Cat_L
09-04-2014, 02:36 PM
Hi everyone,
My name's Cat and I'm new to this community but just wanted to post what happened to our little Syrian Hammy Pip.
We had noticed that she had what looked like a cut on the left side of her face on the Wednesday night, however she seemed ok for the most part just looking a bit fed up with herself and a bit slower in her actions. However as the night went on she started looking like she was getting a bit disorientated and was sleeping in the bottom of her cage (unusual for her as she tends to sleep in the "penthouse" part of her cage - the only cage that's RSPCA approved for Syrians). We agreed to take her to the vet the next morning if she still seemed out of sorts.
When we got up the next morning she was just lying on her back on the bottom of her cage twitching so my partner immediately called the the emergency vet and took her down. It turned out she must've actually had a fall in her cage and hit her head (presumably on one of her play wooden blocks) and her eye had actually been knocked out its socket and she'd been concussed. The twitching was a result of her rolling onto her back and the confusion of the concussion preventing her from realising how to get back up. They kept her warm and comfy but she stopped breathing at about 10am. The vet said we'd done all of the right things though but we were absolutely devastated.
Even though she was a small thing the place still seems empty without her. It makes it worse, I think, as it was something that could have been prevented if we hadn't had that toy in her cage (although I'm not sure that's what she hurt herself on) or if she hadn't been her playful little self jumping all about the cage. I just hope I didn't miss doing something that could have kept her alive, although she was 2 years old and i know there's not much vets can do for such a small animal.
I was wondering if anyone else had heard of something similar happening to a hamster, as I haven't. It just seems unusual to me. Thanks so much for any answers x
My name's Cat and I'm new to this community but just wanted to post what happened to our little Syrian Hammy Pip.
We had noticed that she had what looked like a cut on the left side of her face on the Wednesday night, however she seemed ok for the most part just looking a bit fed up with herself and a bit slower in her actions. However as the night went on she started looking like she was getting a bit disorientated and was sleeping in the bottom of her cage (unusual for her as she tends to sleep in the "penthouse" part of her cage - the only cage that's RSPCA approved for Syrians). We agreed to take her to the vet the next morning if she still seemed out of sorts.
When we got up the next morning she was just lying on her back on the bottom of her cage twitching so my partner immediately called the the emergency vet and took her down. It turned out she must've actually had a fall in her cage and hit her head (presumably on one of her play wooden blocks) and her eye had actually been knocked out its socket and she'd been concussed. The twitching was a result of her rolling onto her back and the confusion of the concussion preventing her from realising how to get back up. They kept her warm and comfy but she stopped breathing at about 10am. The vet said we'd done all of the right things though but we were absolutely devastated.
Even though she was a small thing the place still seems empty without her. It makes it worse, I think, as it was something that could have been prevented if we hadn't had that toy in her cage (although I'm not sure that's what she hurt herself on) or if she hadn't been her playful little self jumping all about the cage. I just hope I didn't miss doing something that could have kept her alive, although she was 2 years old and i know there's not much vets can do for such a small animal.
I was wondering if anyone else had heard of something similar happening to a hamster, as I haven't. It just seems unusual to me. Thanks so much for any answers x