Taking Care Of A Sick Hamster
Having a sick hamster is not a pleasant experience. It can be quite upsetting to know that your little hamster is not feeling well. Here are a few tips that you can try to help make your pet hamster feel a little more comfortable.
You should quarantine your hamster the moment you notice that she is ill. Now you can see why it is a good idea to set up a quarantine tank. This tank will allow you to quickly isolate a hamster who is ill. Setting up a quarantine tank can cost you precious time, especially since a hamster can go from bad to worse pretty quickly. Isolating your hamster is a good thing. It will help to keep your other hamsters healthy. Also, it will give your sick hamster a quiet space to rest and recover. Be sure to set up your quarantine tank in an area away from bright light and noise, and away from other pets and family members.
Feeding: A sick hamster will often stop eating. Because of their small size, this can quickly become fatal. Hamsters require regular feedings in order to give them the nutrition necessary to combat infections and illness, and to recover faster. Place their dish of food near where they sleep. This will make it easier for them to eat. To help them maintain their calorie intake, feed them high calorie foods that are easy to eat. Some good things to feed them are hard-boiled eggs, small amounts of scrambled eggs, small pieces of cooked chicken, and fruit or vegetable baby food. You can use a medicine dropper or an eye dropper to feed them the baby food. If your hamster appears to be really hungry, continue feeding her for. After a little while take a break then see if she wants some more. It is important that you take a break and do not allow your hamster to just continue eating. Instead, she will probably end up feeling worse.
Water: Providing your hamster with enough liquid is also very important. To make it easier for your hamster to get a drink, move her water bottle closer to her sleeping area. Use an eye dropper or a medicine dropper to give water to hamster that are very weak. Another idea is to give your hamster a weak solution of half water and half unflavored electrolyte.
Make your hamster comfortable: Sometimes a sick hamster will have a chill because they have stopped eating and drinking. Because of this your hamster may go into hibernation. You need to keep your hamster warm. However, do not keep her too warm or she can die from a heatstroke. Provide plenty of toilet paper, but make sure that it is plain and unscented. If you like you can tear the paper into strips. Your hamster will use the paper to make a warm bed to cuddle in. The warm nest will help to prevent her from catching a chill.
Limit activity: If you need, remove the exercise wheel to prevent your hamster from over exerting herself. Some hamsters will still exercise even though they are sick. This can lead to an injury or your hamster can become dehydrated.
If your hamster seems to be getting worse contact your vet immediately.
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