Hamster is dying: My fault?!?

(((AvidReader))),

I am so glad to hear Sparky is feeling better. I have been following this thread and saying little prayers for him. Yes, it is nice to know he is getting stronger. I will keep praying for him to get his health back.

(((((Sparkey))))
Open Eyes

GO Sparky -- Strong Hamster!!

I am so glad to read the good news AvidReader -- will keep good thoughts for Sparky!

((((AvidReader)))) so glad to read that Sparky is improving! I will continue to send lots of furry family members lovies your way!

Those little guys are tough We did have a hamster that got a nasty pouch infection. It was caused by a seed husk getting lodged in there somewhere.
She came around after a few days of antibiotics and lived another happy year. The vet recommended no more seeds. She turned us on to some crunchy veggie flavored treats that we gave with her regular blocks.

Glad to hear he is improving

Way to go sparky!!!
Make sure his bedding stays dry and watch out for leaking water bottles. I had a hamster chew on the plastic bottle and his bedding got soaked.
You might have to get more antibiotics after this dose is gone.
He's gonna be fine as long as he has ya'll to care for him.

That's a good idea, shewheel! I just picked up a bunch of crunchy hamster treats that I thought might be easier for Sparky to eat right now instead of seeds. I'll have to look for some vegetable ones, because I'm sure those would be healthier for him.

He is continuing to slowly improve! I can't remember who posted about needing more than one course of antibiotics, but I was thinking that, too.

Thanks again everyone! I wish I had a picture of him to post.

Sparky's hanging in there, although he still doesn't seem to be eating much. I never see him because my ex has him, but the kids send me cell phone photos, and he's awfully thin. (He used to be so chubby he got stuck in one of his tunnels!)

He's still running in his wheel, grooming, etc., and he is getting some food, because he's still pooping (sorry for the inelegant term, LOL). My ex called the vet to inquire, and she thought pain might be a cause, so she gave him a few more days of painkiller.

Sure hope we don't have to put him down after all of this, but if he won't eat, I'm not sure...

Here's an article on cheek pouch abscesses in hamsters--

http://www.smallanimalchannel.com/cr...eek-pouch.aspx

I hope Sparky will pull through.

Avidreader, my rule of thumb with sick critters is that if food and water are going in one end and coming out the other end things are OK. It might take him awhile to regain the weight he lost.

Maybe this is a silly idea, I've never had a hamster. Could you puree his food? I have a cat who had to have some surgery on her mouth that made it painful for her to chew. I bought her canned food and would mix it with water to make it liquid so all she had to do was lap it up. Would that work for Sparky?

Interesting article Terry.

Yes, yes, and yes. If things are going in and coming out okay is the word. I've had and worked with lots of rodents and other critters. If Sparky has made it for this long he will likely be back to his old self pretty soon. I have done the food mash and it helps, but keep in mind that he needs to chew to keep his teeth the right length or he won't be able to eat at all.

In my experience hamsters in pain will bite when you handle them and not spend much time on the wheel.

You can find yogurt drops for him for some extra calories for now, but just as a small treat.

The antibiotics knocked out the bad bacteria, but also did a number on his good gut bacteria. Takes a bit of time for that to come back.

That article is great! Sometimes you do have to go in there and get bedding out.

And...Avid reader you are such and awesome hamster mom. Sparky is one lucky little guy that he has found your family.

Thanks, lizardlady! Yes, we have been feeding him fruit and vegetable baby food with a medicine dropper for a couple of weeks now, but my ex says he doesn't seem to care for it any more. I'm not sure whether he can actually eat seeds yet, though, and I did read online that hamsters do need to chew to keep their teeth in proper condition.

Thanks so much for the kind words, shewheel. As a matter of fact, I did get him some yogurt drops, and some other "crunchy" but softer-looking treats, to help supplement his diet. My ex said he doesn't seem to like them, though, and so he hasn't been putting him in his food dish (which makes me a little mad, but it's kind of out of my hands now).

I think it'll take him awhile to get completely better, too. I'm not a hamster expert, but I was explaining to my kids that he was VERY sick and that you just don't snap back from something like that without a fairly long recovery period. We're all keeping our fingers crossed!

Thank you, TerryL, and thank you for the article. The vet did try to lance the abscess (she wasn't totally sure it was an abscess) but was unable to, she said. I'm not sure why. Hugs back!

Agin, I know nothing about hamsters, but my experience with my critters is that when they start fighting stuff like baby food it means they are feeling better. Could you try just a few seeds and see if Sparky can handle them?

If he does continue to struggle to gain weight even over the next couple of days it might be a good idea to have his teeth checked by the vet. If he has wood chews and is actively chewing them this is not a concern at all, but if most of his diet has been baby food and soft food keep an eye out for it.

I'm sorry. The last thing I want to do is give you something else to worry about. Try the wood chews and see if you get some teeth marks on them. Or something else he has to chew that is too big to fit in his pouch. Maybe a huge hunk of carrot just to see. If he's chomping away on the end of it his teeth work. If he's having a hard time...well, call the vet for advice.

Of course take it away after he has a little bit or ...on and on.

to you and Sparky.

additional-if his teeth have grown too long it simple for the vet to trim them. Not a big deal and likely will never happen again.

Sorry that was convoluted. Try the huge carrot chunk. Very easy to do and will give you an answer in short order. If he hates carrots-try sweet potato or even apple-just small amounts.

This is just a stab in the dark..I have bunnies and my bunny forum taught me to never use cedar or pine shavings as bedding as the oils can cause health problems. Also, for bunnies, if they are on antibiotics I was taught not to give them fruit during the treatment as too much sugar might upset their gastric system which is already compromised by the meds. I'm not sure if any of this applies to hamsters though. btw, is your vet familiar with hamster healthcare?

Good idea. Yes, he's had his regular food dish in his cage for the last several days, and I suggested to my ex that he try to weed out most of the bigger and/or sharper seeds, leaving the smaller ones. Thanks!

Shewheel, that's a great idea! I will buy some carrots today at the supermarket. Thanks!

Oh, I love bunnies, although I've never had one. They are so adorable! There are walking trails by our new apartment, and my daughters said they saw 11 baby bunnies the other night during their walk.

I've heard the same thing about cedar and pine bedding for hamsters, so we have been sure not to use that. We use a nice, soft Kay-Tee brand white bedding. Sparky seems to enjoy it because he always makes himself a huge cave of sorts and snuggles into it.

Hm, I was unaware of not giving fruit during antibiotic treatment. I wonder if that's true for hamsters, too -- I have a feeling it might be. I'll tell my ex today to cut out on the fruits.

Gee, now I feel bad. The vet told us to give Sparky vegetable baby food, but I switched to fruit because I thought it would taste better. Urrrgh; I hope I haven't been making him feel physically ill.

The vet seems great with hamster health care, although a bit unfamiliar, but she spent a lot of time at the first visit looking through her reference materials and consulting with other vets in the practice, so whatever she doesn't know she is definitely trying to find out. I live in a sort of rural area with a lot of farms, lots of rodeos, etc., so most of the vets deal only with large animals.

Thanks for the information, everyone! I will get a carrot and some vegetable baby food for Sparky today and ask my husband to give them to him today, and to watch the carrot for bite marks.

Oh no, please don't feel bad!!!! I woke up and remembered that what my forum said was not to give fruit when bunny goes into something called stasis (not antibiotic treatments) which is when they stop eating (usually from hairballs). I'm so sorry about this mixup especially as it made you feel bad...and besides, I am no vet. and I am not even sure if what applies for bunny applies for hamster anyways as bunnies are not rodents.. You are such a caring pet owner and we all know you are trying your best to help Sparky.

Have you tried peanuts, high in protien? I had a hamster that loved them.

Oh, yes, I had forgotten about peanuts! I'll ask my ex to give him a couple. I also had forgotten about a slice of hardboiled egg; he likes that, and it should definitely be easy to eat (although it won't help sharpen his teeth).

It's not looking good for poor Sparky. My ex made an appointment with the vet at 4:20 today, essentially to have him euthanized, unless the vet can shed some light or offer some help. I haven't actually seen Sparky in a couple of weeks. According to my ex, he is not eating, or eliminating, and has become very frail.

I gave my ex a bag of carrots yesterday and asked him to cut off a chunk for Sparky; I forgot to ask him earlier what happened with that (i.e., whether he chewed it).

I'll let you all know what happens.