Common Hamster Diseases

Author: Laura McKinney
Date Of Creation: 10 August 2021
Update Date: 20 September 2024
Anonim
5 Common hamster Illnesses
Video: 5 Common hamster Illnesses

Content

If you are thinking of adopting this rodent, it is very important to know the Common Hamster Diseases in order to prevent any problem that may affect your pet in time. Since they are nocturnal creatures, many of the first symptoms of their most common illnesses may go unnoticed, so we recommend making your pet one. weekly physical exam, with which you can detect possible conditions as soon as possible. In addition to the correct feeding and hygiene of the hamster's cage, you should provide your animal with the care it needs and prevention against the most common diseases that we will show you below in PeritoAnimal.

abscesses and infections

abscesses are subcutaneous pus lumps, usually red in color and protruding, painful and can form anywhere in the body due to a reaction of the hamster's immune system. They are distinguished from tumors because abscesses usually have remnants of the wounds that formed them.


These lumps occur, usually due to bacterial or parasitic infections, or from badly healed cuts and bites. Treatment depends on the severity of the infection or abscess, but usually it is enough to open it, clean the infected area well, and heal the wound with some ointment. If this is not enough, the veterinarian can recommend antibiotics, if necessary, to clear the infections.

Mites and fungi

Another of the most common illnesses in hamsters are mites and fungi. these parasites they are usually already in our pets but they can be aggravated in situations of stress, weak immune system, bacterial or skin infections, poor diet or poor cage hygiene. They can also occur by contagion with other animals infected by parasites.


Symptoms produced by mites or fungi in hamsters cause excessive itching, irritated or non-skinned skin, eczema or scabs, and more movement and restlessness in the cage than usual.

The treatment will depend on the type of mites or fungi that our pet has contracted, but in general it is enough to disinfect the animal (and its cage) with specific products (always provided by a veterinarian), maintain a correct feeding and hygiene in its cage and, in case the infestation is by scabies on the skin, it will be necessary to take the hamster urgently to the veterinarian, although this disease can be distinguished from milder conditions because it also produces blisters on the extremities, ears and muzzle.

Colds, bronchitis and pneumonia

Colds are one of the most common illnesses in hamsters that can result in bronchitis and/or pneumonia if not well cured. This condition usually occurs when the animal is affected by sudden changes in temperature or by being exposed to air currents frequently.


Symptoms range from breathing difficulties, loss of appetite, sneezing, watery eyes, trembling or runny nose. But if the cold doesn't heal well and these symptoms continue along with coughing, constant nasal flow, red snout and wheezing when breathing, it's very possible that the hamster has bronchitis or even pneumonia.

Treatment in these cases is very similar to that of humans. Therefore, you should provide him with a warm, dry place, plenty of rest, nutritious food and you should take him to the vet as he may need antibiotics and other medications.

wet tail

the wet tail or the proliferative ileitis it is one of the most famous and contagious diseases in hamsters. It is a condition very similar to diarrhea and is often confused but they are not the same thing.

Wet tail disease tends to affect younger hamsters (3-10 weeks old), especially those that have been weaned recently, due to stress or overcrowding, or poor feeding or cage hygiene. The cause is a bacteria that is inherent in the intestines of these animals called coli bacteria, but it can be activated by any of these previous causes. The incubation period is 7 days and the most evident symptoms are copious and watery diarrhea, the tail and anal area are very dirty and wet looking, loss of appetite and consequent dehydration, and the animal's stooping.

The treatment for this condition is very similar to that of gastroenteritis or diarrhea. The animal must be rehydrated and well nourished, isolate you from your other companions in order not to spread the disease, take him to the veterinarian to prescribe antibiotics and, completely disinfect the cage and all its components so as not to affect other animals.

Diarrhea or constipation

Diarrhea and constipation are two common illnesses in hamsters that have totally opposite symptoms and so can be well differentiated.

In the case of diarrhea, the animal presents pasty or liquid excrements, lack of appetite and lack of activity, and the anal area is very dirty (which is why it is often confused with wet tail disease). Diarrhea can be caused by bacterial infections, overfeeding with too many fresh products, lack of hygiene in the cage and its components, sudden changes in temperature, etc. In this case, the treatment should consist of hydrating the hamster with plenty of water, removing fresh foods from its diet (fruits and vegetables that lax, giving it astringent foods such as cooked rice, cleaning the anal area to avoid infections and consulting the veterinarian for the prescription of antibiotics if necessary).

On the other hand, in the case of constipation, there is a lack or reduction of excrement, which will be small and hard, the hamster will have a swollen and slightly moist anus, and may show signs of pain, lack of appetite and swelling in the abdomen. It is usually caused by a bad or unbalanced diet and the treatment consists of giving the animal a lot of water and laxative fruits and vegetables.

Cheek wounds or blocked cheeks

Hamsters have a cheek bags to store food and sometimes these can clog and become affected with wounds and/or abscess. Unlike humans, the cheek pouches of these animals are dry and not moist, so sometimes sores or abscesses can occur if they ingest food that is in poor condition or sticky, which makes them unable to empty their cheeks. If your pet suffers from this condition, you may notice the inflammation of your cheeks.

In this case, you can treat the hamster by taking it to the veterinarian to clean and empty the bags carefully, extracting all the food that was left inside and making the respective treatment.

Bites, cuts or injuries

Hamsters are often in contact with others of their species and in some of their fights or even playing, they can bite themselves or make wounds in the body.

Affected hamsters usually clean the lightest wounds themselves and these heal within a few days. But if we see that you have a serious wound or hemorrhage, we have to treat it by healing it as best as possible, cutting the hair on the affected area, cleaning the wound and applying antibiotic ointment, so as not to infect. In case of infection, it is recommended to consult a veterinarian.

Eye irritation or infection

Hamster eye irritations or infections are also one of the most common illnesses in these animals. Whether it's a fight with another hamster, something like dust, dirt, a hay leaf or wood shavings, or a bacterial infection, our pets' eyes can get injured in different ways.

Symptoms that occur are excessive tears, bulging and/or infected eyes, and excess blemishes. In this case, if the eye injury is mild, you can clean the affected eye with a cloth dampened in warm water until the animal opens the eye, and once opened, apply the saline solution like drops or eye drops for the eyes. In case the eye damage is serious, we must consult a veterinarian to prescribe the relevant medications such as antibiotic ointments, for example.

Tumors or cancer

Tumors are a internal or external lumps that hamsters develop, like other species, due to an increase in their component cells, which can be benign or malignant. If the tumor is malignant and has the ability to invade and metastasize in places other than the original tumor, it is called cancer.

These lumps can be distinguished from other conditions such as fat lumps or cysts, because when you touch them, they do not move and usually appear due to multiple factors but the most common is the aging of the animal. The most notable symptoms are both external and internal lumps (although the latter are more difficult to detect and usually not detectable in time), a generally unhealthy appearance with poor appetite, little activity and loss of weight and hair.

External tumors can be removed through the operation performed by a qualified veterinarian, although there is no guarantee that they will not come back. And the internal tumors too are operable, but much more difficult to detect and remove, mainly due to the size of the hamster. Treatment will depend on the age and condition of the lumps in the animal.

This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.