Ask Your Pet Question. Pet Experts Answer You ASAP.

(Not a Pet Question?)

Please help my hamster
Sent to Pet Experts June 06 07:57 PM

My hamster is only 1 years old. He is not playing anymore and is sleeping all day.He eats very little. Mainly just carrots and lettuce now. I have called different vets. No one takes hamsters. What can I do?

Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Status:  Closed   Value: $5
Info Request
June 7 11:16 AM (15 hours and 18 minutes and 58 seconds later)
         
REPLIED to Info RequestCheck Mark

Is you ham drinking water? Is he peeing and pooping? What kind of cage is he in? What kind of bedding do you use?



Hope this helps and if I've answered your question don't forget to please accept my answer and to make it twice as nice a bonus (no matter the size) is always appreciated!

Thanks,
Rebekah
Picture
Rebekah Haferbecker -- Pet Care Provider -- 100% Positive Feedback on 72 Pet Accepts
Caring for animals for over 10 years and shelter volunteer for 2 years.
Reply
June 8 3:41 AM (16 hours and 25 minutes and 1 second later)
         
Reply to Rebekah Johnson's Post: Hi Rebekah,

He was not pooping much till last night. He filled up his corner. I have him in one of the many plastic cages. With lots of crawl spaces and loops. He is drinking but not as much and I did find some blood in one of his pee corners but that was just once. He still allows me to hold him but no play time anymore.
My bedding is lots of different stuff depending on what which department he sleeps in, one has that cotton candy looking bedding, one is torn up kleenix, no cedar to be seen in Harveys home.
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Answer
June 8 11:24 AM (7 hours and 42 minutes and 52 seconds later)
         
ACCEPTEDCheck Mark

His symptoms do not seem to be pointing to any one problem. The lethargy could have been partially caused by his constipation but once he was able to get his bowels moving again he should have perked up. Give him a thorough once over and see if you can feel any abcesses, these can cause some of the symptoms you have mentioned and will cause him to be docile until it bursts. Try giving him more of a variety of fruits and veggies, limiting the lettuce as it is not the best nutritionally for hams. Give him fruits that have high water content such as apples to help keep him hydrated since he is not drinking much water. Also, try giving him his normal food but if you see he favors particular bits of it then give him extra of those. Also, at your local pet store they sell vitamin enriched treats for hams and vitamin drops give him plenty of those as well.

Unfortunately, with hamsters it is hard to diagnose illness in them because they do not show pain and are so small and without a vet to check him out the best you can do is keep him comfortable and monitor him. Also, try checking with a pet store that sells hamsters and see if they have a vet for them. It may be that you have to travel a little out of your area to find a small animal vet. J

ust give him lots of love and attention. Your hamster is about middle aged for the normal life expectancy for a hamster but there is no way to determine how long each individual ham will live.

Hope this helps!



Hope this helps and if I've answered your question don't forget to please accept my answer and to make it twice as nice a bonus (no matter the size) is always appreciated!

Thanks,
Rebekah
Picture
Rebekah Haferbecker -- Pet Care Provider -- 100% Positive Feedback on 72 Pet Accepts
Caring for animals for over 10 years and shelter volunteer for 2 years.
Reply
June 9 12:56 AM (13 hours and 31 minutes and 43 seconds later)
         
Thank you so much for your help. I will try all that you mentioned. I know that they have a short life, I just wanted to make sure I was not killing the poor guy. I will keep you posted.
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Info Request
June 9 11:31 AM (10 hours and 35 minutes and 53 seconds later)
         
REPLIED to Info RequestCheck Mark

You are doing your best and I am sure he appreciates it. If I've answered your question please feel free to hit the Accept button on my second post.

Thanks,

Rebekah

Picture
Rebekah Haferbecker -- Pet Care Provider -- 100% Positive Feedback on 72 Pet Accepts
Caring for animals for over 10 years and shelter volunteer for 2 years.
Reply
June 23 11:20 PM (14 days and 11 hours later)
         
Reply to Rebekah Johnson's Post: Just wanted you to know that my hammie, Harvey, is doing great. He is not so much into playing anymore but he is eating and drinking and letting me hold him. So for an old dude.......he is one happy one. Thanks again.

Harveythehamsters....mom
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Info Request
June 24 9:01 PM (21 hours and 41 minutes and 30 seconds later)
         

Glad to hear Harvey is doing better. Also, just to remind you to push the accept button on one of my posts so that I can get credit for my answer to your question. Even though you made the deposit I don't get credit until you do this.

Thanks a bunch and good health to you and Harvey!

Picture
Rebekah Haferbecker -- Pet Care Provider -- 100% Positive Feedback on 72 Pet Accepts
Caring for animals for over 10 years and shelter volunteer for 2 years.
Think you can answer this question?
Login or Become an Expert

Related Answers

 

DISCLAIMER: You acknowledge that any information you may obtain from individuals you contact through use of the Just Answer service comes from those individuals, not from Just Answer!, and that Just Answer is not in any way responsible for any of the information these third parties may supply. The site and services are provided "as is" with no warranty and no representations are made regarding the qualification of an Expert. Responses and comments on Just Answer! are for general information and are not intended to substitute for informed professional advice (such as medical, legal, investment or accounting) and do not establish a professional-client relationship. Just Answer! is not intended or designed to address EMERGENCY QUESTIONS which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals. Please carefully read the Terms of Service.

Just Answer! > Pet Health