42 replies to this topic

[HyperNova♥]

Thank you so much! This will help me a lot!

[Mermaid Ayma]

Thank you SO much! I'm writing up a paper on everything i think i might ever need to know once i get my hamster, so that i can print it out and put it in the first aid box (once i have that, lol) This is truly helpful and awesome!

[Reefy]

Thanks for the tips!   

 

- Reefy 

 

 

[Eadidh06]

Hello- I have just joined this as I am in urgent need of some advice.

My Syrian hamster escaped his cage today and have just found that he has eaten bonjela and its metal packaging. I am extremely worried about him (although he seems like normal at the moment) as this cannot be good for him!

Please if anyone has any advice on what I should do I would be entirely grateful!!!
Thank you

[missPixy]

Hi, are you sure he ate metal? or did he perhaps pouch this packaging?

 

I'd recommend starting your own separate topic so other members can respond. This pinned topic is meant for reference only, not to receive guidance on specific health issues.

[Crystalkid2]

My hamster has been acting strange lately, less active at night and morning. Seems to be asleep. We took her to the vet and hey said she was fine. I do not know what to do!!! Please help!

[Lavender&Willow]

What to do in an Emergency – various scenariosFirst and foremost, in any life threatening emergency for any pet, we urge you to seek the advice of a veterinarian. This information is not a replacement for a consultation with an experienced vet.
This is a consolidation of previous topics and oft-given advice for time-essential health emergencies.Attacks from other petsHow to recognize: your cat or dog has gotten hold of your hamster or into the cage, or your hamster shows signs of injury from an encounter.Treatment:

Spoiler

An encounter with another pet will have a variety of issues. We advise that you seek a vet after applying emergency first aid.
For bleeding, cuts, scrapes, and puncture wounds: see "Bleeding"
For suspected broken bones or concussions: see "Concussions and Broken Bones"
For nonresponsive behavior: see "Shock and hypothermia" but do NOT massage in case of internal injuries.

BleedingHow to recognize: cuts, punctures, or other damage to flesh resulting in the loss of bloodMethod 1 - black tea bags

Materials needed: shallow bowl, boiling water, 5 black tea bags (any brand), paper towel or cloth

Treatment:

Spoiler

This method is an inexpensive and effective way to stop bleeding, even excessive bleeding from fights, first provided by missPixy here.
1. Boil water. Put all 5 tea bags in a small, shallow bowl and allow to steep for 2-3 minutes. Add a bit of cold water, if needed, to bring the temperature down to lukewarm.
2. Saturate the paper towel or cloth with the tea, and hold it against the wound for 1 minute. If the injuries are to the feet, let your hamster stand on the towel.
3. After the first minute, use a second clean dry cloth to check the progress (there will probably still be bleeding). Repeat step 1 as needed, using a freshly saturated paper towel or cloth each time.

Method 2 - styptic powder, baby powder, flour, or cornstarch
 

Materials needed: small bowl, q-tips (optional but helpful), toilet paper, and your preferred powder

Treatment:

Spoiler

This is useful especially for wounds that are not deep but continue to bleed, such as cuts, scrapes, and broken toenails. The powder will help the blood to clot and form a scab over the wound.
1. Use the toilet paper to clean the wound to the best of your ability. Apply pressure if your hamster will allow it, to slow the bleeding. Do not "scrub" the wound - just pat to remove pooled blood.
2. Place a small amount of your powder into a bowl. Use a q-tip (or your finger) to apply the powder to the surface of the wound. Apply as necessary. Do not remove the material after the bleeding has stopped - it is harmless to your hamster, and will fall off when it's supposed to.

Method 3 - pressure alone
 

Materials needed: if available, toilet paper or gauze pads

Treatment:

Spoiler

For when other materials aren't available. Pressure will slow and stop external bleeding, but a hamster may not sit still for it. Simply hold a folded piece of toilet paper or a gauze pad firmly against the wound. Maintain pressure until the bleeding stops.
If bleeding is excessive or will not stop, seek veterinary care.

Followup treatment for all 3 methods:

Spoiler

Remove the cause of injury. If the injury was due to fighting, separate the two hamsters immediately.
Monitor the wound for infection or in case bleeding restarts.
Provide your hamster with veggies rich in vitamin K - examples are kale, bok choy, spinach, and chard. Vitamin K helps the body rebuild platelets.

Concussion and Broken Bones (ex. from a large fall)How to recognize: Unresponsive behavior, misaligned limbs, Materials needed: a travel cage and a little bit of beddingTreatment: Concussions and broken bones cannot be treated at home. A vet is required. To prevent further injury, the pet owner should minimize the hamster's movement until a vet can be reached.Flesh WoundsHow to recognize: broken skin from a variety of causes such as falls, fights, or sharp objectsMethod 1 - removing debris
 

Materials needed: small saucepan with lid, table salt, Q-tips or cotton balls, syringe (optional but preferable)

Treatment:

Spoiler

Before cleaning the wound, be sure that any bleeding has stopped (see "bleeding").
You will first need to prepare a saline solution, which is a sterile fluid that will discourage infection and be less damaging to healthy flesh than pure water. Combine 1 cup of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a saucepan. Put the lid on the saucepan and bring the water to a boil. Leave the lid on and let the water boil for 15 minutes, then set the pan aside for the water to cool.
1. Irrigating a wound involves your hamster getting a little wet - since hamsters are very susceptible to getting chilled when wet, precautions should be taken. Place yourself, your hamster, and your supplies in a secure, warm room. I would suggest placing your hamster in the bathroom sink or tub and taking a heater in the bathroom with you. Do not proceed until you have taken these precautions.
2. Use your Q-tips or syringe to apply the saline solution to the point of injury. Depending on the size of the injury, a syringe is better at flushing, while a Q-tip can gently dab. Avoid getting the hamster wet anywhere but the point of injury, especially the ears and face.
3. Once the wound is clean, keep the hamster in the warm room until completely dry.

Followup treatment:

Spoiler

Anything other than a minor cut or scrape should be evaluated by a vet in case antibiotics are necessary to prevent infection. Meanwhile and for very minor injuries, keep the wound clean and apply a disinfectant/healing agent (like manuka honey) until the wound has closed and scabbed over.

Method 2 - disinfecting
Materials needed: thyme, small saucepan, Q-tipsTreatment:

Spoiler

You will first need to prepare a tea from the thyme. Thyme had natural antibacterial properties without the chemicals or medication in OTC products. Combine 2 sprigs' worth of the leaves with about 1/2 cup of boiling water. Let steep - the darker the water gets, the more of the beneficial oils have seeped or of the leaves and into the water. The tea can then be stored in a sealed container for up to 48 hours.
1. First and foremost, since hamsters are very susceptible to getting chilled when wet, precautions should be taken. Place yourself, your hamster, and your supplies in a secure, warm room. I would suggest placing your hamster in the bathroom sink or tub and taking a heater in the bathroom with you. Do not proceed until you have taken these precautions.
2. Apply the (now cooled) thyme tea to the affected area.
3. Return the hamster to its cage once completely dry.

Followup treatment:

Spoiler

Apply tea twice daily until the wound has scabbed over and closed.
Alternative antibacterial: manuka honey

Heat Stress or Heat StrokeHow to recognize:Materials needed:Treatment:Followup treatment:Hypoglycemia (for diabetic dwarfs)How to recognize:Materials needed:Treatment:Followup treatment:Respiratory DistressHow to recognize: clicking, difficulty breathing, runny nose, closed eyesMaterials needed: eyedropper, mugs, boiling water, and thyme*
 

*Found in the produce section at the grocery store.

Treatment:

Spoiler

Thyme is a natural antibiotic and decongestant, first provided by missPixy here. Note that thyme will manage the symptoms, but it shouldn't be used as a replacement for antibiotics from your vet in the case of an infection.1. Take about 10-12 sprigs of the fresh thyme and put them in a mug. In a separate mug, boil some water.
2. While the water is boiling, make a little emergency nest for your hamster, mixing some more thyme leaves into the bedding.
3. Hold your hamster and massage him or her, making sure you keep them warm.4. Take some more sprigs of the fresh thyme and start crushing it under your hamster's nose, to start the decongestion process.
5. When the water boils, pour it to cover only over the thyme. Stir it occasionally, and let it steep for about 5 minutes.6. Put a paper towel over another, clean mug, and pour the tea into this new mug. The paper towel will filter out the leaves.
7. With your eyedropper or syringe, take up a couple of hamster mouthfuls' worth. let this sit for about 30 seconds or so until it is not hot (you don't want to burn your hamster's mouth). Test by a few drops on your hand first.
8. Give your hamster a few drops of the tea, while continuing to massage him/her and crushing the thyme leaves under his nose. From missPixy:I have found that, after the tea, you will need to massage him and crush the leaves under his nose for at least an hour to ensure adequate recovery.
What do I mean by "adequate" recovery? i mean 1) your hamster doesn't feel cold anymore; s/he is beginning to regulate body temp on their own; 2) your hamster starts moving in your hand, and can walk a few steps, or even completely away from you; 3) his or her eyes start to open a bit.
Until you see all three of these recovery signs, your work is not done. this remedy WILL NOT work in 5 or 10 minutes. you may need to bring your hamster to work with you or take the day off to stay with your hamster, until your hamster responds in the ways I've described. You'll probably want to monitor him or her for another 24 hours even after the recover signs happen, just to make sure there isn't a relapse.

Followup treatment:

Spoiler

Address the cause of respiratory distress. Only environmental causes can be fixed at home. For example, in a dry climate, such as desert areas or during the winter, a humidifier will help alleviate sinus inflammation and congestion (what makes you "sniffly" in winter when you don't have a runny nose).
A respiratory infection or cold requires a trip to the vet for antibiotics (see the A-Z Guide for safe medications).

Shock and HypothermiaHow to recognize: not moving, cold, "out of it" or unresponsive to touchMaterials needed: noneTreatment:

Spoiler

The focus is to get your hamster warmer and to get blood circulating. Focus on the core (head and abdomen) and not on the extremities (legs and tail). The core is where the vital organs are (brain, heart, lungs) and it is essential to get warm blood flowing in those areas first before worrying about the limbs. Also note that focusing on the limbs first could send the even colder blood to the vital organs and cause more damage. In any event, once the core of the body is warming up, blood will naturally circulate and warm the limbs without outside help.
1. Remove your hamster from the cage and take it to the warmest room in the house (If you have a space heater, take it to the bathroom, as the small space will warm up quickly and sitting in the tub will prevent your hamster running away when s/he feels better).
2. Sit down with your hamster in your lap, where the body heat from your legs will warm your hamster.
3. Gently massage your hamster with your fingertips in small, circular motions. Do this all over the body - nose to tail, front and back, as much as your hamster will allow.
4. Continue massaging and keeping your hamster in your lap until they are walking around normally. Ears should be up and eyes bright before returning to the cage.

Followup treatment:

Spoiler

Address the cause of the hypothermia. If the room is too cold, move your hamster to a warmer room or invest in a space heater, or else your hamster will continue to have relapses. At the very least, put an electric heating pad under half of the cage.
If your hamster went into shock from being wet (leaky water bottle, etc.), make sure your hamster is sufficiently dry before returning to the cage, and take steps to prevent your hamster from getting wet again.
 
Any sign of respiratory stress after an incident of hypothermia should be taken seriously and brought to a vet's attention.

Having a heating pad is essential, which, I would reccomend getting your hands on one, because it heats up quickly, and it doesn't require as much time to heat up as hot towels or hot water bottles,so I would say heating pads are a good thing to have, especially in winter. Also, I would reccomend limiting the amount of time you bring your hamster outside (If you bring your hamster outside) If you have cold fall/winter wheather. I do not have a hamster, but I have researched into a lot of topics and read a lot of stories about hamsters, and some of them are pretty sad. So, I would reccomend having a heating pad.

[SyrianHammylover]

Please someone help my hammy ....butterscotch is stuck in the vents in my trailer😣

[SteveeTheHammee]

Now I know where to look in the event that something goes wrong, thx tbiM20!

[Gracecawthron]

Hamster escaped
Hi, my hamster escaped today 25/05/19. when I got home at 21:00 my hamster was not in her cage she had chewed a hole through the cardboard lid I had put on top of her tank while I made her a mesh lid. She has fallen from a height and I don’t know how long she had been out, luckily I found her trapped in my savings jar with coins and plastic money bags, I’m scared she’s injured herself from falling and I dread to think what she has been eating. She seems to be alright she’s eating and drinking but I don’t know what to do help!

[Robin~]

Hamster escaped
Hi, my hamster escaped today 25/05/19. when I got home at 21:00 my hamster was not in her cage she had chewed a hole through the cardboard lid I had put on top of her tank while I made her a mesh lid. She has fallen from a height and I don’t know how long she had been out, luckily I found her trapped in my savings jar with coins and plastic money bags, I’m scared she’s injured herself from falling and I dread to think what she has been eating. She seems to be alright she’s eating and drinking but I don’t know what to do help!

I would just keep monitoring her and take her to the vet if you see anything out of the ordinary. She sounds like she'll be fine but just be cautious.

You absolutely must make that lid asap. Cardboard will not stop a hamster for escaping at all. Is there a particular reason why the lid isn't built yet? Do you have a spare cage around you can keep her in (even if it is smaller than her current cage it's safer than a lid-less cage)?

[Gracecawthron]

Thank you for the help! And I’ve only just got her she was a rescue and I wanted to get her out of a bad situation fast I’m currently making the lid as the tank I bought didn’t come with a lid but I work a 40 hour week and haven’t had time she’s never tried to get out before she much of just got curious

[Robin~]

Thank you for the help! And I’ve only just got her she was a rescue and I wanted to get her out of a bad situation fast I’m currently making the lid as the tank I bought didn’t come with a lid but I work a 40 hour week and haven’t had time she’s never tried to get out before she much of just got curious

Trust me, if she knows she can get out she'll try again. I experienced this a lot in my early years.

Do think it's possible for you to get something like this?
https://www.chewy.com/zilla-fresh-air-screen-cover/dp/129542?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hg&utm_content=Zilla&utm_term=&gclid=Cj0KCQjwz6PnBRCPARIsANOtCw0xDPHKT9JkoLiI42X5hI17QXGj1IM_MEcfzLOeTDMvRy2uGIBKVNEaAhtLEALw_wcB
The clips the video recommends at the end could also be very helpful.
Of course, you can find this in bigger/smaller sizes; this is just one for a 40g. But, if you really don't have the time to build a lid yourself, this could be a much better option.