I have 3 hampsters and I found the one covered up and its dying... My question is what would cause it to die? It isnt very old and its habitat is perfectly fine.. My fiance and I suspected it though because it stopped eating.. Any ideas what would be wrong for it to die? Could this affect my other hampsters? Its laying there and breating slowing, with its eyes shut... I hope it goes soon so it can stop suffering.. Does this just happen out of nowhere..?? Plz answer.. Thanks!
2006-10-17 19:22:44 · 12 answers · asked by livindead_zombie13 1 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
I've had the hampsters for a while but not two years. They have plenty of food. There is only 3 males. I have no more.
2006-10-17 19:33:35 · update #1
Well thanks everyone for your help but it died last night shortly after I posted..
2006-10-18 12:11:26 · update #2
need more info to give an accurate answer. is it syrian or dwarf? how old exactly? if they r syrian they shouldnt be sharing a home at all after 3 mths of age. they will fight & often kill---which could be possible in this hamster's case. yes it could affect the others & i would gently put him in an new cage regardless of type of hamster. in a quiet draft-free room. dont handle him & stress him. put his whole bed area in there with him and make sure he has a shelter area to move under. wash hands thouroughly before handling each hamster.
is the house cold? they can go into hibernation if below 60. u need to handfeed him with an eyedropper. buy him some plain chidren's pedialyte as he is probably dehydrated and feed it with the dropper. give him some grated carrot, pellets softened with water, oatmeal, plain yogurt.
ideally he needs to see a vet who specializes in small animals. do u see any visible symptoms such as bloating, wet rear, cuts? they live 2-3 yrs on average.
jesus christ please dont listen to samlet---that's horrendously cruel & sadistic. people like this is why u cant take advice from pet stores. he's like the pedophile who gets a job as a teacher.
2006-10-18 06:24:05 · answer #1 · answered by galaxygurl 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If it has stopped eating there is definitely a reason.Hamsters are very susceptible to colds.Also they are very sensitive to drafts.do you have a ceiling fan? Also, check for wounds.Hamsters are extremely aggressive with each other and should be kept separate from each other.I have had a few occasions where one of my hamsters has killed the other. It is possible that is older.They get to an adult size very fast and once that happens it's hard to say how old they are for sure.If it was that size when you bought it, the people at the pet store probably would not know either or they could have told you it was younger so that you'd buy it(alot more common than you think) sorry about your hamster.
2006-10-18 02:44:21 · answer #2 · answered by Michelle F 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hello- Get the dying one out of the cage. Watch the others to make sure it is not a sickness. Age plays a big part in little ones like hampsters, mice, etc.
Take Care!
2006-10-18 02:36:23 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Has it been eating well recently? Because if they all eat out of a common bowl, it's possible that the other hamsters became territorial and stopped allowing it access to food. Maybe they got in a fight, and it is wounded somewhere? Hamsters can be very aggressive, actually... I have heard more than once of mother hamsters killing their babys when they were born, supposedly because they percieved that there wouldn't be enough food to go around. Or maybe it caught a disease... in which case, you need to watch out for your other hamsters. I hope he has no pain, in either case. Sorry about the situation! Feel better.
2006-10-18 02:27:54 · answer #4 · answered by starlet_8 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi I've had a mice, guinea pig, rat, and hamsters. They do die suddenly like that. Its hard to know why though. It rarely effects the other mice. But if the others get sick than they could have been sick when you bought them. It is sad but, it sounds like he was sick when you got him. If you've had him a while you might want to move the others and clean out the cage.
2006-10-18 02:30:57 · answer #5 · answered by chanelgrlnum5 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It could be that it is dehydrated it hasn't drank enough water through the water bottle that has the little ball in it. I had a hamster that got sick and I took him to the vet and they did nothing but tell me he was dehydrated and that I owed them $40 bucks only to throw him away in the trash. So please dont' bother with the vet unless your lucky and get one who cares about your little guy hamster.
2006-10-18 02:45:21 · answer #6 · answered by tammidx24 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know, but here's some links, you'll know the symptoms better. Are you sure of it's age? I thought I read somewhere they usually only live on average 2 years. Sorry, poor thing. Hope you find out what it is.
http://www.animalhospitals-usa.com/small_pets/hamster_diseases_general.html
http://www.radil.missouri.edu/info/dora/hamsterp/hamster.htm
http://www.hamsterland.com/default.asp?cat=gen&con=0
2006-10-18 02:30:19 · answer #7 · answered by tikitiki 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm sorry about your hamster.
Hamsters often get cancer, of the stomach, lungs, or pancreas. There is nothing you can do except keep him comfortable. Yes, it does happen out of nowhere... you didn't do anything wrong.
If she seems to be suffering, you can put her out of her pain by placing her gently in a plastic bag and then hitting the bag against the floor. I know that sounds cruel but really, it just stops her pain and you can then bury her int he bag. I had to learn to do this when I worked for a veterinarian in Toronto - giving the little guys "the needle" just hurt them too much.
2006-10-18 02:32:09 · answer #8 · answered by Samlet 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Hamsters have a short life span. I would remove it from the rest of your hamsters, pick it up and stroke its chest. You are so kind to be concerned about your pet. Tough luck, sorry.
2006-10-18 03:32:40 · answer #9 · answered by makeitright 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Did it die already? If not, bring it to a vet or emergency vet and have it put to sleep.
2006-10-18 18:32:30 · answer #10 · answered by lunalioness 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋