Why are our 4-week old hamsters beginning to die?

Question

One week after bringing our new hamster home, she had 6 babies! 2 babies died about a week later and we're unsure why. The rest have done very well are so cute. However, yesterday one was weak, could barely walk and later died. Today, we have another one acting the same! Since they appear to be done nursing from their mother, I put a little bit of water in the cage, as they can't reach the water bottle very well. We don't know what else to do.This is very confusing! They seem fine one day and suddenly the next day they're not.

Answer 1

At four weeks old hamster pups can be weaned from their mother and can go to their new homes. Since they're dying though, just move the pups into two new cages, one for males and one for females and wait until you're sure they'll live before rehoming them.

What you are describing sounds like it could be bloat. Do you notice their abdomens being swollen? Does it look like they may be fluid filled? Do their faces look "pinched"? If so, this is not a good sign. There is nothing that you can do for bloat and most likely all the ones that are showing signs of bloat will die.

Go to Petsmart (the only store that I know carries it) and get the Wet-Tail Plus Treatment with Probiotic made by Oasis. Follow the directions and put it into the water bottle. You will need one package for each cage. Do this as soon as possible. This is the only thing that you can to do protect the pups that haven't bloated yet. It may or may not help the ones that are.

If they are showing signs of wet tail (which you didn't mention) you would still use the Oasis treatment. Again, do this as soon as possible.

Do not use the Dri Tail treatment commonly sold. It is not effective.

I assume that you are describing a Syrian hamster and I've given advice as such. I am not familiar enough with dwarves to offer any insight.

-Janice
http://www.holmdenhillhaven.com

Answer 2

She was so old it couldn't have made much difference if she did starve. In an RSPCA magazine I read about a case of starvation and when they found all the dead animals the hamster's corpse was EMACIATED meaning really thin like a skeleton so if she really starved she would have been more than just relatively skinny. I don't clean out my pets every week and they have never been ill so that isn't too bad and WELL DONE for helping her get through her illness. You aren't too bad really.

Answer 3

Hamsters don't wean until their 3-4 weeks old. Are they large or dwarf breeds? Dwarf babies can begin to drink water at one weekand open their eyes by the same age, but large breed hamster babies don't open their eyes until their 10-15 days old. A mother will rarely let a baby just die, the usually eat them, even at a week old, I've seen it happen. There is the possibility that they were sick to begin with as well. 6 babies is on the smaller end for large breed litters, but average for dwarfs. We bred mainly Dwarfs and a couple of our mothers ate, killed or lost all but one of each of their first litters. One even abandoned her babies (3 time mother at that) and their older sister from the litter prior managed to raise only one of hers and one of the siblings. She killed 3 of her 4 own to raise the 2 of them. We never knew either was pregnant until the babies were there. The cage had no males, or so we thought, her brother passed himself off as a female for 2 months. Boy did he get moved out fast. This site may be of some help on raising the babies and the mother, go to hamster care, then click on raising pups.

Answer 4

Unfortunately life is very precarious for small animals. It could be any number of things. If there is sufficient food and water, the cage is in a place which is not in a draft or too hot and is reasonably clean.........there's not really much else you can do expect hope for the best.

Answer 5

it could be that they still need there mothers milk but the mum is refusing to feed them, try feeding them yourself with kitten milk or something,