Wet Tail

[Maz]

Wet tail is something all hamster owners or prospective owners need to be aware of. It's an extremely dangerous illness for Syrian hamsters (it's very rare in dwarf hamsters) that is highly infectious to other hamsters, life threatening within 2 or 3 days if not treated promptly (and even then the hamster may not survive) and is worsened, if not partially caused by, stress. Most commonly in young hamsters you have just brought home. They may have been in infected conditions and the stress of the major change on top can bring it on or worsen it. The article below explains more clearly but although it is an infectious disease, it is stress that really makes a hamster susceptible to it.

It's one reason most care topics advise about avoiding stress for hamsters - by getting their cage set up ready for when they arrive and then not changing things or disturbing things for the first two weeks (the settling in period). By allowing them 2 or 3 days to adjust to their cage without handling them much or causing them too much excitement. By keeping other pets away from their cage (particularly cats who may paw at the cage - the smell of another pet nearby can be very stressful to a baby hamster). By being kind and gentle with them and talking to them gently.

If a hamster has wet tail it usually shows within the first 7 days of them arriving. It is a horrible illness for a baby hamster. Sadly sometimes it is related to the conditions they were in before they came to you, but it's still important to avoid stress for them in that first two weeks. You will know if a hamster has it as they will have severe diarrhoea, seem very unwell and possibly hunched or squeaking with pain.

Wet tail in hamsters – Net Vet

Introduction Wet tail in hamsters is a very serious disease which is frequently fatal. It is a common mistake toread more about Wet tail in hamsters

netvet.co.uk

 

[Reebsnatsndfancybear]

Do older hamsters get wet tail too?
When you clean your hams cage do you put him/her in a temporary space or try and do it with them in there? What’s less stressful for a ham?

 

[Socks' Mum]

Older hammies can get tummy bugs which cause diarrhoea which is similar to wet tail and can be just as dangerous. This form of infection can usually be prevented by keeping the hamster's cage and bowls clean and avoiding spoiled food, dirty water, and also feeding a good balanced diet. Wet tail in younger hamsters is caused (correct me Maz if I am wrong) by a bacteria that is already present in the hamster which can become profuse and dangerous if the hamster's immune system breaks down due to stress and/or poor nutrition, for example, the stress in young hamsters of moving to a new cage, of living in an over crowded environment, being handled too much, not having a peaceful burrow to hide in when needed. It is an interesting question, thank you

 

[Socks' Mum]

For cleaning, I do tend to put Socks in his carrier with plenty of bedding in the early evening, and he tends to go back to sleep. When I did a cage clean with Socks in the nest, he became a bit upset and started trying to take nesting material back into his house to prevent me from removing his favourite bedding. It depends, I think on where you need to clean. If hammy pees in his nest, then the clean is going to be quite invasive and I prefer to take the hamster out. If it doesn't involve going into the nest, you could try to do it while hammy is asleep in his burrow

 

[Maz]

Do older hamsters get wet tail too?
When you clean your hams cage do you put him/her in a temporary space or try and do it with them in there? What’s less stressful for a ham?

It's not as usual, but it's possible. It tends to be young hamsters when they have just moved from a pet shop, have the stress of that, and have been in contact with other hamsters with it. But it's stress that triggers it.

There's an article about cage cleaning tips on here, I'll link it below It varies as to whether you do spot cleaning with the hamster in the cage or not. I tend to unless the hamster really gets stressed by it. In some ways it can help them accept the change better as they can see what you're doing. If it's a bigger clean, I do it with them out of the cage.

Hamster cage cleaning

Tips on how to clean your hamster cage and avoid causing stress to your hamster. It's best to have plenty of depth of substrate and mainly spot clean your hamster cage. Avoid disturbing your hamster's nest and hoard.

www.thehamsterforum.com