Sad news on latest rescue babies

[babyboos]

I have a little mink baby in the most recent rescue litter who looks like he will have some major difficulties - he has just started to come out the nest and has definite dexterity issues - his tail is like a little piggie's curling way up his back and his right back leg seems to be small and the toes rigid :cry: You can see his genitalia pointing straight out the back. He seems mobile enough with the other three and I suspect some sort of spinal defect. We don't know who his father was, his mother (a Black Eyed Cream) was purchased at Pets at Home, Stirling and there were no greys in the tank with her, but a small grey was in the neighbouring one apparently. There are only 4 pups there and what looks like a Black Eyed Cream (one eye open), a Red Eyed Cream (both eyes open) and a tiny, still mostly unfurred pup whose eyes will be black (they are really protruding through his/her lids) with grey tipped ears, but his/her pale body suggest it may possibly be another Black Eyed Cream. Their owner is going to take mum back when the pups are weaned but I am a bit upset by the condition of these pups, and what to do for the best. Only two can potentially be rehomed with major warnings about not breeding from them, and explain about their siblings. Mum is very protective and we are going to wait until they are weaned from her before going to the vet with them all - will keep you all posted on their progress...

[nooboo]

if you were nearer me I would take that 'runt' I always pity the sicker creatures, I know what it's like to have problems.

[neeshkabeesh]

Aww the poor little hammy :( I hope he copes ok.

[SnuggleHam]

Aww poor little ham Babyboos, but the fact that he seems healthy and mobile makes me feel happy, even if he can't be rehomed if you or someone you trust can give him a happy life that’s great. Do you think it's possible that the owner of the mother didn’t feed her a well balanced diet while pregnant or didn’t offer enough extra protein and this is why the pups are in poor condition?



Well keep us updated :)

[babyboos]

I would say it is maybe a combination of too young a mother, possible inbreeding, and definitely some bad genetics, plus who knows early nutrition may also be playing a part. Four pups is not many and they are all so different in size, really looking at them together it is hard to tell they are from the same litter. It brings home the many dangers of breeding pet store hamsters. She was bought unknowingly pregnant and the owner contacted me as soon as she realised something was not right - nippyness is not unusual in a petstore hamster but this was quite viscious and bulging sides, hoarding... all the classic symptoms...

[pophammy]

Babyboos, our Runty was just like your little one. Please give him a chance. Runty was three last week and all the rest of the litter are long gone. His whole spine and tail are curled right over the back and his testicles stick out a bit but are tucked in more than normal. He was half the size of the rest and eyes opened late. He is sable and mum was a cream, funnily enough from Pets at Home. He has turned out the best ham ever with a great temperament and never seemed in any pain or if the spine issue bothered him. If he had we would of course never have let him suffer. He still ambles about at three!!!

[babyboos]

Oh we definitely will - we don't euthanise lightly and good news guys he has a sponsor. A lovely lady (Kate) on another hamster forum got in touch enquiring about our rescue efforts and wierdly she had studied at the same university as me - graduated same year too but different subjects, but anyways... I told her about the latest litter and she has sponsored our mobily challenged little "Pip" as he is now called in memory of her username. All we need now is a sponsor for our little runty Black Eyed Cream whose eyes have now opened and he had a good suck on some Sherley's Lactol last night and then tucked into some wheatgerm sludge, yum yum, but he is so tiny and hasn't grown at all. His three siblings are now over 4 times his size and growing visibly daily.

[flogging_molly]

It is so hard when something like that happens, the worst thing is there is nothing you can do.