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Old 03-15-2017, 02:16 PM   #1
Sarahbean
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Exclamation Bloated syrian

Banjo is about 1 and a half months old right now and I noticed her abdomen feeling a bit bloated. I'm not sure if it's noticeable in pictures but I can definitely feel a difference. Does anyone know why this could be? I've never had an overweight hamster so I'm hoping it is just her being a piggy (much easier to fix than an internal issue obviously)
Thanks!
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Old 03-15-2017, 02:21 PM   #2
Hekomi
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Default Re: Bloated syrian

Can you post some photographs? It might help. Does it feel hard or squishy? It could just be she's growing.
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Old 03-15-2017, 02:22 PM   #3
souffle
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Default Re: Bloated syrian

So she is only 6 weeks yes?
Hamsters this age usually look like mini adults and are growing fast so do not have a tendency to be overweight.
I'd suggest a check by a vet as it could be something else that is causing this that has only come to light as she grows. Fluid in the abdomen can be caused by things like heart failure, kidney problems as well as blockages or infections.
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Old 03-15-2017, 02:30 PM   #4
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Default Re: Bloated syrian

I will try to get a few pictures of her. It feels squishy
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Old 03-15-2017, 03:23 PM   #5
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Default Re: Bloated syrian

Does she look wide at the hips from the back? And have you only just got her if she is only 6 weeks? Just wondering if she is pregnant?
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Old 03-15-2017, 09:10 PM   #6
Sarahbean
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Default Re: Bloated syrian

I was wondering if she was pregnant.. but I don't think it's possible since she's so young? When I got her she was still with her mom and probably 1/3 of her size. I got her just over two weeks ago so she's 6 and a half weeks old now.
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Old 03-16-2017, 01:36 AM   #7
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Default Re: Bloated syrian

It depends if she was with males in the litter. Our females don't usually stand till they are about five and a half weeks for the first time. If you got her at 4 1/2 weeks this is really too young but she seems to have done well anyway. She is unlikely to be pregnant if she has been alone since 4 1/2 weeks though. She could just be growing I guess. Try and get some pics. Are there any other symptoms? lethargy? Drinking a lot? Discharge? What type of bedding does she have?
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Old 03-18-2017, 01:15 AM   #8
Sarahbean
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Question Re: Bloated syrian

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hekomi View Post
Can you post some photographs? It might help. Does it feel hard or squishy? It could just be she's growing.
These are a few pictures I finally got where you can see her belly. Her cheek pouches are full but its lower in her abdomen I was worrying about in the post.
Looking at these photos it doesn't seem to look too bad to me, but she still feels a bit bloated when I hold her so what do you guys think?
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Old 03-18-2017, 01:51 AM   #9
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Default Re: Bloated syrian

Well she's definitely a girl I'll leave that one to Souffle - it's hard to tell from that angle. Her cage does look rather small for a Syrian though - I know it's hard to find good cages in Canada - I think a lot of people make bin cages or get glass tanks when Petco have their dollar a gallon sale. A 40 gallon breeder tank is a popular size (about 3 foot long by 1'6" deep). They also need a wheel that is 10 to 12 inch diameter really (can't tell how big the wheel is). Although if she is just a baby an 8" one would be fine for now. I'm guessing it's either a 6.5" or 12" silent spinner in there - can't tell lol.

To me - I can't see any major bloating. What diet is she having? She looks quite big for 6 weeks old! But then she is stretched out. They can keep growing up to 8 weeks old or even longer. If her tummy feels a bit bloated to you though - it looks like she has pine shavings for bedding. Do check they are kiln dried and dust extracted as otherwise they can cause health issues.

I think you can get Boxo in Canada (although it ships from the US) which works out cheap as it's sold in big bags. It's soft cardboard flakes I think. Kaytee Clean n Cozy is also a popular one. (Paper cellulose based I think).

For nesting material just make sure she has a nice big pile of torn up plain white toilet paper to build a cosy nest with. It's the safest nesting material as they pouch nesting material and take it to their nest. I tear a sheet of toilet paper lengthways into about 5 or 6 strips. Do that a few times and put a big mound of it in the cage somewhere.

Last edited by Pebbles82; 03-18-2017 at 01:57 AM.
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Old 03-18-2017, 02:07 AM   #10
Sarahbean
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Default Re: Bloated syrian

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Originally Posted by Serendipity7000 View Post
Well she's definitely a girl I'll leave that one to Souffle - it's hard to tell from that angle. Her cage does look rather small for a Syrian though - I know it's hard to find good cages in Canada - I think a lot of people make bin cages or get glass tanks when Petco have their dollar a gallon sale. A 40 gallon breeder tank is a popular size (about 3 foot long by 1'6" deep). They also need a wheel that is 10 to 12 inch diameter really (can't tell how big the wheel is). Although if she is just a baby an 8" one would be fine for now. I'm guessing it's either a 6.5" or 12" silent spinner in there - can't tell lol.

To me - I can't see any major bloating. What diet is she having? She looks quite big for 6 weeks old! But then she is stretched out. They can keep growing up to 8 weeks old or even longer. If her tummy feels a bit bloated to you though - it looks like she has pine shavings for bedding. Do check they are kiln dried and dust extracted as otherwise they can cause health issues.
She's in a small store bought cage attached to a bin cage but I do plan on making her a larger bin cage as she gets bigger. She has the medium sized silent spinner (not sure how many inches that is but she's the perfect size for it now) she is very big for her age haha her mom was ginormous so I will be needing to upgrade to an 11 inch soon as well.
Also she's on aspen in the cage pictured and carefresh/clean and cozy mixed in her bin cage.
I'll never ever buy pine or cedar shavings :P

And for the food, again it's a mixture of two food mixes but I don't quite remember what two brands it was. Also along with the mix I put a few Livingworld pellets in every time I refill it. For treats she gets a few small servings of fresh veggies a week and I'll put one of those treat sticks in her cage for about an hour at a time (if I put it in for too long it would probably be all she ate haha)

Since it's so hard to tell how much a hamster really eats with them hoarding so much food, I'll have to find a good way to monitor her eating... any tips?
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