O/T hamsters

[black_jack]

sat bawling my eyes out at home. Myhammy is 2yrs old and thats when they are meant to die. triedto get my hammy out and he bit me he never bites he wont goin his ball and hubby just said perhaps he's too old...i dont want him to die

 

[LiSa MaCk]

The average life span for a hamster is 1000 daysto the best of my knowledge. If he is getting to two years he's old butI have one nearing four, oldest I have ever heard of though. When theystart getting cranky, trying to bite, and just not themselves it isusually a sign that they are sick. The most likely illness for ahamster is called wet tail and it can come from stress, changing theirfood too quickly, or adding something to their diets.

Symptoms are tucked ears, wet bottoms, their eyes look dull or couldeven close, they bite, try to bury themselves, curl in a ball, and theexcrement is much smellier than normal. Does he have any ofthese signs?

Lisa

 

[black_jack]

no he seems fine just very shappy and oldlooking, he is a dwarf russian he has a life expectancy of1&half - 2yrs and is just over 2yrs old...we have been waitingfor it to happen but i didnt realise how upsetting it could be...i knowim silly getting upset.

 

[LiSa MaCk]

I just gota dwarf russian yesturday .They are adorable little guys. But if he is two, you are probably righthe might just be getting too old . I had a pretty hard time when Ilost my last dwarf, and I just recently lost my bunny FES, and Ipersonally think that you are far from silly for getting upset. Theybecome part of your family,and thats a hard thing to lose.But my heart goes out to you and your hammy!

Lisa

 

[JimD]

Your feelings are perfectly understandable.

We've have 3 generations of hamsters.

Grandma Minnie passed a while ago from wet tail, but she was alsoapproaching her life expectancy. All but one of her babies (she waspregnant when we got her) died within the first few weeks of beingborn.

Her one survivng baby, Meatball, had 6 babies with anotherhammie we got, Athena. Athena passed a few months ago from wet tail,but she was still pretty young and we had expected her to be around fora bit longer.

Last month one of Athena's babies passed unexpectedly and for noapparent reason. Her name was Angel and she would have been just abouta year old.

Surviving now are Meatball and his 5 babies.

I , as you, have noticed that Meatball is starting to look a bitrumpled. I know that his time will soon be nearing. I 'm alreadygetting upset and I know my daughter will be devistated (she belongs toMeatball). However, this is all part of life.

As a believer in the concept of the Rainbow Bridge, I find some comfortin knowing that they will be happy and with all of the others that havepassed. And I know they'll be waiting for me until we are togetheragain.

~Jim

 

[black_jack]

thanks everyone esp lisa and jim. Sillything is that i was forever telling hubby that im preparing myself forit and i know its gonna happen it'll make it less worse but it reallydsnt. u buy these little critters and u think its okay i have2 yrs i know he will go then and i'll be fine but there is nothing thatcan really prepare u for it. I cant believe he bit me thoughthats what really hurts he has never bitten in the whole 2 yrs we'vehad him. is it best now just to leave him in his cage untilhe goes?

 

[JimD]

Minnie and Athena never bit (after they have their babies.....cranky mommies-to-be) until they got sick.

If my hand smelled like food they would nibble until they realized it was me, but not hard biting.

Is there a chance that he might be getting sick. I'm certainly praying that he's not, though.

I only know about wet tail, and learned to little to late. The earlierdetected the better the chances for survival. By the time the serioussymptoms show, it's usually too late. The first noticable thing wasthat their poops start to get softer and lighter in color ("lightbrownsoft"vs "black hard").

~Jim

 

[black_jack]

how do they get wet tail?

my mum in law has just suggested maybe he can smell the rabbits on me do u think this could be possible?

 

[JimD]

black_jack wrote:

is it best now just to leave him in his cage until he goes?

awwwww...

Not if there's something we can do to help!

Let's hope he was just having an off moment when he bit you.

Does he get treats? Minnie and Athena stopped taking treats when they started to get sick.

Is he eating and drinking normally?

 

[black_jack]

JimD wrote:

black_jack wrote:

is it bestnow just to leave him in his cage until he goes?

awwhttp://www...

Not if there's something we can do to help!

Let's hope he was just having an off moment when he bit you.

Does he get treats? Minnie and Athena stopped taking treats when they started to get sick.

Is he eating and drinking normally?

he kicks all his food out to sleep in his food bowl so can never really tell when he eats he did eat carrott the other day...

these arent just nibbles i tried again and am getting full on biting of finger and not letting go?

 

[JimD]

black_jack wrote:

how do they get wet tail?

Here's a link that gives some good info about wet tail...I actuallyused a different product called Dry-Tail, but it has the same activeingrediants...

http://www.novalek.com/oprmd3.htm

 

[JimD]

black_jack wrote:

my mum in law has just suggested maybe he can smell therabbits on me do u think this could be possible?

This is a definite possibility.

If I handle the bunnies prior to the hamsters....they certainly know.

And there's something about Binkie's smell that they particularly donot like. Theywill refuse to let me pick them up after I'vetouched "the evil bun".

 

[VNess2010]

black_jack,

I'm so sorry about this! I only had my guinea pig for 2 weeksbefore he died and I bawled my eyes out! I've even grownattached to my goldfish! The important thing is that you gavehim a wonderful 2 years and you've got memories of him that can neverdie!

-Vanessa

 

[LiSa MaCk]

If it does turn out to be wet-tail, I have foundit helpful to mix the meds, I used dri-tail as well, in with a smallamount of soy milk and feed them through a syringe. It is a kind ofincentive for them to drink.

I was thinking though that you probably would not see as much wet,matted furon his back end seeing as the dwarfs fur is soshort. The first thing that I always look for are tucked ears.


Lisa

 

[Saffy]

Please dont feel daft about crying ... animalsworm their way into your heart - and so they should ... it's their wayof making sure they're looked after!

Maybe he was just having a grouchy day .. I hope so ... let us know how he is today!



Saffy

 

[JimD]

Any updates??

:?

 

[black_jack]

hammy is still alive gave him a bit of driedfruit earlier which he had a lil nibble at he is eating finr, hubby hashad a hammy before and said he doesnt have wet tail so no problem there.

When our dog got old he went back to acting like a pup so maybe hammyis doing the same hence the biting will just have to be patient withhim thanks for all ur kind words though means alot.

JimD your rabbit avatar is gorgeous xx