Register FAQ Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read
Navigation
Front Page
Forum
Gallery
Wiki

Ads by Google


Go Back   Hamster Central > Hamster Central Forum Topics > Hamster Healthcare

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 02-28-2012, 03:10 PM   #1
acapae
Hamster Pup
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 145
Default General old age or something more?

Hello all, apologies for my first post here being asking for help. I'm a member on MAH (though I'm more of a lurker) and I started a thread a couple of weeks ago asking for advice for caring for older Syrians. And cut a long story short, someone reccomended I ask you guys instead

I have a Syrian called Anfreda who is approximately a little over 2 years old. I don't know exactly as I rehomed her last summer and although I was initially in regular contact with her former owners, they've not been replying to my updates of late. At her old home, her diet was based on low quality commercial stuff, and she had many high sugar treats. She's a longhaired satin and is spayed.

A couple of weeks ago she started to look old, but I was relatively unconcerned and more interested in the general theory of caring for older Syrians. She'd slowed down and was less interested in coming out for free range and a few other little changes, but only those that pointed to gradual decline. Last Tuesday she fell while climbing the bars (not very far, but she's never done so before) and started to look a little hunchbacked. I would have moved her into a 'retirement' cage which is lower than the one she's in, however it's also my rat hospital cage and currently very much in use. Instead I changed her layout to only involve the bottom section of her current cage, gave her easier routes and took her wheel out (she's not used it in ages). I also started giving her soft meals because I noticed she's been eating less of her dry mix than usual.

As a result of the fall and because I was going in anyway, she had a vet check-up last Wednesday. My vet is good, but only recently qualified so doesn't have that much experience yet. He didn't really know what to suggest, although he said he thought older Syrians may be prone to osteoporosis and kidney problems. He also agreed with me that her not being a standard coat is unhelpful because I can't use what her fur looks like to gauge if she's feeling under the weather or anything. Testing her uring was considered, but he didn't have a clue what normal readings for hamsters were meant to be, plus collecting a sample felt challenging! On his reccomendation she's getting slightly more calcium in her food, and is on a tiddly hamster amount of ipakatine every couple of days.

So that was all fine, can do pallative care for slow, feeling confused/ possibly looking slightly senile old hamsters. This afternoon she came out for a little potter around the cage and tried to climb a very small step up from shelf-to-shelf. Her front end managed it, but her back end didn't, and she fell in a heap. I also then noticed she was limping on her left back leg. I got her out of the cage and her back end was completely sodden in pee and she had a few matted bits of hair with added sand bath I dunked her bum, cleaned her up, chopped off matted bits and then gave her general bum area a clip. She was dried off and stuck in her carrier half on a heatpad to warm up, and then put back in the cage. She's been a bit 'messy' recently, but this feels like she's completely failing to clean herself up now.

She's had a potter around this evening too, and her back legs are both badly trailing - to the extend that sometimes one doesn't complete a footfall cycle and it's dragged. I've also made her cage layout even easier, and moved her water bottle down to the ground floor (it was on a shelf as she used to have a water bottle fixation when accessed from the floor). I don't know if she's noticed it's moved yet, but it should be ok for her to access.

Sorry for all that information, but my knowledge on hamster health problems is virtually non-existant, so I have no idea what's useful and what's not. If she were a rat, I would say that the speed of her loosing back-leg mobility has been really very fast, but dunno with hamsters... I would quite like to give her some Loxicom for the potential pain/ inflamation relating to legs on the basis that even if she does have kidney-damage, I'd rather she has less time not in pain than more time in pain. But I have no idea on hamster dosage. I'm phoning my vet in the morning, but I'm not sure if he'll know either.

Also do these things suggest a specific health problem other than general old age? Any advice? I feel a bit out of my depth...
acapae is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-28-2012, 03:26 PM   #2
souffle
Moderator
 
souffle's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Yorkshire, UK but my heart lies in Scotland!
Posts: 28,184
Default Re: General old age or something more?

Hi and welcome
The recent symptoms you describe are not due to old age I'd say I'm afraid
It sounds as if she has suffered a slight stroke and this has affected her bladder control meaning she is unable to control urination and also now it is affecting her rear control and pehaps the damage to the brain has even spread.
Normally if a hamster is going to recover from a stroke it shows a marked improvement in the first 24hrs and though it may be left with some weakness there is always control there.
My worry would be that if it is a stroke and she has lost bladder control that she may also have lost bowel control which is very serious as things just block up. Have you seen her pass any poo?
She is a very good age really and I think that you need to consider her life quality especially if she cannot clean herself and do 'hamstery' things any more.
I would get her seen again tomorrow in light of her deterioration and take the vets advice. To me this does not sound like arthritis which the vet seems to be treating her for.
There is an article on the WIKI on care of the elderly hamster you may like to read x
Let us know how she does x
souffle is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-28-2012, 03:40 PM   #3
acapae
Hamster Pup
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 145
Default Re: General old age or something more?

Quote:
Originally Posted by souffle View Post
To me this does not sound like arthritis which the vet seems to be treating her for.
The vet's not treating her for anything, just suggested that both calcium (for osteoporosis, not osteoarthritis) and ipakatine were worth a shot as they wouldn't do any harm if that's not the problem.

I think she's still managing to poo ok -she's still flicking them all out onto my bedroom carpet lol. I'll have a go at turning her upside down when she wakes up tonight. The loss of bladder control makes sense

Bah humbug! And what excellent timing she has too - I was at the vet again only this morning and would have been more than happy to have her tag along lol.

Quote:
Originally Posted by souffle View Post
There is an article on the WIKI on care of the elderly hamster you may like to read
Sorry to sound dim, but could you provide a link? I'm still learning my way around and haven't found that yet
acapae is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-28-2012, 03:45 PM   #4
fluffymunchkins
#1 Hamster Mom
 
fluffymunchkins's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Nottingham, East midlands, UK
Posts: 13,209
Default Re: General old age or something more?

Heres the link to the WIKI page
The Care of Elderly Hamsters - Hamster Central WIKI
__________________
Love from Mel and the ham hams xxx
http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx57/Piggylicious2009/fluffymunchkins_sig_280112.jpg
fluffymunchkins is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-28-2012, 04:25 PM   #5
acapae
Hamster Pup
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 145
Default Re: General old age or something more?

Thanks for the link. And I've now spotted the thing top left, haha. I totally hadn't noticed that before...

Hm, I've poked her, but I'm not really sure what I'm seeing - that sort of area looks a bit different to normal now that I've clipped lots of her hair away. I'll have another prod when she's done eating. Most grumpy that I used food to tempt her out of bed and immediately picked her up
__________________
Beri
acapae is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-28-2012, 04:33 PM   #6
souffle
Moderator
 
souffle's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Yorkshire, UK but my heart lies in Scotland!
Posts: 28,184
Default Re: General old age or something more?

Is it swollen? If the bowel is not moving things through it does back up. You need to try and massage her tummy and ease the stools through -gently massage across and down towards the anus and see if you can get her to pass anything. If it is red and sore then it is likely urine burn from being wet.
Is there any tissue prolapsing from the bowel or other vent?
If she has lost bowel function you will need to help her on her path to the bridge I'm sorry to say. I hope it is not this xx
souffle is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-28-2012, 04:45 PM   #7
acapae
Hamster Pup
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 145
Default Re: General old age or something more?

Errrrrmmmm, she possibly looks a bit swollen, but since being spayed in mid-August she's always had a bit of a pot belly lol. There is a poo right at the end that possibly looks stuck - certainly it's been there for an hour or so now without having been pushed out. I'm failing to get it out too, but then I am being tentative because she's a known biter (badly) when restrained! I don't believe in "the bridge"/ heaven, but yeah, I'll probably be taking her to the vets in the morning. If she's lost bladder control, then regardless of poos, that's not a not a nice way to live

Thank you for your help, and sorry if I'm being a bit short.
__________________
Beri
acapae is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-29-2012, 03:40 AM   #8
acapae
Hamster Pup
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 145
Default Re: General old age or something more?

Other people have suggested that loss of bladder control sounds more like paralysis than stroke. With reasons ranging from tumour (brain or spinal) to infection. Unfortunately there were no appointments left this morning and I'm busy over lunchtime, but I'm taking her in later on to discuss steroids (may help direct and indirect neurological problems) and ABs. Since steroids themselves are fast-acting and increase the potential for ABs, any change should be detectable in 24hrs - an annoyingly important point as I'm away for a long weekend.

I'll see whether the vet thinks it's worth a shot and update you all later.
__________________
Beri
acapae is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-29-2012, 06:43 AM   #9
acapae
Hamster Pup
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 145
Default Re: General old age or something more?

ARGH. Hamsters are annoying people! Just after I typed that I found her in the corner really struggling. She's not normally awake at that sort of point anyway. I rushed her to the vets on my bike - because I had a train to catch under 45mins later. Got there and she'd perked up again completely. I had to rush off to get my train and have left her with the vets to pick up later on (just eating lunch now and then will go). The vet we saw is my 2nd choice for rat problems, but one who keeps hamsters herself. Hopefully will have a proper consult in a bit. Laura-vet has however offered to look after her for the weekend should we go with trying drugs, providing she doesn't go downhill between now and tomorrow evening.

*mutters about bad timing*
__________________
Beri
acapae is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-29-2012, 06:49 AM   #10
souffle
Moderator
 
souffle's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Yorkshire, UK but my heart lies in Scotland!
Posts: 28,184
Default Re: General old age or something more?

I am glad to hear you have got her in. I don't suppose they can help when they get ill but that is very kind of vet to offer to care for her over the weekend. At least you feel OK about going away when you know she is being cared for.
Hope it all goes well for her x
souffle is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Optimisation provided by DragonByte SEO v2.0.43 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
Copyright © 2003-2022, Hobby Solutions
All times are GMT -7. The time now is 09:12 AM.