Poor hammy, breathing problems? :(

[cypher]

I know vet bills soon start adding up but how many times have you taken him? With my vet follow up consultation fees are a fair bit less than the initial consultation fee.
Meds are expensive though I know.
It's a choice only you can make really, sorry I can't be more help.

[racinghamster]

I agree. It`s never easy wondering what direction to take, but I always base this on what the hamster is telling me physically. Making breathing noises can be generally a few things. Diagnosed properly with a respiratory infection by a vet, or allergy/old age/deterioration of the internal organs/lungs.

If a vet has said the hamster definitely has something respiratory going on due to fluid in the lungs or he`s heard something that is abnormal through listening to the hamsters lungs/chest, then I agree antibiotics are sometimes necessary. But you do have to wonder if they are doing any good or not.

Since you noticed these symptoms, did you make any changes to his substrate or bedding or has anything in the environment itself been done? Using sprays, hovering too often, any other small changes?

Keep the room he is in well ventilated and if his sleeping area is small or plastic, I would suggest changing this to a larger, open floored cardboard box house with no floor, only substrate beneath and plain white toilet roll ripped up as nesting. Keep things simple.

I usually look at all these options before feeling Baytril or any other medications are necessary because most of these drugs, although helpful with bacterial infections or pain management, a hamster is a very small creature and it`s not easy to predict whether putting them on these medications is doing any good or just protocol by many vets as a `try this and see`. I personally havn`t been near a vet since I had one of my mice in for a tumour removal and that was a waste of time as the lump recurred.

It`s easy to say prevention is better than cure because illness doesn`t work that way, but diet plays a big role in well being and feeding as many things that boost the immune system usually helps. Old hamsters do benefit from small amounts of raw veg, some added carbs and anything that keeps their taste buds going and their overall body condition good. x

[peridotgreen]

Also the first time i went to the vet (i didnt realise this at the time because im new to all this) they didnt actually give me the amount of antibiotics as they were meant too, like at all.

I know there isnt anything i can do about it now though :/

Ive taken him 2 times

[peridotgreen]

my sister does the hoovering daily, that could contribute.

i could put him in my room where its generally quieter aswell and stuff, but its kinda more cold in my room, so im not sure about that

this might sound stupid but, would being near a PC/laptop harm hamsters? because if i had him in my room he would be near my PC

[racinghamster]

My hamster`s cage (Gabber Rex tank) is exactly a foot away from my Laptop. The hoovering would bother me more than the PC to be honest, although Laptops, TV`s and such do omit some radio waves, I`m no expert so can`t say one way or the other if they have any effects, but I would think the risk is very low. I use a Henry Hoover vacume but only about once every few weeks as I have floorboards with a large carpet on top, so it rarely requires hoovering really, but these hoovers are low noise, so it makes sense to hoover only now and again if you have a hoover that is noisy, or remove the cage to another room while the cleaning is in process. x

[peridotgreen]

Do you think it would be worth a shot me moving him in my room for awhile and just give him extra bedding as its abit colder?

Im just really stuck on what to do, i dont want to keep paying money at the vets if its not going to benefit him

[peridotgreen]

ive found a video thats very similar to mine when hes awake

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmPufH-TvCM

[peridotgreen]

would letting him sniff vapor rub do any good?

[racinghamster]

Those noises are very fast and quick in time with the hamsters fast breathing in and out, but the hamster isn`t showing any other signs of illness. He`s a good body weight, bright eyes, inquisitive etc...

What you could do is keep him in a room where it`s less noisy, airy, but give him plenty of nesting material like plain white toilet paper ripped up, Supreme Cosi n Dri is very soft and warm without the same dusty reputation as Carefresh, yet both are made my Supreme. I use Cosi n Dri in my Russian dwarf`s nesting area and he loves it and Pets At Home wood shavings elsewhere, although Snowflake shavings are very good and virtually no dust, if any at all. He doesn`t make those repetitive noises as in the video, but upon waking or while in his nest, he can make the odd sneeze or breathing sound that comes and goes, but respiratory problems that cause behavioural nose rubbing, listlessness, changes in breathing pattern (very slow usually if the hamster also looks ill) are usually overall change in behaviour can usually be illness. But the noises in the video suggest to be more of an upper thing going on. The nasal passages or something that should have been eradicated by Baytril if it was bacterial. I`m not truly convinced. x

No...don`t use anything like vapo rub or essential oils, They are too strong. x

[peridotgreen]

Baytril did work for the first week, now it doesnt seem to be doing much

When hes sleeping thats when he makes the weird squeeky/wheezy and small clicking noises, this is practically constant

Do you think i should take him back to the vet? when i first went to the vet, she said that it was the start of a resp infection

if this is the case, ive read online that basically the only thing you can do is keep them warm and feed them well :/