Sneezing, Wheezing or something else?

[gremlin]

Hi guys,

Basically to briefly explain my male syrian Tesla is a placid little thing, However around the same time that I had to have my female syrian pts he got "moody". He started over-grooming (never did before) & he would get a bit stroppy when i'd pick him up. They were both in the same room, seperate cages obviously & at different ends of the room. As soon as one would start playing with their water bottle the other would do the same. I would pick her up & fuss her & if I fussed Tesla afterwards he would manically sniff for her.

Basically although its unnatural to usually have a female remain in close proximity to a male for extended periods of time in the wild, there was nothing else that explained his behavior.

However more recently he has calmed down & his fur has grown back, but he has now developed a squeak/wheeze. I took him to the vet as soon as I heard him start doing it & she couldn't find any sign of a chest infection but gave me baytrol as a precaution & to see how we go. Well he doesn't seem better, possibly a bit worse so I'm thinking we will probably be of to the vet again. The wheeze sounds "gunky" but I was wondering what you guys opinions are of what this might be? Hes coming on to about 2 I think & other than this hes in excellent condition so its a bit strange. Any opinions welcomed, many thanks

Gremlin

[Skeever]

Many hams seem to make a chuffing/huffing sound around members of the opposite sex I've heard....could it be that?

[Pebbles82]

I am sure he must have missed the other hammy being around - it is a big change, and probably experienced the stress of this change and maybe even grief - who knows what hamsters feel? Which would explain the extra grooming and aggression - fear, upset etc.

The cough and wheeze could be another stage of this of it may be he is just developing something in old age. Poor little boy. I had an idea though - why don't you get another female syrian like before and keep her in the same place. It might just liven up and make happier his old age! And maybe they were company for each other! (At a distance). I know when we had a dog die the other one was in grief and depressed for a long time. In the end we had to get another puppy to get her out of it.

[Skeever]

Hmph. Female companionship did nothing for me in my youth. Why should that be different now I'm old? It may liven him up for sure. Whether its happier is open to debate. LOL

[gremlin]

He could smell her, I would take him out after I had had her out & he would be making a small amount of noise & would almost look like he was "vibrating" as he was sniffing so much.

At present, I have taken him to the vet again & this time she could hear a definite crackle on his chest. She said that it is most likely a chest infection (what we thought) or pneumonia, fluid on his lungs etc. She also said that it could be caused by a tumour or such but that is less likely.

She gave him an injection of baytril, a diuretic & a steroid & has increased his baytril dose. Its a day later & at present the squeeking seems less & his respiration seems not has hard & rapid. The main thing atm is he is eating less so I'm wondering whether or not it would be a good idea to give him abit of protien or such? Hes bit of an odd hamster because hes rarely as interested as other hamsters in food, hes not really fussed but obviously I want to make sure he keeps eating.

Thanks as always

[gremlin]

Bumping for advice re foods to help him retain weight as he has lost weight since becoming ill. Am I right in assuming chicken, egg & porridge are all good? and can the chicken be from sandwich slices as long as it isn't processed?

[Nancy's Hamsters]

Warmed Baby food without any Onions or spices usually has a hamster gobbling it up. With chest congestion his nose is not working as well either so he may be having a time smelling yummy food. By warming the baby food it will smell stronger and also will help clear his nose a bit too.

You may also want to give him Probiotics while on and antibiotic to prevent him from losing too much good bacteria in his gut. Antibiotics don't know the bad bacteria from the good and kill off both.

[Pebbles82]

Apart from all the healthy food, maybe some treats could help him keep the weight on. Charlie has been having a few too many treats recently and has got a bit plumper! I give him cheese and these (below) as treats and he goes potty for them, plus he also goes potty for Rotostak chocolate drops (which aren't real chocolate). But if he is grieving, he will be off his food. I do think pets grieve when ,they lose a companion. Another hamster, male or female, might be nice for him to have around. Chest conditions are also common when people are grieving (this might be a debatable point!). Grief suppresses the immune system which is why people get sick when they are grieving sometimes. There's an interesting observation of this in a Victorian novel (not science I know) - can't remember if it was one of the Bronte's or Mrs Gaskell, when the heroine gets consumption (TB - nasty chest condition) and observes that many people succumb to this when they are grieving. And it was the condition they used to say caused 'dying of a broken heart'.

It has always affected me that way at times of grief - chest problems and infections. For some people it is stomach upsets. And total loss of appetite. Chinese medicine reckons the emotions are expressed in the organs, and unexpressed grief comes out as lung conditions.

This may all sound a bit airy fairy, but I think it is no coincidence that your hammy is suffering after the other hammy died. Lots of cuddles, good diet and try and fatten him up - if you think another hammy is not an option.

These are the treats Charlie goes potty for he won't just nibble one he'll go head first into the bag and devour as many as possible if he gets near the bag!

Rosewood Naturals Little Hearts Treat 100 g: Amazon.co.uk: Pet Supplies

The Rotostak ones (which probably are fattening)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rotastak-Cho...otastak+treats

And cheese - he never turns cheese away. Cheddar and Wensleydale go down well.

I know normally too much sugar isn't good, but there are times when rules can be bent to help gain weight. My Dad has a heart condition but had to have cream and sugar in everything, on medical advice, for a while, because he had become so emaciated with another medical condition and seriously needed to put weight on. They just adjusted his heart medication temporarily while he was on a high fat, high sugar diet. It kept him alive!

[Hetty]

Hi Gremlin, I had a similar problem happen to me. I had a lovly rescue male, Basil. When he was about 1.5 to 2 years old, I rescued very young female, Daisy. Even though she was in the room opposite, he went bonkers! Compulsively grooming, patrolling incessantly about his home, ignored food (unless I handed it to him), loudly ''huffing'' and clinging to the upper bars of the cage all night (I think in order to see where she was). He calmed down eventually, but this stress took a toll on him. His long fur fell out and he was lethargic. He lost weight, so I plumped him up with cheese, tofu, hard-boiled egg and fresh oat porridge. Did the trick!!
My first hamster, Lola got sick with a crackly chest too....like your little man, she was given Baytril and steroids. As Nancy said, her nose was so congested she couldn't smell anything so didn't know where her food was. It took time, but I hand fed her soft plumping foods plus a little warmed up milk and thyme tea. She really improved then. I also put fresh bruised thyme in her sawdust, the oils act as a decongestant.

[Teddy001]

For weight gain, I'd suggest foods such as nuts, broiled plain chicken, tofu, scrambled or boiled egg ( with yoke) porridge, either cooked or dry, cereal ( non sugar). ( think op/Hetty and I posted about the same time) lol.

I'd not advise processed sugary foods, when ham is ill. This is what my vet said, when I took Teddie to the vet due to illness. Vet said, no yogurt drops, ( hamster sweet treats) as the sugar may make them feel worse. Why? I really didn't ask why. But vet said, it's human nature to give their pet sweet treats when they are not feeling well.
Monkey nuts, walnuts, pine nuts ect., plain pop corn would be extra calories, and not contain processed sugar..
As far as packaged chicken, I'd read the label. There's preservatives and " salt" typically in packaged meats, that I'd avoid feeding to hamsters.