Smelly hamster!

lazuliblue · 07-08-2013, 11:38 AM

Hi everyone!

We have recently acquired a 10 week old Dwarf Russain hamster, and we have one problem....he is rather stinky!

In the past I have had females and they have never had this smell, are males more smelly than females?

The other thing I was thinking is that he is an adolescent (is he?) and so once his hormones calm down, the odour might also decrease.

My last theory is that he has been scent marking quite profusely what with being in a new environment, could that be the cause?

He doesn't currently have a toilet, that is next on the list. However, he has been peeing a lot in his wheel and so that has been cleaned daily. We cleaned him out a few days ago and the next day the cage was smelly again. It is the cage that smells, rather than the hamster, and it isn't a sweet smell, so I'm not suspecting diabetes, it's more of a musty smell.

Thanks in advance for any advice

racinghamster · 07-08-2013, 11:47 AM

Sounds as if he is scenting his territory and the more you clean, the more scent he will create! It`s much the same with male mice and they smell a lot stronger! Maybe leave his smelly wheel rather than wash it daily to see if it makes a difference? Only spot clean around him which won`t remove all of his scent. This usually helps. I imagine in this warm weather we notice their smell more as well, so that could be adding to it. Diabetes is normally an older hamster disease anyway so I would very much doubt diabetes was a factor, although you would also see symptoms of it in him drinking a lot more, weight loss, behavioural changes and sometimes eyesight deterioration, so in such a youngster, I would say it`s hormonal and him settling in. x

lazuliblue · 07-08-2013, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by racinghamster

...

Thanks for your reply! Yes I hadn't factored in the warm weather, I can't imagine it's helping matters

We'll try just doing the spot cleaning and see if with age the smell decreases. At what age are they adults rather than adolescents?

souffle · 07-08-2013, 02:47 PM

I agree that the more you clean the more they scent. We stopped cleaning our Chinese boy's wheel even though it was well and truly peed on as he just did it more and more to scent it. Now it only gets a good wash out on cleaning day. The smell does level out once they reach a satisfactory level! I do think males esepcially have a distinctive scent which some people are quite sensitive to.

Sanctuary · 07-12-2013, 10:59 AM

my robo boys smelt terrible. Getting a litter tray will help a lot. Also what size cage do they have as smaller cages can smell more.

I started using aspen bedding and that seems to be helping. My boys are going through teenage stage and seems to be getting better now.

evel_lin · 07-12-2013, 11:45 AM

I must be odd cos I quite like the smell of my hybrid boys lol

**Silver** · 07-12-2013, 11:49 AM

I had a dwarf boy who's pee was lethal!

I loved him just the same though

xxx

lazuliblue · 07-13-2013, 10:49 AM

Well, he is still rather stinky! We have given him a plastic house with some of his wet bedding in it to encourage him to pee in there. It's so hot at the moment and I can't imagine that's helping. He's still gorgeous though, stinky or not

Vonni911 · 09-07-2013, 12:58 PM

I guess this is about as good a place as any to post this: My two Russian Dwarfs have smelly breath! It doesn't smell like infection or anything; and they both have a clean bill of health. Their breath just stinks. it's worse than puppy breath. The older one's saliva is more rancid that the young one. My male Syrian doesn't have smelly breath at all and they all eat the same thing. What could be the cause of this? Does anyone else notice it on their hamsters? Their teeth look just fine.