Keto diastix

[lorrapaw]

My syrian hamster ted has been drinking far more than usual and im wondering if he may have diabetes. I took him to vets as he was a bit under the weather as well. He more or less said there is nothing they can do. I was a bit upset by this. But i read online you can buy the ket diastix to test him. Are these tests any good? Also how could i improve his diet if he did have diabetes? Is it true nothing can be done?

[racinghamster]

Hi lorrapaw. Diabetes in hamsters is usually more common in the prone species like Chinese and hybrid Russian dwarfs, although Syrians could get if I suppose if their genetics pre-disposed them to it. Testing for diabetes with Diastix may or may not be conclusive. The urine sticks test for proteins, sugars etc.....

I would measure what he`s actually drinking each day and make a diary for each day he drinks 5ml or more or whether it varies, changing his water bottle each day so you can see the water amount change. Look at the food and treats he eats and whether there might be too much sugar or fructose added. Depleting the diet of all sugars isn`t wise though as I have a Russian hybrid male and he gets fresh sweet corn, small pieces of dry banana (from his Supahamster) and a small thumbnail piece of fresh apple every morning, but he doesn`t get shop bought treats with honey, syrup or anything that might be `added` sugars`. He`s thriving and will be two next month.

Diet plays a big part in controlling diabetes or symptoms of it. He may also pee more but kidney problems in older age can also show similar symptoms. All in all, the vet probably didn`t want to be too invasive and although some vets will do urine and blood tests, I would consider whether I would want to put such a small animal though the stress.

I will allow some of the other members who have treated their hamsters for this condition tell you more as it`s not something I`ve ever dealt with and probably wouldn't choose the drug treatment route anyway, preferring to look at most illnesses with an open mind.

What age is Ted and is he warm enough in his nest? x

[cypher]

As RH says diabetes is more common in some of the dwarf species but syrians can develop the condition so it is a possibility that Ted has it.
With a syrian that's drinking a lot & appears under the weather my first thought would be either a kidney problem or a UTI as these are much more common.
The test strips do work as long as you can get your ham to pee into something completely clean then just follow the instructions carefully.
It may be worth testing just to check, there isn't really any treatment that's suitable for a tiny animal like a ham but diabetes can be controlled to some extent with diet, high protein & fibre, low in carbs & natural sugars & fats, no added sugars or fruits.
If he had a kidney problem the diet would need to be lower in protein so it's good to know what you're dealing with.
Did the vet say anything about a possible UTI? If it is that then a course of antibiotics may be all he needs.