Health

If your hamster ever shows any symptoms of illness, take it to the vet!!

	In a healthy hamster	In a sick hamster
Eyes	Bright and shiny, no discharge	Inflamed, fur around eye sticky
Coat	Thick, with a silky sheen	Disheveled, dull, stained
Anal region	Clean	Smeared with fecal matter
Body shape	Evenly sylindrical	Sides caved in
Nose	Dry	Damp
Behavior	Lively, alert	Disinterested, apathetic

Proliferative Ileitis ( Wet Tail )
The most commonly encountered bacterial infection recognized in hamsters is "wet tail". The precise cause of the disease is not fully understood, but underlying infections with the bacteria Campylobacter fetus subspecies jejuni have been reported. Similar Campylobacter sp. are responsible for serious intestinal diseases in other animal species, such as swine, dogs, ferrets, primates and even humans. Although this agent is suspected to be an underlying cause of this syndrome, pure cultures of the bacteria cannot reproduce the disease, suggesting other predisposing factors or agents. Such contributory factors include improper diet, sudden dietary changes, overcrowding and other stresses. This disease most often affects weanling hamsters between the ages of 3 to 6 weeks, but hamsters of all ages are susceptible. Since this is the age at which most hamsters are sold, this is a common disease encountered in recently acquired pets. The long haired "teddy bear" hamster seems to be more vulnerable than the other varieties. Death may result within 1 to 7 days after the onset of watery diarrhea. Other signs include matting of the fur around the tail, unkept hair coat, hunched stance, loss of appetite, dehydration, emaciation and irritability. Blood from the rectum and rectal prolapse may be noted in some serious cases. This is a very serious disease, with death being the most likely outcome. Due to the severity, any hamster exhibiting these signs must be examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible. Antibiotics, fluid therapy and anti-diarrheal medications will be administered to the patient. Supportive care will also be instituted. Despite all the best efforts, treatment is often unrewarding with death occurring within a couple days in many cases.

Hair Loss ( Alopecia )
Hair loss can occur for a number of reasons in hamsters. This loss of hair can be due to both disease and nondisease conditions. Continual rubbing on feeders or sides of the cage as well as protein deficiency and barbering (hair chewing by cage mates), are examples of nondisease causes of alopecia. Infestation with demodectic mites is one of the most common infectious causes of patchy alopecia and scaling in hamsters. Other conditions that lead to hair loss include adrenal tumors, thyroid deficiency, and chronic renal disease. Some of these conditions may be correctable, while others are not. Demodex mites are the most common external parasite causing problems in hamsters. The mite lives within the hair follicles and certain skin glands of their host. The presence of these mites result in dry, scaly skin and subsequent hair loss, especially over the back and rump. This disease is rarely a problem by itself. Demodectic mange in hamsters is often associated with chronic, debilitating diseases or other underlying problems. For this reason, a thorough examination must be performed on any hamster presented with mites. To confirm the presence of mites, the veterinarian may perform a skin scraping for microscopic observation. Treatment for the mites is often possible, but remember that there may be another problem, often more severe, underlying this one which must also be addressed.

Old Age Diseases (Geriatric Conditions )
Hamsters tend to have relatively short life spans when compared with other species. The average life expectancy of a hamster is between 2 and 3 years of age. For this reason, spontaneous aging diseases are not uncommon in these animals, typically after the age of one year. Two of the most common geriatric diseases of hamsters are amyloidosis (protein deposition in various organs) and cardiac thrombosis (blood clots in the heart). Treatment of these conditions involves managing clinical signs because a cure is not possible. A diagnosis of virtually any geriatric disease carries a poor prognosis. Amyloidosis is a condition whereby proteins produced by the body are deposited in various organs, primarily the liver and kidneys. Kidney and liver failure often occurs as a result of this protein deposition. Many other organs are also affected, and the changes are irreversible. Signs of this condition include swollen abdomen, urinary problems, dehydration, poor appetite and rough hair coat. Supportive care is the only treatment since this condition is eventually terminal. Blood clots within the heart occur at a relatively high frequency in older hamsters. This condition is known as cardiac thrombosis, and typically occurs in the left side of the heart. Many factors are involved in the formation of these clots including clotting disorders, heart failure, circulating bacterial infection and amyloidosis. Many other old age diseases occur in hamsters over the age of one year. Liver and kidney disease is not uncommon in middle age to old hamsters. Other conditions commonly encountered are gastric ulcers, tumors, and dental diseases.

*Special Thanks to Drs Harkness & Wagner, Drs Roskopf & Woerpel, Dr August H. Battles and Dr Bobby R. Collins whose published information on this subject was compiled to produce this paper.

Hip spots are a natural gland on the sides of hamsters where they let loose an un-smellable scent by rubbing their hips on the sides of tubes or burrow walls to mark their territory. This is a big Pro for hamsters, because they don't use urine to mark their territory like other rodents and pets do.

Skin damage: Small cuts and wounds are usually taken care by your hamster itself. It will wash and clean the damaged area, which will quickly return to normal. Small cuts are often caused by pointy objects, (bedding or cage parts perhaps) or fights with rivals. If you think you should do something to help decrease the risk of infection, dab some tincture iodine on the wounds (use gloves for saftey). If they wounds are serious, take it to a vet. If your hamster continually scratches a patch of skin that is inflamed (or something similar), it probably has parasites or fungi. This is caused by unsanitary conditions, poor care, or simply parasites picked up by other pets. It can be solved by a medication from your vet.

Teeth: Hamsters' teeth are continually growing and are naturaly tinted yellow. Keep some chew sticks or pieces of hard dog biscuit in the cage; the gnawing will keep the teeth from being over-grown. If your pet should have one of its teeth chipped, it can be trimmed with nail scissors. I strongly suggest that you ask your vet for help. Once Taco's front teeth were badly uneven and I thought he needed veteranarian care, but the next week they were perfectly even. It is normal for your hamster teeth to be yellow, or a light brown in color. It is also normal for their breath to smell like tuna fish (yuck!). However, if they're teeth get very long, take your hamster to a vet immediatly for its' teeth to be trimmed. If you don't, they may starve to death or they're teeth could grow through their head.

     Skin Damage: Small cuts and other wounds to the skin can usually be taken care of by the hamster himself.  They will generally lick the area to clean it and it will heal nicely.  Only large gaping wounds need the attention of a veterinarian.

     Teeth: Hamsters teeth will continually grow and therefore you need to keep a chewstick or hard dog biscuit in the cage for them to gnaw on. Actually they will gnaw on just about everything including the cage, so the chew stick is just directing their natural tendency to chew.  Their teeth can become broken or chipped in which case you can trim them with a nail clippers or a small file.

     Hair loss: Hair loss is normal for hamsters over 10 or 12 months of age.   They will gradually lose hair starting at the rump and moving forward as time goes by.  If your hamster is losing hair before it is 5 months old you should consult a veterinarian.

     Salmonellosis: A rare pet disease which comes from wild rodents, dirty water, or spoiled foods.  Salmonellosis is an intestinal tract infection that will require veterinarian help.  The signs of salmonella is a ruffled coat, loss of appetite, and weight loss.

     Pneumonia: A serious lung infection whose signs are ruffled coat, lack of appetite, runny nose, coughing, and sneezing. The animal needs to be taken to the vet if these symtoms occur.

     Colds: Symtoms are lack of activity, ears laid back, runny nose, sniffling, and sneezing. Try not to handle your hamster if you have a cold but if it does get a cold make sure to sterilize all water and food bowls and keep the bedding real clean.  Make sure there are no drafts on the hamster. Offer plenty of good foods and supplement them with cod-liver oil to help your hamster get over it.

     Wet tail: A bacterial infection that causes diarrhea, ears laid back, loss of appetite, and a fluid like discharge from the vent.  The animals' hind quarters will appear dirty and wet.  There is a broad spectrum antibiotic called Drytail that will cure this condition if caught soon enough.  Most pet stores should have it. Otherwise take the animal to a vererinarian.

     Diarrhea: Different than wettail, diarrhea is not an infection and is usually caused by overfeeding vegetables and fruits or maybe contaminated foods. Quit feeding fruits and vegetables for a couple of days to see if it clears up.  If it doesn't, take the animal to a veterinarian.  Another cure that works on Chinchillas is to feed them shredded wheat biscuits.  Again, the condition should clear up in a few days.

     Constipation: A condition that can also indicate wet tail, constipation can also result from feeding pellets without adequate water.  Apparently the pellets will swell up in the intestine causing blockage if not enough water is available. The cure is to provide plenty of water and to feed carrots, carrot tops, and other fruits and vegetables.  Another Chinchilla cure is to feed the animal raisins.

     Mange: Symtoms include the hamster shaking its head alot, scratching at its' ears, severe hair loss, and general poor appearance.  Soon after this grey scabs will appear on the nose, ears, and genitals. Take the animal to a veterinarian who can prescribe a medicated bath. Make sure and sterilize everything (cage, food dish, water bottle, etc.) while treating this condition.

     Fleas, lice, other skin disorders: Since hamsters spend alot of time grooming themselves, skin parasites are a rare problem.  Generally dirty conditions may provide breeding places for these types of pests so make sure and provide a dry, clean environment. Fleas and lice can also be passed on to the hamster from other pets like dogs and cats.  A good flea powder should eliminate this problem.  Change the bedding just before using a flea powder so any eggs that are about to hatch will be discarded.

     Overgrown nails: If your hamsters' nails become too long, simply trim them with fingernail clippers and emory board.  Make sure not to trim them too close since they have a blood vessel that extends a short ways into the nail (similar to a cat).

     Watery eyes: Any excess water around the eyes may indicate problems in the rear of the cheek pouch.  You may need to wash out the pouches with an eye dropper or syringe (without the needle).  This will remove any soft food that may be caught in the back of the pouch.  Also try to keep the hamster from storing food in the pouches for awhile by feeding only soft foods and not too much of them.

     Lumps: Any lumps or bumps should be checked by a veterinarian.

     Paralysis: This seems to be common among hamsters and is usually caused by a lack of exercise, a spinal injury, or lack of vitamin D. Provide plenty of exercise toys and supplement the diet with wheat germ and wheat germ oil if your hamster seems to be losing the use of its' limbs.  If it becomes advanced, take the hamster to a veterinarian.