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Ok...this morning I got up and my hamster wasnt moving...i tapped on the cage and she still didnt move then soon enough she started moving around all stiff and stubbling around...one of her eyes were closed and she wasnt breathing right...then i tried to pick her up and she started rocking back and forth and layed down in the corner of her cage.....so i went to school sure she would be dead when i got home and she is still alive right now....but she is breathing very heavy and shallow, she is also in the same spot from this morning and i tried to pick her up again and she did the rocking back and forth thing again...she will be 3 years old in march and i dont know what to do....i cant really afford a vet and im tempted to call and ask for help....please any advice or any idea of what she has will help....

2007-02-14 10:14:13 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets Other - Pets

19 answers

I'm sorry, but your going through what, I went through twice in the last 5 weeks with my elderly hamsters, they were brother and sister Russian dwarfs that would have been 2 in May. Everything you're describing is pointing to her leaving you soon. At 3 she's lived a good long life (2-3 on average). Just keep her as comfortable as you can, she'll appreciate it. If mine let me, I like to hold them until they pass, but this can take a day or so. Please don't put her in the trash like some people do, bury her in a nice spot where you can visit. We have a dogwood tree I got for Mother's day in 1996, after my last child was born, we put a 12 foot circle wall around the tree and have buried all our small caged pets there. We planted flowers in the circle as well and made them a garden.
Ours passed usually during the night or while we were gone. We came home to one running her wheel, went back out to get more packages, came in and she was gone. We thought she fell asleep until we picked her up and she was already turning cold. She had passed from grief, we believe, her "mom" was found passed a few minutes later, she'd passed a few hours earlier from what I could tell.

Again sorry.

2007-02-14 10:58:05 · answer #1 · answered by wolfinator25840 5 · 0 1

Two things can be going on here. I'm surprised no one else has mentioned hibernation but they've probably only had experience with a handful of hamsters, not the hundreds that I've owned.

Given the recent cold spell hitting the US, your hamster may be trying to hibernate. What you've described is typical of a hamster entering hibernation. I'm a breeder in Ohio and have a breeder friend in Maryland. We have both had hamsters hibernate in the last three weeks. Unfortunately both the Maryland breeder and I have never had a hamster successfully come out of hibernation on their own. I do what I can to "pull" them out of it myself. I warm some juice and put it in a syringe then I hold the hamster sideways. I slowly trickle a bit of juice across the hamsters tongue making sure it drips out the other side of its mouth and not down the back of its throat. I do this until the hamster swallows a few times. Within a half hour, the hamster is usually out of hibernation.

Since yours hasn't entered into it, still use the warm juice but hold the hamster upright and put one drop into its mouth. After it swallows the first drop, give it another. Do this until the hamster rejects it. The warmth and sugar will tell the body to stop preparing for hibernation. You should see a difference in a half hour to an hour if that is what is happening to your hamster.

If you hamster has entered hibernation, its very hard to tell a hibernating hamster from a dead hamster. The one difference is that a dead hamster will be stiff from a few hours after death until a few days after death from rigor mortis. A hibernating hamster will be somewhat flexible. If you straighten it out, the hibernating muscles will pull the hamster back into the ball form. A hibernating hamster only have 3 heartbeats a minute and take what looks to be a strained breath once every two minutes. A hibernating hamster will be cold to the touch and may have discolored extremities as the blood isn't being pumped to them. If your hamster has entered hibernation, then use the warm juice method I've outlined above.

Note: Only Syrian hamsters hibernate. None of the dwarf species have been know to hibernate.

If the warm juice doesn't do the trick, then it is old age finally hitting your hamster. Usually the symptoms that you've described come on slowly (which makes me suspect hibernation- which does come on suddenly) unless the hamster suffered a stroke. If it's not hibernation and you can't pull her out of it, you may want to consider humanely euthanizing her at a vet's office or animal shelter. Leaving her as she is, she will slowly die of dehydration. I'm sorry if this turns out to be the case.

-Janice
http://www.holmdenhillhaven.com

2007-02-15 08:56:43 · answer #2 · answered by radiocricket 4 · 0 1

Try to make your hamster comfortable as possible, maybe move her to a smaller cage or small box. Carefully clean out her water and food dispensers and rinse carefully in ultra hot water before returning to the cage. Lots of access to clean water will help if it's a urinary thing.

Look for drool or wet tail, those can be fixed by a vet. Anything else is probably not worth it. Try to make your hamster comfy and give her lots of fresh veggies but stay away from spinach and kale. Hopefully she will recover! If not, make her as comfortable as possible and try not to be too sad. Disinfect the cage BEFORE getting another hamster in case it's disease, but it's probably old age. 3 years is a pretty good run.

2007-02-14 18:21:50 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2 1

Your hamster is in the stage of dying, the same thing happened to my daughter's hamster, he would sit in the corner very still and he was also very skinny. It took him a while but the best thing you can do is leave him alone and let him die in peace, I know it's sad but my daughter's hamster didn't want to be touched you could just tell, all the best of luck. Just know that he lived a long life for a hamster. Best wishes.

2007-02-14 20:01:42 · answer #4 · answered by Jennifer S 1 · 0 1

i'm very sorry to hear that your furbaby isn't well.

3 is old for a hammy!

if you can't afford veterinary care, i suggest you just try these:
1. put water in a suringe and offer her water every half hour
2. offer her a small bit of soft food. lettuce is good. also, shell a sunflower for her.
3. keep her warm and comfy! enjoy the short time you have left with her. she will thank you for it!

i am so sory! my hamster died last year. :( hope i helped!

2007-02-14 19:10:37 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Phone Your Vet ! ASAP ! Hamsters Are Ment To Live Only For 2 Years So You Must Have Cared For Her Very Well ! Hope She Lives xx

2007-02-14 18:20:24 · answer #6 · answered by dO yOu wanna piece Of me :-D[8]? 3 · 0 2

I'm sorry to say that your little animal is dying. :( I had the same thing happen with 3 of my hamsters. They only live 2-3 years so I guess its time for her to go. They usually don't move and they begin to make squeeling noises. She'll softly make these sudden movements. I'm sorry about your hamster. But, thats the cycle of life. :(

2007-02-14 18:18:54 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2 1

Your hamster is old; just make her comfortable.
I know, when a pet is dying, you really want to do something, but you can't always. It is the natural life cycle.
Be glad for the good life she has had with you.

2007-02-14 21:17:09 · answer #8 · answered by The First Dragon 7 · 0 0

Well If you've had your sweet hamster to the vet and they have a recent record of her visit they may be able to advise you. Even if not, please give it a try!

Boo hiss to that rude poster who admonished you for not being able to afford the vet bills! I adopted my dog from the rescue league 4 1/2 years ago, and just this past fall I had to have about $2,500 worth of surgery on him to repair a couple of ruptured discs in his neck. His prognosis was very good, and because of that I was uncomfortable putting him down just because of money issues. He is now fully recovered, and I am in debt.

Anyway--sorry to go on, but that poster has a lot of nerve judging you like that. Good luck, and try calling a vet. Maybe even an emergency service for pets. Sounds like you did get a lot of good advice here too, though.

2007-02-14 18:35:20 · answer #9 · answered by team_bar1o 2 · 0 3

She is getting old the life term for a hampster is only 3 years!! I am very sorry but she is probley dieing of old age.

2007-02-14 18:18:40 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2 0

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