Help!!!!

horseyhammygirl · 05-08-2015, 12:31 PM

Smudge's fur is wet!! He was coming out from under the platform and his fur was all wet looking and messy!! He felt very slightly damp when I stroked him, and not nearly as soft as usual.

I'd just had a batch of new things for him from my friend who's hamster died recently, including a potty litter that Smudge'd had before, and loved, so I put it in his cage right away. He was playing happily in his toilet, kicking it about without trouble. When he came out for play time, he was absolutely fine. No trouble.

However, tonight I found his litter clumped together, wet, and when I tried to scrape it out to change it, it stck like clay to the plastic spoon and I couldn't get it out. Then, I found Smudge looking wet and bedraggled. He hadn't had any different food, any diffdrent bedding or ANYTHING different. But the litter had never got that wet, or clumped like that before.

I have a small, sneaky suspicion, that if at all possible perhaps the litter could've gone off? (If that is even possible.) I've now lost the stupid box, so I can't look and check. If his fur isn't dry by tomorrow, I'm taking him to the vets.

TheFluffyHammies · 05-08-2015, 12:37 PM

Taking him to the vets would be a good idea.
Did it look like diarrhoea?

racinghamster · 05-08-2015, 12:48 PM

Hamsters don`t need potty litter. Remove it and don`t use it. Chances are it could have clay in it which is why it`s `clumping`? s it made for cats by any chance? How is Smudge? Is he okay in himself or is he unsettled or acting differently?

If he`s okay, I would monitor him and make sure he`s drinking, eating and going to the toilet normally, but if he`s looking uncomfortable in any way, especially if you think he`s eaten/ingested any, he may need to see a vet, but if his fur was only affected, it should be easily cleaned/brushed out. x

Edited to add: He may have got this litter/clay on his coat and washed himself or gotten water from his bottle on his coat making the coat seem messy?

Pebbles82 · 05-08-2015, 08:58 PM

If he eats the litter it could cause digestive problems. Most hams don't eat it, but it might be an idea to use Chinchilla sand in the litter tray instead as it's safer just in case he is a potty litter snacker. Charlie tried a nibble of it the first time I used it and pulled a face and sneezed and didn't try again but some hams will eat anything lol. You can then put a bit of wee'd on substrate on top of the sand so it smells like the right place to go to the toilet (assume you have put the litter tray in the corner he usually wees in), until he gets in the habit of using the potty.

Also - sorry if you have done this, but all the stuff that came from your friend, it might be best to clean it with petsafe disinfectant and then give it a really good rinse in hot water (mainly to remove the smell of the disinfectant) before putting them in his cage - sometimes they can smell another hamster on them. I would bin the potty litter you have just in case it is out of date or something. As RH says it might be cat litter? If it's hamster litter it should say on the box if you have the box.

This is the Chinchilla sand

Supreme Petfoods Science Bathing Sand 1.5 Litre: Amazon.co.uk: Pet Supplies

Hope he's ok. Has he dried out now, and does he seem ok? If he's seeming unwell at all then a trip to the vet's might be a good idea.

He might have been 'bathing' in it. Charlie used to wee in the back corner and then sit in the front and give himself a sand bath in the litter and roll in it.

cypher · 05-08-2015, 11:12 PM

It does sound as though he may have had a good pee in that litter then "bathed" in it!
I agree with Serendipity that the litter can be dangerous if they eat it & chinchilla sand works much better, if you can get some & give him a sand bath that should clean up anything left on his fur too.
One of mine used to pouch ham litter & put it in his nest & I was worried he might eat some so I binned it & have always used the chinchilla sand since.

horseyhammygirl · 05-09-2015, 01:46 AM

He is irritated by his coat, and he's constantly rubbing against things and washing. I don't think he has eaten any, but I'll keep an eye on him all the same. I do think it's possible that he made himself that wet, as even when his fur was fine, normal, he would still wash on his platform. He washes a lot of the time(even when his fur is normal), is that normal? I've taken the litter out, and his toilet, so he's now just using his pee corner.

racinghamster · 05-09-2015, 01:55 AM

Is he long-haired or short haired? Either way, hamsters do wash themselves a lot even though sometimes it can look to us to be over doing it! They have to rub, lick and groom themselves to keep their coats natural oils in good condition. Rubbing against things can be scent marking so that`s normal, yes. I don`t and never have used potty litter or anything like that. I have used chinchilla sand on occasion but don`t now as I`m not personally convinced that hamsters need access to sand as often as chinchillas do as their fur is far more dense and they can suffer from ringworm, a fungal skin complaint. Hamsters rarely do. Hamsters like a wee roll in sand but some just pee in it! x

Thin Lizzy · 05-11-2015, 07:55 AM

I'd remove and keep it out of his cage. Some of these litter things can go hard like cement and can upset their digestive system.

horseyhammygirl · 05-11-2015, 09:47 AM

I've removed it and I'm not putting it back. Luckily Smudge didn't need to go to the vets as last night I found him with a giant wet patch on one side where he'd been washing. I brushed it out of him with his toothbrush and this morning I checked on him and his fur was completely normal, and soft. He wasn't consistantly washing either, and there was no irritation as far as I could tell. He's back to being a happy, fluffy little fuzz like before!!!!

Thin Lizzy · 05-12-2015, 12:10 AM

So happy little Smudge has got his fur back to normal.