Watch out for symptoms that may indicate your hamster has an illness. Keeping your hamster’s home clean and dry is probably one of the best things you can do for good hamster health. You should always make sure that there is no spilled water or other mess in the housing are, and you should clean your hamster’s home often.
Most of the illness found in hamsters do not affect humans in any way. Zoonotic diseases are those that can be transmitted from animals to humans. Ringworm and salmonella are two common examples of zoonotic diseases. To prevent any such disease, it is always a good idea to wash your hands before and after handling your pet. If your vet diagnoses your hamster with a zoonotic disease, they will give you additional instructions on how to prevent it from spreading.
Use caution when introducting any new hamster to your extisting pets. This is especially true if they will be sharing a living area since hamsters living together are more at risk for catching disease than those living alone. Even healthy looking hamsters can be carrying a disease, you just don’t know about it yet.
Unlike many other types of pets, hamster do not require annual wellness exams. However, you still need to find a qualified vet before any emergency occurs. Ask people who you know have a hamster and see which vet they take their pet to. After you find a vet, ask them how much they charge for various services.
Besides catching a disease, a hamster can also be injured or suffer poor health due to improper house cleaning. Be on the lookout for these common things:
Abscesses
A secondary wound infection can result in an abscess. To treat the abscess, you can drain it and then apply treatment, but this is quite painful for your hamster and should be avoided. To avoid any discomfort for the hamster, have the vet take care of the situation for you.
Colds/Pneumonia
If you notice any type of wheezing, difficulty breathing, or eyes glues shut, you need to take your hamster to the vet immediately. You may also notice things like weight loss, a discharge from the hamster’s nose, and general lethargy.
Tyzzer’s Disease
Tyzzer’s Disease is a very contagious disease that spreads from hamster to hamster, and usually results in death. Some hamsters will stop moving around, they will develop a scruffy-looking coat, and they will have diarrhea and dehydration. Other hamsters will show not signs at all – they will just die. This disease is common in hamsters with unclean housing areas and who have a lot of stress. Thankfully, it is uncommon in hamsters living in a clean habitat, and who are well cared for.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a noninfectious disease that has been found in Campbell’s Russian hamsters. A hamster who has diabetes will use suffer from excessive thirst and frequent urination. A change in your hamster’s diet is the usual treatment for diabetes in hamsters. Diabetic hamsters should not be given fruit. You may also remove corn and peas from their food. Your vet is the best person to provide an accurate diagnosis and recomendations for your hamster’s health.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma has been found in Winter White hamsters. While there is no cure for the affliction in hamsters, your veterinarian can prescribe eye drops for the pain.
Cheek pouch troubles
The cheek pouches that hamsters use for food storage and transportation can become pierced, impacted or otherwise damaged. Symptoms include not being able to empty the pouches or having an everted cheek pouch (one that is turned inside out). Take your hamster to the vet as soon as you suspect that she may have a cheeck pouch injury.
For more information on health problems in hamsters visit http://www.hamstercareanswers.com.
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