mdfa
11-26-07, 06:59 AM 11-26-07
Hello Everyone,
I have not posted in the past (I don't think), but I really need some help. We've had two strange deaths occur within a month and I would really like to figure out what is going on and would greatly appreciate any help/ideas anyone could give me. Here are the details:
First it was my daughter's hammie, Georgie. He was a male Syrian, light cream (almost white) kept separate in one cage. He was about 7 mths old and appeared quite healthy if a bit small for his age. He was a "home-bred" hammie, read: probably an accident, so I have no idea of his parentage. Like I said, he was active, healthy, never had any health problems and no wet tail in his life. Went to sleep one night and never woke up.
Then, couple of days ago, we found my son's male also dead in his nest. He was active the day before. In the morning he was still sleeping soundly (at least appeared to be) but we were having a mild snow storm so I assumed he was reacting to the weather as I have found them doing in the past. So we didn't bother him. In the evening he was still "asleep", so I opened his cage and gently touched him - his body was cold and quite stiff.
Just like Georgie, Squishy was very healthy, never had any health problems, and was quite active couple of days before his demise. He was also a Syrian male, probably a shorthair/longhair mix as he did have a long "skirt" and some longer tufts around his body. He was store-bought and was about 6 mths old.
This has really hit my kids (and me) very hard and I guess the only consolation is the fact that both died in their sleep and probably didn't suffer. But, I would like to know what happened to the poor little mites before we go out and get another hamster.
We do have one more hamster, a Syrian female, Misty, who is doing very well, knock on wood! She was getting the same food, same treats, same bedding and has been treated virtually the same as the males. Their cages were cleaned just days before the incidents and I cleaned them exactly the same way I always do: with mild soap and vinegar. They get bottled spring water to drink.
Has anyone experienced anything like this? Does anyone know what could have happened ? IS it the food? Some kind of disease? Anything?
I hate mysteries!
I have not posted in the past (I don't think), but I really need some help. We've had two strange deaths occur within a month and I would really like to figure out what is going on and would greatly appreciate any help/ideas anyone could give me. Here are the details:
First it was my daughter's hammie, Georgie. He was a male Syrian, light cream (almost white) kept separate in one cage. He was about 7 mths old and appeared quite healthy if a bit small for his age. He was a "home-bred" hammie, read: probably an accident, so I have no idea of his parentage. Like I said, he was active, healthy, never had any health problems and no wet tail in his life. Went to sleep one night and never woke up.
Then, couple of days ago, we found my son's male also dead in his nest. He was active the day before. In the morning he was still sleeping soundly (at least appeared to be) but we were having a mild snow storm so I assumed he was reacting to the weather as I have found them doing in the past. So we didn't bother him. In the evening he was still "asleep", so I opened his cage and gently touched him - his body was cold and quite stiff.
Just like Georgie, Squishy was very healthy, never had any health problems, and was quite active couple of days before his demise. He was also a Syrian male, probably a shorthair/longhair mix as he did have a long "skirt" and some longer tufts around his body. He was store-bought and was about 6 mths old.
This has really hit my kids (and me) very hard and I guess the only consolation is the fact that both died in their sleep and probably didn't suffer. But, I would like to know what happened to the poor little mites before we go out and get another hamster.
We do have one more hamster, a Syrian female, Misty, who is doing very well, knock on wood! She was getting the same food, same treats, same bedding and has been treated virtually the same as the males. Their cages were cleaned just days before the incidents and I cleaned them exactly the same way I always do: with mild soap and vinegar. They get bottled spring water to drink.
Has anyone experienced anything like this? Does anyone know what could have happened ? IS it the food? Some kind of disease? Anything?
I hate mysteries!