My hamster has been okay and healthy, but this month I noticed that it walks around with it's eyes closed, stands still and loses balance and starts rocking, and has been falling asleep as it walks around its cage. Any ideas what is going on with my hamster?
Please provide detail on what is going on and what I should do.
2007-02-10 05:49:42 · 9 answers · asked by samus501 2 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Aww the poor thing. I just called my mother and asked her because she knows everything about hamsters. She "rescues" unwanted hamsters and some that aren't taken care of. She's had no less than 12 at one time for the past 15 years. The average age a hamster lives to be is around 3. Those are the symptoms of old age, and it means your hamster will not live much longer. Sorry to tell you that. If you take it to the vet they can't do anything for it and it's expensive anyway considering a hamster's short life expectancy. As he is experiencing the dizziness and other signs of old age, he also might get "wet-tail" which is the name for when hamsters get diarhea. Almost every one of my mother's hamsters had these same symptoms a few days before they died. There is nothing you can do to help him. But, by all means, if you'd like to take him to the vet then do so, but if your hamster is just old, there's nothing the vet can do to make him live longer. He may just give you some medications if he get's "wet-tail" Good luck and sorry about your hamster.
2007-02-10 06:09:36 · answer #1 · answered by ? 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Call the vet and describe what it's been doing, they may want you to bring it in for a check up. How old is your hamster? A syrian only lives 2-3 years and dwarfs live 1-2 years. My son who raises them says it could be having seizures and you really should seek a vets help. Our one hamster was losing his balance so we consulted the vet and he was ill, he died 4 days later on 1/11/07 even with treatment. Sorry to tell you that part. His sister just passed away on Thursday, 2/8/07, exactly 4 weeks later with no warning. Both died from cancer and would have been 2 in May, they were Campbell's Russian dwarfs..
2007-02-11 01:19:13 · answer #2 · answered by wolfinator25840 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you have it in a chilly room? Sometimes if the hamster gets to cold it will go into a hybernative state and will act like that. You should bring it to a warm room and let him warm up. Umm is his eyes goopy with like snot looking stuff or just goopy? Either way get a warm paper towl and wash them out, you know like keep wiping them till the goopy stuff is gone. If you have contact salution at your house put a few drops of it in each eye, that should clear it up if he has a cold. try to keep fluids in him and try to get him to eat that is easier said than done when they are like that. And i would say make an appointment to see your vet. Yea it could be pricey but your hammie needs to get better. You'll have to find a small animal vet. Keep him comfertable. Thats all i know to tell you to do. Ive done this, sometimes this works sometimes it doesnt. I lost a whole litter of hamsters parents and all cuz they got a cold.
2007-02-11 03:08:45 · answer #3 · answered by zeldaaddict18 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe your hamster is tired. I don't want to scare you but maybe theres something wrong with him/her. If your hamster is older than 2 years thats something that happens when their close to passing away. He/She could also be lacking salt/minerals. I never gave my hamster that but its better to be safe than sorry. If your really worried you should definitely take him/her to the vet. Hope that helped. :]
2007-02-10 13:59:53 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
you should take it to the vet.
It'll cost over $100 but it's worth it...sounds to me like your hamster is dying, you should probably put it down so that it's not in pain or anything.....
I'm not a vet though, so I don't know to be honest....My hamsters are healthy but my last one died and it did the rocking thing.....
2007-02-10 13:55:13 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i would first keep checking on him for about a week check his food and that nothing that he could shred or pull into his cage is near the cage.If his behavior doesn't improve i would recommend taking him to the vet to have a check up it won't cost much but if they do find a problem then they may beable to fix it and give you a price about how much it will cost HTH xx
2007-02-10 14:02:06 · answer #6 · answered by dracofan93 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the rocking thing tends to happen with rodents becuase they don't have great vision. it's rare but i did have a narcoleptic mouse once. take it to your vet and see what they say.
2007-02-10 17:08:58 · answer #7 · answered by MommyCaleb 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well maybe he has a deciese and maybe you should HINT HINT.. bring it to the doctor get a check up on your hamster
2007-02-10 13:54:41 · answer #8 · answered by ms. hotty 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
maybe he ate something toxic .
his blood needs cleansing and hopefully he isn't brain damaged permanently
2007-02-10 13:53:20 · answer #9 · answered by smiles 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋