Urgent... Please help!!! Hammy has wet tail

[njmpk14]

Hi
I hope you can help, poppy was very lethargic and not eating so I took her to the vet (who refused to touch or handle her!!) and he diagnosed her with wet tail. He gave us antibiotics for her to be diluted in her water but we have to go in and wake her up and take her water bottle to her every few hours as she isn't getting up and drinking. She is obviously v dehydrated. I read when I got home that most vets give hamsters fluids but
This one didn't...

I have looked online and given her a small piece of Apple, which she took (although not sure if she ate or stashed) which will have some juice in, and I have left another piece in her food bowl and she has her water bottle and a cap of water it sip out of, all which are right
Next door to her.

Please help as I don't know what else to do... Online it says about a pediatric hydration juice that you can get
In u.s. I am in England, can you get it here, if so does anyone know what brand and how to dilute so it's safe for Hammies?

I would appreciate any advice you can give as the vet said if she doesn't get any better in a day or two (that was yesterday) then to bring her back to be put to sleep

I also don't know how long to persevere with treatment for, as if he said no improvement in a day or so, as it is very painful for Hammies... Ithis seems very quick - I don't want to give up too soon (online people have tried for a week) but I hate the thought of her being in serious pain for no reason...

Please help and thanks in advance...

Nicki

[Tutu]

Sorry about your little hammy. You must act very fast otherwise wet tail is terrible thing. About your vet he should NOT be allowed to work with animal!!! This tread might be helpful Syrian hamster wet tail. Pls help
And go get ribena and dilute in her water bottle and give her antibiotics via syringe without adding water is my personal opinion.

[racinghamster]

Hi Nicki. I will type the following information from the book Hamsterlopaedia.

" Wet Tail - A term used to describe often fatal diarrhoea, caused by a range of bacteria and usually associated by stress. It is also know by the technical term proliferative Ileitis and Transmissible Ileal Hyperplasia. The ilium is the effected part of the small intestine.

Signs: Watery diarrhoea which results in soiling of the tail and rear end (hence the term `wet tail`). The hamster will appear unwell, hunched, anorexic and lethargic. Wet tail can commonly lead to death within a few days.

Treatment: Affected animals should be isolated as wet tail can be contagious. Supportive treatment , particularly the provision of fluids, should begin immediately. Specific antibiotics may be prescribed along with an injection of multivitamins. Dehydration rapidly leads to shock and hypothermia, so sufferers must be kept warm.

Many cases are fatal, despite treatment. Good hygiene is essential for prevention, as is minimising stressful situations. Antibiotics in the drinking water may be prescribed to prevent spread within a group".

How is Poppy now? If she`s sleeping a lot or seeming really ill, I would keep the fluids going every hour and keep a close eye on her, but also allow Poppy to be able to reach water easily and to rest. Imagine what a human patient might feel like with a similar condition and that will guide you. Probably feels miserable, but also needs warmth, rest and fluid intake regularly.

Dry porridge oats would go down well, maybe a small half teaspoonful. Keep the diet to dry foods apart from the apple, which is beneficial. You want the gut to heal and poo to become more solid again. Really hope she pulls through for you. Vets can be downright useless sometimes apart from prescribing antibiotics. But if given quick enough and often enough, they can and do help, so even if you have to syringe orally from a syringe, DO it! x

[njmpk14]

Thank you so much... Vet says to dilute 0.1 cc per 10cc of water... Is it safe to give undiluted do you think? I don't want to harm her

Will get some ribena on way home

Nicki

[Tutu]

Mine had literally 1 drop of baytril without diluted straight from syringe. When I say 1 drop I mean exactly 1 drop. I used to dangle on tip of the syringe and sometimes it didn't reach the intended target of hamster mouth so had to do it again. It wasn't diluted and vet said at the time dosage was the smallest amount there is and my hamster being tiny wasn't allowed any bigger dosage.
While getting ribena I'd say get jar of baby food and some syringes too. As you syringe the med may as well follow up with baby food too. Mine liked "hipp organic breakfast porridge " or rice pudding.

[njmpk14]

Thank you... She took a small amount of baby food yesterday and the tiniest piece of Apple and some water and anti biotics, but wouldn't take anything any later - she was literally pushing it away, almost like she was saying - that's enough now. It broke my heart - I'm torn, I feel like I keep disturbing what could be her last hours and distressing her to try to save her life, but I feel cruel like she just seems to be saying that's enough and wants it to end.
I let her sleep overnight - it looks like a tiny amount of water has gone and she has moved back to her bed (she had gone to rest in the other side of the cage last night to get away from me trying to tempt her with food. I gave it another try
This morning and her breathing seems more laboured and she is still physically pushing me away, she even struggled to walk over the other side of the cage (which looked like agony) whilst I was giving her water and food, again, just to get away
I feel like I'm torturing her but I don't want to give up whilst there is a chance, but am I trying for me or her, as She seems to have made up her own mind

Thank you for all of your help x

[Tutu]

This sort of thing entirely up to you to make up your mind. My hamster was so poorly vet recommended to put her sleep but I said I was going to do all I can before and within 4 days she turned corner. She is absolutely adorable and gentle little thing living happily nowadays.
I really hope you and your hamster the best of luck out there!
I'd say leave her rest between feeding in dark warm room or you can put light towel over her cage. It isn't worth trying to tempt her with food as she won't have it and you just disturbing her. I force fed my hamster about week I think. She pushed way or turned her her head sometimes but as long as you are giving her med and small amount of fluid it is worth trying.
She will be in agony but baytril should start working about 3 days and you need to get probiotic drink and other diarrhoea relief medicine mentioned in this tread i think Syrian hamster wet tail. Pls help
If you have p@h store nearby worth trying day vet as they seem to be good about wet tail situation due to working with store hamsters.

[DrKMcK]

Both racinghamster and Tutu know what they're talking about. Follow their advice as best you can. Like Tutu said, forget the food for now...the meds and fluids are crucial. I'm so sorry this is happening to you and your little hammy. I really hope she makes it through.

[RCalabraro]

When Tiberius got wt tail, I took him to the vet for daily subcutaneous fluids. If you can get a needle and some sterile Lactated Ringer's solution, you could do it yourself. I did it all the time in a previous life when we would rescue litters of very sick, very small feral kittens.

[njmpk14]

Thank you all so much for all of your help and advice. She was getting worse so took to a different (proper) vet for a second opinion and he recommended to put Poppy to sleep and it was very unlikely that she would recover from the stage of the disease she was at. We said goodbye to her yesterday and bought a special decoration for the tree in memory. Very very sad but am relieved she is at peace and not in pain anymore
Thank you all again, I just hope that my other four hamsters (all seperate cages and rooms) never have to suffer that way, but if they do I will be prepared
Nicki
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