Vet Care and Hamsters
Vet care is a problem in the hamster owner community.
We place so much emphasis on getting proper food and supplies...but vet care is usually an afterthought (or not even mentioned at all). There's an unspoken idea that vet care is optional or an "extra" that's nice to have but not truly necessary.
This is simply untrue. The ability to provide vet care is a requirement for responsible hamster ownership. It's just as important as providing food, water, and a decent cage.
The Importance of Vet Care
Many serious, life-threatening conditions have no "at home" treatment and require a vet.
Unfortunately, many hamster ailments cannot be treated at home. Some minor issues certainly can be dealt with at home to an extent, but a lot of the more serious ones simply need vet intervention. Wet tail, cancer / tumors, and congestive heart failure are just a few examples. In cases of these ailments, the options are basically to go to the vet, or watch the hamster suffer and possibly die.
Most hamsters die of illness and injury, not of old age
The vast majority of hamsters die well before they reach old age. The average reported lifespan for a hamster is around 1.5 years old. But hamsters aren't really "elderly" until they reach 2.5 years or so. These hamsters are not dying of old age - they're dying of disease. Some of which is completely treatable with proper vet care.
It's not a good strategy to just hope that a hamster doesn't ever need vet care, as that isn't often the case. Not having access to vet care is often tantamount to sentencing the hamster to an early death.
Not providing veterinary care is often illegal.
This is not exaggeration, nor is it meant to be a scare tactic. It is simple fact - not providing a sick or injured animal vet care is often legally considered animal neglect, which is a form of cruelty. Here are a few US states where failing to provide vet care is explicitly in violation of animal cruelty laws:
Even in states where vet care isn't explicitly mentioned, there's almost always language about causing an animal to suffer due to action or lack of action. Not taking a sick or injured animal to the vet could often fall under these types of clauses.
Common Criticisms of Vet Care for Hamsters (with Rebuttals)
"You can't take a hamster to the vet - vets only treat cats and dogs, not hamsters."
This is simply untrue. Yes, many vets are "companion animal" vets - that is, they work exclusively with common companion animals (cats and dogs). However, those are not the only types of vets that exist.
Exotic veterinarians specialize in other small animals kept as pets, including (but not limited to) birds, rabbits, reptiles, amphibians, and rodents. There are vets that will see and treat hamsters. Some even do surgery on them! In fact, there are even entire animal hospitals dedicated solely to exotic pets. So yes, you can absolutely take a hamster to the vet - you just need to find the right vet! 
"Vets can't do anything for hamsters because they're so small."
Why would the practice of exotic veterinary medicine even exist if nothing could be done for hamsters? 
Hamsters can be given medications like antibiotics and pain medicine. Hamsters can have x-rays and ultrasounds. Hamsters can have any number of tests done (fecal tests, blood tests, etc.). Hamsters can be treated for chronic illnesses like diabetes and congestive heart failure. Hamsters can even have surgeries.
Hamsters can be given medications like antibiotics and pain medicine. Hamsters can have x-rays and ultrasounds. Hamsters can have any number of tests done (fecal tests, blood tests, etc.). Hamsters can be treated for chronic illnesses like diabetes and congestive heart failure. Hamsters can even have surgeries."Hamsters don't need to go to the vet."
Hamsters are not robots or toys. They are living, breathing creatures just like cats and dogs. They can get sick, have injuries, feel pain, and suffer. They can also receive treatment just like any other animal. If a hamster breaks its leg or develops a tumor or gets a respiratory infection...yes, it needs to go to the vet, plain and simple.
In many places, it is illegal to deny a sick or injured pet veterinary care - and yes, these laws include hamsters. Denying vet care is animal cruelty and is considered the same as denying the animal food or water.
"It's not worth it to pay vet bills for a $10 animal."
Vet bills ALWAYS cost more than the animal itself. This is just a simple fact of pet ownership - it's true for cats and dogs as well. The lifetime cost of routine veterinary care for a dog (checkups, vaccinations, teeth cleaning, etc.) is going to be well over the initial cost of that dog, even if it was an expensive breeder animal.
This is especially true for rescue animals - it's not at all hard to find a cat for adoption for $50 or less. It would never be acceptable to adopt a cat or dog and not take it to the vet because it was cheap. So there's no reason this limitation should exist for hamsters either.
"Hamster vet bills are unreasonably expensive."
Compared to pets like cats and dogs, hamster vet care is actually fairly inexpensive. Hamsters do not need to be spayed / neutered, they don't need dental cleaning, they don't need preventative parasite treatments (heartworm, flea, tick), and they don't need vaccinations.
In addition, hamster vet bills generally do not run thousands of dollars the way dog and cat bills might. It might cost a total of $200 - $300 to get an illness treated - that's including the exam fee, medicines, tests, and follow-up appointments. If it's something simple that requires only one visit and some medications, it could end up being only about $100. It's not absurdly expensive and it's not out of reach.
When it comes to the cost argument, one issue that often rears its ugly head is surgery. Yes, surgery on such a tiny animal can be very, very expensive. I've personally been quoted nearly $1000 for a surgery on a hamster.
But providing proper vet care does not necessarily mean paying for every possible procedure no matter how expensive. It means at least getting the hamster to the vet when needed and being able to pay for basic medicines and simple treatments. This is not to say that owners should never be expected to pay for surgery, but there's a difference between not being able to afford $1000 for high-risk surgery and not even being able to take the animal in for a simple exam and some pain medication.
"My hamster is extremely sick / dying. It's going to die and there's nothing that can be done about it, so why should I waste my money going to the vet?"
It's not always about fixing the issue or curing the disease. It can be about something as simple as providing painkillers to ease the hamster's suffering. It can even be about euthanasia.
Taking a sick or injured hamster to the vet should not be about keeping the hamster around for the owner's benefit. It should be about what is best for the hamster.
"It would be too stressful to take my hamster to the vet. They don't like being handled and the car ride is too scary for them!"
Very few animals actually enjoy going to the vet. Your particular hamster is not unique in this regard. This includes cats and dogs - vet visits are often stressful and scary for these animals as well. But letting an animal suffer with the pain and discomfort of an illness is way more stressful than a few-hours long excursion to the vet.
What degree of vet care is required?
This is always a tricky topic. How much money should someone be expected to spend on vet care for their hamster? How far should they be required to go to help the hamster? Is it cruelty to not do everything possible to save the hamster?
There are arguments to be made on both sides. On the one hand, it's not reasonable to expect someone to put themselves into debt to try to save their hamster. Having a pet does not mean that you suddenly no longer have financial limitations.
On the other hand, there should be an expectation that some degree of medical care is required, and there should be a plan or savings fund in place to take care of it. In addition, that plan should align with how much vet care actually costs, not what someone thinks it should cost.
As a hamster owner, you should be able to do all of the following:
(a) Take your hamster to the vet. This is the most obvious part. This includes having permission to go to the vet if you're a minor, being able to physically get to the vet (driving, getting a ride), and having the money for the exam fee.
(b) Provide basic treatments such as diagnostic tests, antibiotics, painkillers, re-checks, and euthanasia. This is sometimes less obvious than it should be. Taking the hamster to the vet, but then refusing to let the vet treat the hamster is a waste of time and money. And frankly, it does not count as providing vet care. The exam fee is not an all-expenses-paid vacation - treatment is going to cost additional money.
© At least seriously consider more intensive, costly procedures such as x-rays, hospitalization, surgery, etc. This is perhaps the most debatable part of vet care. It's not fair to say that every owner should be 100% willing and able to commit to every procedure, no matter the cost. There are going to be situations in which cost is simply too prohibitive. However, it's also not fair to say that an owner should never be expected to pay for more expensive procedures. It needs to be at least an option that the owner is willing to consider.
Follow-Up Questions and Concerns
"I own a hamster (or hamsters) and I can't get to the vet. What do I do now?"
First thing is first. Take a deep breath.
You are not a bad owner. You are not a terrible person. You are doing the best you can. I'm not going to lie and say that it's "okay," because it isn't. It's not a good situation for you and not a good situation for your hamster.
The first thing you should do is try to remedy the situation. Why is it that you can't go to the vet? You can't afford it? Start saving money. If you are a minor, talk to your parents. Talk to them about how you want to be 100% prepared to take care of your hamster that you took responsibility for. Tell them how you want to live up to your commitment, but you need some help or advice on how to save money or make a plan. Don't demand, don't whine. But talk. 
There are no exotic vets in your area? Start researching. 
Do some more searches and expand your range. Find out if any local non-exotic vets would be willing to at least look at a hamster in an emergency. Unfortunately you may have to travel - very few people are lucky enough to have a quality exotic vet 10 minutes down the road.
Do some more searches and expand your range. Find out if any local non-exotic vets would be willing to at least look at a hamster in an emergency. Unfortunately you may have to travel - very few people are lucky enough to have a quality exotic vet 10 minutes down the road. Your parents won't let you? Again, talk about how you want to honor your commitment to an animal you took responsibility for. Don't make it about demands, but about needing help developing a plan. Be humble and own the situation.
"What if I still can't get to the vet no matter what?"
If you've tried the above and more and things just are not working out for you, there are not too many options. If you are really worried and concerned, you may consider rehoming your hamster. This is NOT always the best option, but it is a possibility that could work in some situations.
What really matters is what you do in the future.
If you cannot get to the vet, the only responsible decision is to not get any more hamsters (or pets) until the situation changes.
It's one thing to get a hamster not realizing the importance of vet care. Again, it's not a good situation, but it's something that unfortunately does happen. 
But it's another thing to get a hamster knowing full well that you cannot provide necessary vet care for it. At that point, it is selfish and irresponsible. Because it is putting your want of a hamster over the hamster's need for proper medical care. If you truly care about hamsters, you won't bring one into a situation where it may suffer unnecessarily.
But it's another thing to get a hamster knowing full well that you cannot provide necessary vet care for it. At that point, it is selfish and irresponsible. Because it is putting your want of a hamster over the hamster's need for proper medical care. If you truly care about hamsters, you won't bring one into a situation where it may suffer unnecessarily.Final Thoughts
1) Responsible hamster ownership requires vet care.
2) We can talk all we want about big cages and healthy food. But not providing vet care has a lot worse consequences than using improper supplies.
3) You want a hamster. A hamster needs a vet. The hamster's needs come before your wants.
4) Making a mistake is not irresponsible or selfish. Continuing to make the same "mistake" over and over again is.
5) Everyone can be responsible and do their part! Sometimes that means holding off from getting a new hamster until you can provide for all of that hamster's needs.
Edited by Taxonomist, 26 March 2019 - 11:46 PM.
Now the only question is why it isn't pinned on the ailments and injuries board, or even the general care board 
