Hamsters

A major cause of bumble foot is keeping hamsters on mesh floors rather than flat floors, or on damp, dirty bedding. Wet tail This is a secondary bacterial infection that occurs and takes hold when the hamster is already unwell. It is commonly triggered by stress—afor example, transportation to the shop or new home, or exces- sive handling of a new hamster before he has settled in. Another cause is diet, typically too much fruit and vegetables. Wet tail causes serious diarrhea and the hamster can rapidly dehydrate, causing life-threatening loss of fluids and salts. The obvious symptoms are clumped greasy hair around the rump area with a strong sickly- sweet smell. The hamster will become very lethargic and withdrawn and the rest of his coat will look and feel greasy and stand on end. In the later stages, the hamster’s eyes look dull and sunken and the skin looses its elasticity. Such a degree of dehydration may cause further problems, such as kidney disease. All this can happen very quickly. The first 24 hours are the most important, so getting vet- erinary treatment is vital in the early stages.

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Hamsters