criscollrj
12-03-04, 04:56 PM 12-03-04
Thanks for any help.
I have read more in some hamster books today to get more information before we get a new hamster. We brought mama (Patch) to the pet store today and they agreed that she appeared dead and they have sent her to the vet for autopsy and we should know Monday why she died.
One question -- I was worried yesterday night about whether she was hibernating and not dead. I held her a little while to try and tell, watching her whiskers and holding her to see if I felt heartbeat or breathing. I did not. I did this test both last night and this morning before placing her in the box to transport to the pet store.
Today, however, I was reading a new book from the library about hamsters and it said they could breathe as little as ONE BREATH PER MINUTE! and 4 heartbeats PER MINUTE and I don't know if I waited that long! I would be devastated if she's died now (due to suffocation in the box she was in for hours) and is now in the freezer at the pet store, waiting for the vet, if she was hibernating? Would THEY know better? I don't know.....
Our house is slightly drafty, but she was buried in wood chips with her 7 babies and was in the farthest corner from the door. We do often wear sweatshirts in the house, though, and our windows are drafty. She was not by the window, though. Is it possible that she could have gone into hibernation, especially due to her nursing and hoarding and generally resting under tons of wood chips?
I'd feel horrible if she wasn't dead but hibernating because I didn't realize I had to hold her and observe her for a full minute! Ugh.
So with the next hamster, we plan to cover windows with plastic, and hopefully then I won't have to worry about any hibernation. I'm sure our house is between 65 and 70 degrees anyway -- is this warm enough?
Another question -- I had told the pet store guy that we don't have the quietest house - we have 3 children, a 2 year old toddler, a 10 year old girl and a 14 year old autistic son that can yell at times. No one yelled right by the cage or was banging on it or anything, but my oldest son will often loudly shout or laugh or bang on a table because of his autism. I had brought that up at the pet store but they didn't seem to see a problem. Yet, now I just keep reading about how quiet it should be (especially with a nursing mama). Could the noise have been something that killed her? I can't imagine, but I don't know. Do you think the noise level would hurt a new hamster? It's only a little noisy at night usually, when the hamster is up anyway (except weekends, wehre it's a bit more noisy all day with Chris not being at school)
We can't really put her in another room as the living room has the highest cabinets, and hamster has to be up high to avoid the roaming and destructive hands of my toddler! It's also warmer up higher.
Thanks.... bear with me, as I may have even more questions. I have been searching in the archives for other questions and appreciate that option...
dori
I have read more in some hamster books today to get more information before we get a new hamster. We brought mama (Patch) to the pet store today and they agreed that she appeared dead and they have sent her to the vet for autopsy and we should know Monday why she died.
One question -- I was worried yesterday night about whether she was hibernating and not dead. I held her a little while to try and tell, watching her whiskers and holding her to see if I felt heartbeat or breathing. I did not. I did this test both last night and this morning before placing her in the box to transport to the pet store.
Today, however, I was reading a new book from the library about hamsters and it said they could breathe as little as ONE BREATH PER MINUTE! and 4 heartbeats PER MINUTE and I don't know if I waited that long! I would be devastated if she's died now (due to suffocation in the box she was in for hours) and is now in the freezer at the pet store, waiting for the vet, if she was hibernating? Would THEY know better? I don't know.....
Our house is slightly drafty, but she was buried in wood chips with her 7 babies and was in the farthest corner from the door. We do often wear sweatshirts in the house, though, and our windows are drafty. She was not by the window, though. Is it possible that she could have gone into hibernation, especially due to her nursing and hoarding and generally resting under tons of wood chips?
I'd feel horrible if she wasn't dead but hibernating because I didn't realize I had to hold her and observe her for a full minute! Ugh.
So with the next hamster, we plan to cover windows with plastic, and hopefully then I won't have to worry about any hibernation. I'm sure our house is between 65 and 70 degrees anyway -- is this warm enough?
Another question -- I had told the pet store guy that we don't have the quietest house - we have 3 children, a 2 year old toddler, a 10 year old girl and a 14 year old autistic son that can yell at times. No one yelled right by the cage or was banging on it or anything, but my oldest son will often loudly shout or laugh or bang on a table because of his autism. I had brought that up at the pet store but they didn't seem to see a problem. Yet, now I just keep reading about how quiet it should be (especially with a nursing mama). Could the noise have been something that killed her? I can't imagine, but I don't know. Do you think the noise level would hurt a new hamster? It's only a little noisy at night usually, when the hamster is up anyway (except weekends, wehre it's a bit more noisy all day with Chris not being at school)
We can't really put her in another room as the living room has the highest cabinets, and hamster has to be up high to avoid the roaming and destructive hands of my toddler! It's also warmer up higher.
Thanks.... bear with me, as I may have even more questions. I have been searching in the archives for other questions and appreciate that option...
dori