Very sad news & a warning to everybody

[Emma]

I didn't think I would have to post this so soon.......Alfie died yesteday. I wanted to post about the details to give a warning to other hammy owners in this hot weather!



We were travelling up to my parents (about a 3 hour journey) in the car and all the hams were in their usual travel boxes, with big chunks of moist veg (cucumber), shaded and with the fans blasting and windows open to keep us all cool. We were checking on them every 10 min when we noticed that Alfie had collapsed. His breathing was very shallow and he was very hot - it was heatstroke, despite all the measures we'd taken. We quickly got off the motorway, whilst I gave first aid (soaking him with water and holding him right by the cold air vent to bring his temperature down) we quickly rang directory enquiries and found an emergency vets in Wolverhampton. We got him there within 10 minutes where he receieved subcutaneous fluids and a small dose of steroids. For a brief while (maybe half an hour) he started to come around and was trying to groom himself and walk around, although was very wobbly, the signs were hopeful. But then suddenly he deteriorated again, lost consciousness and after a short while stopped breathing.



I'm pretty heartbroken as I feel responsible that I did this to him, although I took all precautions I could and the girls who were right next to him in the car are absolutely fine. We gave Alfie all the emergency treatment we could it was just up to him to pull through and he wasn't strong enough, the vet thought he may well have had some underlying disease to make him weaker. For a little while now I've been suspicious he was on the more elderly side, with his more scruffy appearance and prone to little irritations. I just didn't know how fragile he really was.



I'm so sad I've lost my beloved little Alfie monster.....he was only with me a short while but had changed so much from the defensive hamster who first savaged me in the rescue to my little cuddly sweetheart (although he would still take a chunk out of anyone else). He never lost the "grumpy old man" vibe and was a hooligan till the end, always making a mess and coming up with something new for me to worry about. I just wish we could have had a bit more time together.



So if anyone else has to travel in the hot weather with their hamsters please be aware......I thought I'd taken all precautions and they'd travelled before so didn't expect any problems. Also can everybody double check that their cages are out of direct sunlight and that everyone's water bottles are working. Heat stroke is a combination of overheating and dehydration.

[pophammy]

I'm so sorry Emma. I understand what it's like to loose a hamster. Last February my Peppermint died. He was the best hamster I've ever had and I'll never love another hamster as much :cry: .

[littlemissdwarfhamster]

I am sorry to hear of your loss Emma.



I too was worried yesterday about the heat. I have air-con in my car which usually turns it into an icebox, but the day I have to travel three hours to a hamster show it decides not to work.



They were ok on the way down, but on the way back I ended up putting cool bottles of water in the tanks to keep the temperature down - as well as having fans on and windows open. It seemed to work ok as all hamsters were ok, tired but ok. I think the woman in the service station thought I had gone a bit mad buying all those small bottles of water when they sold big bottles for less money - I decided not to try and explain why I needed the little bottles as this would have just added to her amusement.

[Emma]

Yeah we put frozen peas in the other cages when we carried on the journey, but all my other hamsters were absolutely fine (we didn't leave them in the car whilst we were in the vets though, they all came in with us). I'm glad yours were all ok too.



I really miss Alfie, although today I've been busy with the family dog (that's why I'm here, dog-sitting) and spoiling my four guinea-pigs who still live up here, it's taken my mind off it a bit. It'll be strange going back home with no Alfie - the robs are all great but not quite the same.



My boyfriend & I talked last night about looking for another rescue hamster in a few weeks, once we've finished moving, he'd like to get a syrian as he really loved my last syrian (he was as upset as me when she died). It is awful losing Alfie like this but I am cheered a little bit by the thought of giving another rescue hamster a second chance.



:(

[Coco1]

Oh thats so sad Emma, I really am sorry. You must have felt awefull but you did do absolutely everything in your power to help him and hopefully you're not being too hard on yourself! He had a good life with you :-)

[SnuggleHam]

Oh Emma :cry: *HUGGLES* I’m so sorry to hear what happened to your little Alfie. I hope that you are doing ok and not coming down to hard on yourself. It sounds as though there must have been something underlying be it a mysterious illness or just old age. You know you never did anything wrong since the other hams made it just fine. You took all the precautions necessary for a long distance travel. I don’t think that there was any error in anything you did. And at lest you got him to a vet and did what you could. There probably wasnt any way of knowing or way or predicting this outcome with Alfie.



I hope that you are feeling ok; if you need to vent or anything please do we will all listen and will understand.