Help..My black bear hamster is sick.

[praymanna]

Hello I'm new at posting on this forum. We got a black Bear hamster, Smokey, at Christmas. On Valentine's Day, she gave birth. We have one baby left, a female, who is half black bear and half teddy bear. Anyway, the mom started to attack the babies, so we gave them away, all but one. We put her in a square bucket for now to save her life until I can get another cage. I am reluctant to get one now because Smokey is sick. It all happened yesterday. She is walking, unsteadily, very slowly, her heart is racing a mile a minute and she softly sqeaks. She is cold and is not drinking or eating on her own now. I wrapped her up in a fleece scarf and gently stroked her fur all last night. She tries to summon more energy, I can see it in her eyes, but then she gives up again. I am heartbroken!!! I have come to really love her. She is sooo gentle and very tolerant with my little girl. We don't have the money to take her to a vet...and my husband would never allow it anyway("Barb, it's a rodent!"). Is there anything I can do to get her better, or is this just old age and her time. I don't know how old she was when we got her from the petstore. Now I am also concerned with her baby girl. She aslo has been quite active, but when I went to pet her today, she sqeaked and turned to her side before I could pick her up. Is this "submissive rolling" to her side normal, or is she also getting ill?? Help!!!
Thanks,
A distraught hamster lover

[flowerpage]

Black Bears and Teddy Bears are just fancy names for regular old Syrian hamsters. It lets the pet stores charge more money.

Many vets will consult with you over the phone free of charge. Look in your phone book for an exotic pet veterinarian and try calling a few.

Childbirth is hard on the little things, and not knowing her age it may just be that its her time. What are her habits and is she keeping to her routine? Running in her wheel or anything? Try to keep her warm and comfortable. She knows you care about her!! As for the baby, it sounds like you just startled her. Hamsters can be very territorial and If your hand was above her at all she may have been surprised and thought you were gonna eat her.

Hang in there, let us know how she's doing!

[praymanna]

Thank you for writing back. Smokey is still sleeping and listless. Because of the Easter holiday and the fact that it is past five, the local vets are not open to call. Smokey was a very active hamster even up to two days ago...on her wheel, running around and always shaking her cage wanting to come out and play! She is still not eating, but I am trying to give her water with a dropper to hydrate her. The only stressful thing that could have happened in these last days is the fact that she has no babies in her cage anymore. She was starting to attack them anyway. I don't think removing all the babies could have done anything or caused her to be sick. I did check for wet tail though...nothing, thank God. So far she is still living, but I don't want her to suffer either. Any sugggestions of what I can feed her to give her nourishment...something soft like oatmeal perhaps? I'd have to force feed her.(Gently of course).
On a good note, I'm glad the baby hamster was just startled by me, and not also getting sick.

Thanks again,
A sad, but hopeful, hamster lover

[o0sapphirerat0o]

as has been said, black bear and teddy bear are just fancy names, they are all syrians.

And syrians should ALWAYS be housed ALONE or they will fight to the death.
if she has wet tail (diareha) then she HAS to be taken to a vet, or she will die!
She could have had a heart attack, or stroke. The only way to know for sure is to take her to the vet.

Any advice? Next time you get a pet, make sure it is something your husband will "allow" you to take to the vet, and have an emergency amount of money set up.

It may sound harsh, I just can't stand when people rush out and buy pets without knowing a thing about them.

Pedilyte is good to make sure she stays hydrated.

Goodluck with your babies.

[praymanna]

My hamster seems to be doing better, but she is still sick. She is drinking more water(I feed her) and she ate yesterday for the first time in days as far as I know. But she still is not 100%. I think I know what is wrong...Can hamster's have yeast infections? She has a cream/white secretion coming from her private areas and it reeks like rotten tuna. I'm calling a vet today for some free advice and prescription for medicine. Hopefully they can do it over the phone. Can I give her yogurt or cranberry juice? Has anyone else's hamster gotten these symptions?
As far as me getting the hamsters without researching them, I did not get them for my children...my husband did. I was dead set against getting them because my daughter especially was too young(5 years old). My neighbor got one for each of her young children. I told my husband how cute they were. That was enough for him. He went out that night and bought two hamsters and everything that came with it for my kids for Christmas. He was convinced that I would agree because I said my neighbor's hamsters were cute. Well, the hamster we got for my daughter had wet tail and died the day after we got him or her. I even had given it the wet tail medicine and tried to nurse it to health. It also was not the hamster my husband picked out~they switched the hamsters on us and sold the ones my husband picked out. Two weeks later we got another hamster for my daughter from another store(new cage and all). That was Smokey. They did not know her age, so for all I know, she may just be getting old. Since getting the hamsters, I have since done more research (especially when she had babies) and continue to on this website. I have really fallen for these sweet little fluffballs!
Thanks,
Grandma of Smokey and Furball
Great grandma of Cupcake

[o0sapphirerat0o]

she does not have a yeast infection, and female hamsters REEK when in heat.

A good vet will NOT prescribe meds over the phone, weight, age, and general health has to be known before giving antibiotics or any kind of meds.
When a hamster has wet tail, skip the CRAP at the petstore and get them to a vet ASAP, or they WILL die.

Your hammie needs a vet.