disinfect the cage and not use it again for a year - you could store it somewhere. Meaning if you get another hamster you'd need to get a different cage or enclosure. And have a basic clean up in the area the cage was in. @Tulsi did just that and has another hamster in a different cage and all is fine

It is a horrible horrible disease for hamsters and I am so sorry. Please do not get a hamster from the same place again, wherever it was. Hamster rescues are often a good place to find a hamster as the hamsters get ongoing assessment and vet treatment.

Sadly there was also another case of it on here not so long ago as well. So you are the third. At one time there were very bad outbreaks in hamsteries and many hamsters died. There was a case of someone bringing a sick hamster to a National Hamster council show and the virus swept through all the hamsters in many different hamsteries. It was quite devastating and some breeders actually gave up breeding after seeing so many hamsters die with it - it must have been traumatic.

It seemed to have died out but it really comes down to the standard of the place the hamster came from and whether they quarantine new hamsters on arrival or keep them all close together.

Even now it's a good idea for any hamster owner, if getting a second hamster, to quarantine the second hamster for a couple of weeks before having them in the same room. Which is basically just having the hamster in a different room for the first two weeks, and washing hands between doing food and water bowls or handling - which is something I do anyway with two hamsters.

It is predominantly in Syrian hamsters, so if you wanted to get another hamster, then you might feel more reassured getting a different species - eg a russian dwarf or roborovski hamster with it all being so immediate.

 

[Socks' Mum]

Just regular hygiene such as normal hand washing between cages and keeping food bowls separate when cleaning. In quite a lot of cases of wet tail, the hamster is already carrying the virus or bacteria normally. The illness starts when the bug over grows because the hamster's immune system, which usually controls the bacteria or virus, becomes weaker and can't control it any more. That can be due to stress or other factors. I suspect that a lot of rodent mills and large scale breeders use antibiotics in their stock and in the long run, these medications can make the hamster population more vulnerable to illness.

I responded to the thread before, but not sure if was unclear,
It was not wet tail that he had. It was a viral cancer. There was lymphoma on his little liver that was going to take him incredibly fast. It spreads like wildfire among Syrian hamsters and can live on surfaces for months (if not years) and is not killed by the usual disinfectants.

I am sorry, thank you for clarifying

 

[Tulsi]

Yes my Kulfi (long haired male syrian) died from lymphoma according to an exotic vet that my local vet spoke to (and sent a good many phots of Kulfi to).

I now have a lovely dwarf hamster, Cindy, as Maz says she is in a completely different cage and hasn't used any of Kulfi's accessories.

It was a particularly awful and sad way to see him go. So sorry for you loss.