Hamster Health Check (Part VI)

Hamster Health Check

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Hamster Health Check (Part VI)

·                     Health Care

·                     UPDATE: Hamster Vital Signs

o                  Hamster Hematology 

·                     The weekly health check

1.                  General

1.                  Hamster Skeleton

2.                  Mouth and nose

3.                  Eyes

4.                  Cheeks

5.                  Fur

6.                  Nails

·                     *Grooming

·                     SPECIAL: Hamster Anatomy

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Health care

With proper care and diet, hamsters tend to be healthy animals. The most common health problem is called “wet tail” and appears as foul smelling diarrhea. It is usually related to the stress of moving to a new home or a sudden change in diet. Preventative medication is available and can also be used to treat it should it occur. It is best to pick up a small amount of food the hamster has been used to and mix it with any new food being introduced. Do not offer your hamster fresh veggies or fruit for about a week and then do so gradually and in small amounts. (6)

CHECK FOR YOUR NORMAL HAMSTER VITAL SIGNS (23):

Adult body weight: 95 - 150g (female); 85 - 130g (male)

Life span: 1.5 - 2 years

Respiratory rate: 35 - 135 breaths/minute

Heart rate: 250 - 500 beats/minute

Normal average rectal temperature: 102ºF

Hamster Hematology (24):

RBC 7,500,000/mm

WBC 7,600/mm

Segmented Neutrophils 21.9%

Non-segmented Neutrophils 8.0%

Lymphocytes 73.5%

Monocytes 2.5%

Eosinophils 1.1%

Basophils 1.1%

The weekly health check

Get into the habit of examining your pet carefully every week. It’s a good idea to weigh him too. Make this a regular thing and you’ll bond better with your pets. And you’ll catch any problems early – your Syrian hamster is nocturnal, so health issues might not be so easy to spot. (3)

General

Check that your Syrian hamster’s behaviour is normal – active and playful in the evening. Gauge how they walk, looking for limping, or signs of pain. A sick pet will be irritable and may bite more frequently. (3)

Hamster Skeleton (25)

Mouth and nose

The nose should be clean and dry – sneezing and runny nose are signs of cold or fl u. Check to ensure that your

pet’s teeth haven’t grown too long. See whether they’re misaligned or

Food and Water (Part V)

HAMSTER NUTRITION

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Food and Water (Part V)

·                     Food and Water

·                     *Cheek Pouch

·                     Hoarding

·                     UPDATE: Hamster Diet List

·                     UPDATE: List of Plants regarded as Unsafe

·                     Hamsters' Urine

·                     Lack of Food and Water

·                     UPDATE: Food and Nutrition Myths and Misconceptions

·                     SPECIAL: Nutritional Information of Sunflower Seeds and Meal Worms

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Food and Water

Good-quality food and fresh, clean water must be readily available at all times. The exact nutritional requirements of the hamster are not known. In the wild, they are omnivorous, feeding on plants, seeds, fruits and insects. Pet hamsters are best fed commercial rat or mouse diets containing at least 16% crude protein. These foods are usually available as dry blocks or pellets. These commercial diets can be supplemented with small amounts of dry, sugar-free breakfast cereals, whole-wheat bread, uncooked pasta, cooked chicken, tuna fish, cheese, fresh fruits and vegetables. The last 2 items must be thoroughly washed to avoid exposing pet hamsters to pesticide residues and possible bacterial contamination. (1)

Pet stores sell prepared hamster diets available in boxes or bags. These diets contain

large quantities of seeds and items rich in oils. Consequently, if improperly stored, they become rancid and lose their nutritive value. Furthermore, these oil-rich items promote obesity. These types of foods can be offered as a supplement to the commercial rat or mouse diets mentioned above. (1)

All food should be provided in heavy ceramic crocks that resist tipping. The sides of the crocks should be high enough to keep bedding and fecal material out of the food, or the crocks should be elevated slightly above the bedding. (1)

Water is most easily made available and kept free from contamination by providing it in one or more water bottles equipped with ‘sipper’ tubes. Make certain the ends of the tubes are positioned low enough to allow all residents within the enclosure (especially juvenile hamsters over 1 week old) easy access to them. Also make certain that very young hamsters are strong enough to obtain water from these sipper tubes. (1)

Average food consumption is 10 to 15 g of commercial pelleted rodent food per day for adult hamsters. Hamsters drink approximately 5 ml of water per 100 g of body weight per day. This rate of water consumption is similar to the gerbil, another rodent species indigenous to the desert. In comparison, rats drink 10 ml of water per 100 g of body weight each day.(14)

*Cheek Pouch

A unique feature of Syrian hamsters is the well- developed pair of buccal or cheek pouches beneath the skin on the lateral sides of the head. In the picture,

the cheek pouch has been reverted for examination. (2)

The pouches are used to carry food and nesting material. They also provide an easily accessible site for tumor transplantation and induction. The cheek pouches have

Hamster Accessories and Toys (Part IV)

Hamster Accessories and Toys

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Hamster Accessories and Toys (Part IV)

·                     Recommended Hamster Supplies

·                     Hamster Accessories

1.                  Exercise wheel

2.                  Exercise ball

3.                  Gnawing Toys

4.                  Other Toys

5.                  Harness

6.                  Special insecticide

7.                  Bathing supplies

·                     Playtime

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Recommended Hamster Supplies (9)

Hamsters need a water bottle, a dry food dispenser and a dish for treats. For their bed choose from plastic, wood, or grass houses and/or a hammock or sleeping bag. They need an exercise wheel, and also enjoy tubes, climbing toys such as ladders, ropes, and branches, and chew toys. (6)

Hamster Accessories (17)

1. Exercise wheel

The exercise wheel is not a luxury item but a NECCESITY for the hamster. Hamsters are naturally active and a lack of exercise might result in paralysis, where an afflicted hamster will spend most of its time hunched over, often unable to raise its head. (16)

There are many kinds of exercise wheels available in the market today. Metal/wire wheels provide a strong base but rust easily if the hamster chews on them. They are prone to squeaking when a hamster runs on them but this can be easily remedied by rubbing some Vaseline or vegetable oil on the joints of the wheel. Similarly, a plastic wheel can be easily chewed away. Wheels with bars should be avoided as a hamster's feet might get caught in them. Opt for a gnaw-proof plastic base wheel instead. Electronic wheels that record the distance your hamster runs daily should be avoided if your hamster have a tendency to urinate on the wheel. (16)

2. Exercise ball

The exercise ball allows your hamster to run all over your room without you having to worry that it might get lost or be attacked by other animals. It is also ideal when you wash the cage, for putting the hamster in the ball makes its wait more fun and bearable. (16)

To avoid exhaustion and dehydration, you should not put your pet in the ball for more than 20 minutes. Urine and droppings can penetrate the holes in the ball designed for air circulation, so you should supervise the area that your hamster runs on. In addition, make sure that the hamster does not roll the ball near stairways, deep holes, and other dangerous obstacles in the house. (16)

For added value, get an exercise ball that can be used both inside and outside the cage. (comes with a stand) (16)

3. Gnawing Toys

Gnawing toys satisfies your hamster need to gnaw and your pet will be less inclined to gnaw on other objects in the cage such as the water bottle or its toys. As a hamster's incisors are always growing, gnawing helps to keep their teeth trim and sharp. There are many kinds of

Housing and Bedding (Part III)

Housing and Bedding

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Housing and Bedding (Part III)

·            One hamster, or more?

·            Recommended environmental conditions

·            Cage size

·            Substrate

·            Nesting

·            Hygiene

·            UPDATE: Housing Hamsters Together

o     Vanilla Essence technique

o     Large tub and small cage method

·            UPDATE: Set-up and Habitat Myths and Misconceptions

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One hamster, or more?

Syrian hamsters are solitary animals and can only be kept one to a cage. Dwarf Russian hamsters are more social, and can live in groups as long as they are introduced when young, and the cage is large enough. However once they reach sexual maturity the males may begin to fight. Males and females kept together will reproduce very quickly and fathers will have to be removed from the cage. For these reasons we only recommend 1 hamster of any type per cage. (6)

Russian, Roborovski and Chinese hamsters can squeeze through small places so are best kept in a tank or aquarium no smaller than 60cm x 30cm floor space, by 30cm tall. The tank needs a securely fitted wire lid to allow ventilation and prevent escape. (12)

Proper housing is a major factor in maintaining healthy hamsters. The psychosocial well being of the pets must be a primary consideration. Hamsters can be housed within enclosures made of wire, stainless steel, durable plastic or glass. The last 3 materials are preferred because they resist corrosion. Wood and similar materials should not be used to construct enclosures because they are difficult to clean and cannot withstand the destructive gnawing of rodents. (1)

Recommended environmental conditions. (13)

Many pet stores sell durable colored plastic enclosures that include attached horizontal and

Handling and Restraint (Part II)

Handling and Restraint

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Handling and Restraint (Part II)

·                     Picking up

·                     One-hand Grasp

·                     Use of container

·                     Two-hand carry

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Handling reminder (3)

Hamsters handled frequently from a very young age usually remain docile and rarely bite. Those with docile temperaments and a history of not biting can simply be picked up by using one or both hands, and then held in both hands or in one hand held against the body. (1)

Many hamsters develop untrustworthy personalities and begin to bite because they have been handled roughly or suddenly disturbed or awakened. (1)

Hamsters whose personalities are not well known must always be approached cautiously. A glove or small towel can be used to pick up these hamsters, or the animals can be encouraged to crawl into a small container, which is

then removed from their enclosure. Unknown hamsters and those known to bite can also be picked up and restrained by grasping a large amount of skin behind the head. As much skin as possible should be grasped between the thumb and index and middle fingers because their skin is so very loose. In fact, hamsters can literally turn nearly all the way around within their skins and bite a handler if this caution is not heeded! (1)

Picking up

There are several ways to pick up and manipulate hamsters, but it is important not to surprise or startle them prior to handling. As demonstrated in these

pictures, an effective method for firm restraint is to place a hamster on a flat surface and cover it with the palm of the hand with the thumb near the hamster's head. Grasp the loose skin over the back firmly and lift.

The hamster will be securely held with the skin taut over the abdomen and chest. Its eyes may appear to bulge when the skin of the head and neck is grasped firmly, but this technique is not painful or harmful. (2)

One-hand Grasp

An effective method for firm restraint is to place the hamster on a flat surface and cover it with your palm with the thumb near the hamster's head. Slowly close the hand allowing the loose skin to bunch, as shown here. You will be grasping the skin, not the body of the hamster.(13)

One-hand grasp and picking-up techniques (13) 

Use of container

For short transfers, for example, from one cage to another, a 500 ml plastic beaker or similarly sized container may be used, as long as it does not have sharp edges and can be sanitized.(13)

Two-hand carry

The image below shows another form of handling for a short transfer, the two-handed carry.(13)

Use of container and two-hand carry techniques (13) 

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