Dos is Dying

4Taylor20 · 01-11-2016, 12:56 PM

My heart-ham Dos is dying. She is about 2 years old, I'm assuming. She is sleeping constantly, cannot really get around that well, and is tipping over frequently. She falls off her ledge and lands on her back and acts as if she were a turtle and she couldnt get off her back and I have to help her. I am making her scrambled eggs and vegetables along with her normal food but is there anything else I could do to ease her last few days/ weeks? Shes not in pain from what I can see, she still lets me hold her and give her kisses and cuddles.

Thank you, Taylor

ANGELBABIES · 01-11-2016, 02:11 PM

Hi 4Taylor20 - your little one Dos is a good age. Please remove all levels and ledge. Keep any bendy bridges and huts she can hide in. Keep all her familiar things. My little man is almost two. I grind the Harry Hamster muesli, add a wee bit of honey and soak in boiled hot water for an hour, and give it to him. He loves it. As they get older they do not chew on their muesli and dont eat. I also give him a small piece of fruit and veg (what ever she likes) one a day or a small teaspoon of baby jar food - Grandpa's sunday lunch or orchard chicken or baby porridge. Make sure there is no onion or garlic. It is their twilight time and spoil her with these foods, kisses and cuddles. Make sure her room is warm and give her plenty of ripped up toilet tissue (not scented). God bless. Love to you and the little one xx

TNTWORX · 01-11-2016, 03:29 PM

I am sorry for you . Ive said this on other posts but the best way to comfort her is to be there with her. just your presence may settle her.

**DrKMcK** · 01-11-2016, 08:18 PM

Hello 4Taylor20. I am so sorry to see that Dos isn't doing well. It's always awful when one of our hammies is heading for the Bridge, especially a heart ham. Use her time with you to love her and cuddle her just as you are doing. I feel for you, I really do. {hugs}

Thin Lizzy · 01-11-2016, 09:42 PM

Sorry to hear this, make her cage all one level and add more substrate and bedding for extra comfort.

cypher · 01-11-2016, 11:32 PM

Really sorry to hear this, it's always sad when our hams are reaching the end of their lives & aging fast like this, as the others have said make her cage as comfortable as possible with lots of extra bedding to keep her cosy & everything within easy reach on one level.
If she can eat her normal food that's always good but supplementing with porridge, baby food & things like mashed potato are usually enjoyed by older hams too.

4Taylor20 · 01-12-2016, 07:59 AM

Thank you all so much for your replies and kind words, tonight when I get home I am going to give her a cage makeover. She is in a 1500ish square inch tank so Im going to move all of her food bowls, hideouts and toys closer together because she doesnt even use one half of the cage. I will also purchase some baby food and see if she will eat that. She only is awake for about an hour a day, and its usually 3-4 am...

racinghamster · 01-12-2016, 09:45 AM

Taylor, that sounds very sensible given she`s now not utilising the cage space. Making sure she can reach food and water easily and more importantly, adjusting her diet to make sure she can still enjoy it without issue. Baby food, softening or mashing food up for her are all worthwhile. Sleeping more isn`t unusual for older hams as they won`t feel the need to energise so much!

Is she weak when walking around? This can be a sign that she`s slowing down and sleeping more will also reflect this. Small amounts of raw vegetables are enjoyed a lot and should be part of a hamsters daily diet so if you can offer simple veg like: Broccoli, cauliflower, garden peas, baby and whole sweet corn nibblets, lettuce and cabbage, but all in small 5mm pieces. No need to cook them unless of course you want to soften them into a mush. As long as she`s eating/drinking and ambling around in her own way, she will be happy enough although signs of dying will be that she fails to emerge to eat and doesn`t really respond to you or her body looks/feels thinner and/or cold.

Hope she`s okay. x

Lozz · 01-12-2016, 04:57 PM

I'm so sorry about your poor ham, it sounds like you're looking after her very well. If she isn't moving around as much it will be harder for her to keep warm so give her plenty of extra bedding. My Coco was the same towards the end so the vet gave me some Metacam to keep her comfortable while we decided it palliative care was an option, so that could be something to consider. Like Angelbabies said, it is good to mush up their usual food so they are still getting all their nutrients, and supplement with some scrambled egg and boiled veg. Be careful not to give too much fruit and veg as it can cause upset tummies which would only make her more uncomfortable. If you are concerned about how much water she is getting, sometimes you can gently feed some through the side of her mouth using a sterile syringe, or offer her a piece of cucumber. Poor Dos, I hope she is okay xx

4Taylor20 · 01-12-2016, 06:02 PM

Hey guys, she is not doing very well. She has been sleeping in my hand for two and a half hours now. She can't walk without tipping over, which means she has been going to the bathroom all over herself, and she also has some diarrhea which is no good. I put everything in her cage close and removed the ledge. I'll make her some egg later. She also won't open her eyes. I'm also curious as to what I am supposed to do after she passes, as the ground is frozen and I cannot bury her.