Zoned out, falls onto back epilepsy/fainting

Worried94 · 08-17-2015, 09:42 AM

Hi, I have a dwarf hamster called Mariah she is usually a lively mischievous girl however recently on 2 occasions she has had funny turns. When this happens she stands on her back legs and seems to fall very slowly whilst staring into space, the first time this happened I picked her up and she seemed to just continue to be dazed and zoned out before returning to normal, however just after this happened she appeared to be very flat to the ground almost as if she was dragging her belly on the floor. This time I just observed her as she was falling and her front paws seemed to be twitching as she fell she then fell until she was completely flat on her back and was barely moving apart from her paws twitching slightly. Her tongue was also visible, I picked her up from this state and placed her onto my chest where she appeared to recover slightly but she was panting. Furthermore when I lifted her she felt lighter and almost like all her body was floppy and relaxed. She then returned to normal and is now tucking into her food. Confused and worried to say the least please help if you can

velma · 08-17-2015, 03:05 PM

I'm sorry, I've got no experience with this at all. It sounds very worrying for you. Do you have a god vet near you? Some hamsters can have neurological problems from bad breeding. There have been some discussion on here before so I think some other members have experience with this & should be able to help you. Hope your hammy is okay.

cypher · 08-17-2015, 11:23 PM

Hi, I'm really sorry to hear this it must be distressing to have to see your ham in this state.
My best guess would neurological problems of some sort or even a stroke/series of small strokes.
How old is she?
Only a vet would really be able to tell you what might be happening so if possible I'd take her in for a check & see what they think.

Worried94 · 08-18-2015, 02:03 AM

Thanks for your help! I think a trip to the vets will be needed, she's only around 8months old. I've had dwarfnhamsters before and this is by far the most distressing thing I have ever witnessed, doesn't seem to have any other physical signs of illness and she isn't off her food or water. Poor little thing

walfy · 08-18-2015, 02:29 AM

Could well be heat exhaustion. Particularly if Mariah is an energetic hammy. The fact she is putting her belly on the floor (this is called pan-caking) may suggest this could be the case. Hamsters dissipate heat through the tummy area, this is one quick way of doing it. "Symptoms of overheating in hams’ include excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, stupor and even collapse. This can also include seizures, which seems to be the case. May be wise to have a vet look at her any way.

cypher · 08-18-2015, 03:56 AM

That's a possibility, tbh it didn't occur to me as we aren't having summer here this year! It would have to pretty hot though. Where are you Worried94 & what's the temperature like there?

racinghamster · 08-18-2015, 04:17 AM

Is she taking these episodes inside or outside the cage? If they happen only when she`s removed from her cage, she may feel anxious and her body responds by going into this spasm like action. Gerbils can suffer from this but usually grow out of it. It`s like a fear of the unknown/unfamiliar things. But your hamster may also have something neurological going on. Epilepsy for example can take many forms. It can cause severe black outs or fitting. If this behaviour has only just started to happen, it may be worth speaking to a good vet, but I know they can`t treat epilepsy. There is a drug they can inject in mice, but it`s a daily thing and I wouldn`t want to put a small rodent through that.

Stargazing occurs in some dwarf hamsters where they can stand gazing into space and topple over. It could be this.

The main thing is to keep her calm and keep her environment settled. Sometimes when they do have any neurological problems anxiety/stress can worsen the condition. Keep a diary of how often this happens. Let us know how she is doing. x

Worried94 · 08-18-2015, 06:56 AM

She has been outside her cage on both of the occasions. The first time I had a friend over so I suppose she wasn't used to this, the second time she was in her playpen as I was changing her bedding so it would make sense that she may be scared or stressed.
Could different smells be the cause does anyone know? As my friend was wearing strong perfume the first time and I had recently just cleaned my carpet a few days ago. I'm going to buy a mat I can put on the floor for when she is in her playpen I think that might help.
I'm slightly more concerned as I'm starting university soon and plan to take her with me and I don't know if she'll appreciate being moved

as for temperate I don't think that's an issue as I'm in Yorkshire and the weather isn't particularly great! Hoping it's nothing serious and slightly less scared now than I was yesterday.thank you everyone for your help

racinghamster · 08-18-2015, 07:07 AM

Hi Worried94. My advice would be to hold back on the play pen sessions for now and monitor her for a few weeks. By all means do some gentle handling INSIDE her cage or tank, but removing her could have caused a stress reaction. Strong smells, carpet odour or anything that is suddenly unfamiliar can make a hamster lie flat to the floor or sometimes look as though they are bodily weak. This could well be the case with your little hamster. Try not to worry for now. Leave her to play in her cage and if she has a good wheel to play on and a cosy bed, she will settle down.

Spot clean ONLY! Try not to clean the entire cage as that means removing the hamster into a foreign space again. Cleaning around her just by removing any soiled shavings or nesting material and only replacing what`s necessary is essential for a hamster who may have these problems. Don`t use cleaning sprays either. Just wet a sheet or two of kitchen towel with warm water only and wipe the areas that need cleaning.

Keep everything simple and basic. No sudden noise, loud TV or music and nobody else handling her obviously. x

Worried94 · 08-18-2015, 07:17 AM

Another thing I have just remembered. My friend also has a large Syrian hamster so is it possible it could have been the scent from her that Mariah was picking up? She was in my house the other day also just before the last episode. Everything is starting to click into place now as to why she could have been behaving this way