How to Treat a Hamster's Medical Conditions

If your hamster gets sick it can be dangerous. Small animals, such as hamsters, can escalate from mildly sick to seriously ill very quickly. It is important to keep a close eye on your hamster's health. By catching symptoms early, you will be able to help your pet live a long, healthy life. There are many different health problems you may encounter with a hamster, including wet tail, cold and flu and hair loss. Luckily, there are things you can do to help your pet heal at home.

Things You'll Need

  • Disinfecting spray
  • Oral syringe
  • Pedialyte
  • Vicks Vapor Rub
  • Honey
  • Milk
  • Fresh foods
  • Rice
  • Puffed rice cereal
  • Cod-liver oil
  • Yeast tablet
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Instructions

  1. Wet Tail

    • 1

      Call your veterinarian immediately at the first signs of infection. If left untreated, wet tail can kill your hamster.

    • 2

      Separate your hamster from any other uninfected cage mates. Wet tail is contagious and can be quite serious. Prevent your other pets from contracting it by isolating the sick hamster.

    • 3

      Disinfect the cage with a disinfecting spray or cleaning wipe. Since you have isolated the sick hamster, you will want to help protect the others by thoroughly cleaning all equipment to get rid of any bacteria on them.

    • 4

      Keep your hamster hydrated. Dehydration from the diarrhea your pet experiences could quickly kill it. Make sure there is plenty of clean, fresh water available at all times. Also, keep plenty of fresh foods as well, since animals are able to get water from the foods. If your hamster refuses to eat and drink, use an oral baby syringe and fill it with Pedialyte. Place one to two drops in his mouth at a time. Repeat this frequently.

    Cold and Flu

    • 5

      Contact your veterinarian if your pet is breathing heavy, sneezing or has a runny nose. Cold and flu bugs can be transferred from people to hamsters and if left untreated can turn into pneumonia.

    • 6

      Keep your hamster warm. Make sure the cage is out of drafts and kept at least at room temperature.

    • 7

      Apply Vicks Vapor Rub to an out-of-the-way place that your hamster cannot reach. If the top of the water bottle is out of reach, that is a good place. It needs to be close enough for your hamster to inhale it but not eat it. This will help with the congestion.

    • 8

      Mix a teaspoon of honey with half-cup lukewarm water and a half-cup milk. Add this to a food dish or your hamster's water bottle and allow him to drink it.

    Hair Loss

    • 9

      Increase the fruits and vegetables in your hamster's diet. Another option is to mix equal parts of dry hamster food and either boiled rice or puffed rice cereal. Either way, you are helping increase the protein in your pet's diet to help combat the hair loss.

    • 10

      Give your hamster one drop of cod-liver oil every day. Alternately, crush one garlic-free yeast tablet and sprinkle it on top of the dry hamster feed for four days. After that, sprinkle it only once a week.

    • 11

      Remove irritants from the cage. If the water bottle is leaking, replace it. If you have abrasive bedding, change to a softer form. Any of these stimulants can cause your hamster to itch. When he scratches, he could scratch himself bald.