Does my hamster have wet tail?

[HamsterCrazy1]

I am a completely new hamster owner here.. I got a male Syrian last night from the pet store. This morning, his butt is wet with urine and a bit of feces. He's eating, drinking, sleeping, and playing. His eyes look bright and he appears healthy otherwise. However I am just using a few pieces of tissues right now for bedding, and I plan on getting carefresh or Kaytee Clean N Cozy bedding soon. Did he just urinate in his tubes and get it on his bum? Is his bum just dirty because I don't have the right bedding and it got wet? I have some Dri-Tail remedy if needed. Maybe I'm just freaking out, but I want to make sure he is happy and healthy. I have him in a plastic tote cage with tubes(I will take these out when he gets older, he is young right now so I'm not worried about him getting stuck), as well as toys/chew treats, food, water, a wheel, etc.

Thank You so much for any help!

[AmityvilleHams]

Dri-Tail is not going to cure wet tail.No storebought remedy will,and they often do a lot more harm than good

If your hamster does have wet tail the only way you're going to be able to get rid of wet tail is by going to a vet and getting prescribed medicine to cure wet tail.

What food is your hamster on at the moment?This can impact overall health.Have you fed any watery foods?If so,this can cause diarrhea.

I would definitely recommend Kaytee over Carefresh any day It's a much better choice overall,being far less dusty and not ridiculously overpriced like Carefresh often is!

[HamsterCrazy1]

Okay. Thanks for the info!! He was on large pellets but it looked like they were full of junk so he's on Vitacraft for Hamsters & Gerbils. Quite the variety.. lol. I haven't fed him any treats. He has an apple stick and a wooden tube full of hay. I will make sure to get Kaytee!

[HamsterCrazy1]

Also.. any advice for new hamster owners is surely appreciated here! I'm so happy with my new lil guy

[cypher]

I would remove the tubes now, getting stuck isn't the only issue, if he decides to sleep, pee & everything else in the tubes (which new hams often do!) it gets very unhealthy & that may be the reason you're seeing this, also get a good depth of good substrate in the cage as soon as you can.
If you see signs of diarrhoea then you will need to take him straight to the vet but it does sound as though this may just be an issue with the lack of substrate & suitable nesting place right now.

[AmityvilleHams]

I would still consider Vitakraft a poor quality food overall.It isn't the worst,but it certainly isn't that good A lot of their formulas have artificial dyes,and those which don't simply do not have the appropriate nutrients for hamsters.

I'd recommend switching over to either Harry/Hazel Hamster.Another option would be a mixed diet using Higgins Sunburst,either Higgins Sunburst and Mazuri rat and mouse lab blocks or Higgins Sunburst with Carefresh hamster/gerbil food.These would all be much better diets than what you're currently feeding

To mix Higgins Sunburst and Carefresh you have to measure the amount daily.This is very easy though,as long as you keep some small airtight containers filled with each food and refill those as needed.The Higgins/Carefresh combination is 1 tablespoon Carefresh,1/2 tablespoon Higgins.On its own it is just barely inadequate and therefore requires the addition of animal protein(which should be done anyways to make a diet truly appropriate for the species)preferably freeze dried chicken or another hamster safe meat.I also add a pinch of flax seed to this on days I feed(I don't feed every day).

As for some general advice,there's lots to offer.However some of the best advice I could give would be to not feed any food or treats with unspecified biproducts(be it digest,derivatives,meat and bone meals of any sort,or even just unspecified liver)or anything containing BHA/BHT/ethoxyquin(known to cause cancer especially when fed for a long period of time).Also avoid artificial dyes,artificial flavors and sugars,and highly processed sugars.

[HamsterCrazy1]

I will remove the tubes. He has been in them for most of the time, and I'm thinking this is possibly were the urine/feces on his bum is coming from. For now, until I get bedding, I put tons of thin toilet paper for him to nest and play in. I will definitely get some different food next time, the pet store didn't have a huge variety and that looked like the best stuff. I looked up Carefresh hamster food and Higgins Sunburst, and both look like good food. I'll be sure to get those next time. I plan on only giving him natural treats such as small pieces of fruits and vegetables. I've found a few lists on the internet of fruits/veggies hamsters can have I really appreciate all of the advice!!

[HamsterCrazy1]

Ugh. I believe he has wet tail. His ears are down, he's kind of sluggish and not very active. I understand hamsters are nocturnal, but I can tell he's not normal. His ears are folded/down, and the wetness on his underside has expanded. I wasn't really prepared for a $$$ vet bill here. Dri-Tail won't help him at all? Will it hurt him?

[AmityvilleHams]

Dri-Tail absolutely will not help.It might cover up the symptoms,but it definitely isn't helping

I would definitely recommend learning from this and always having a decent vet fund before getting any pet in the future.Everyone makes mistakes when it comes to pet ownership,but being able to learn and grow from those mistakes is part of being a good owner

[chesca_27]

Do not give him Dri-Tail. As Amity has already stated, storebought remedies often do more harm than good. The only thing that will work is if he is taken to a good vet and given medication to treat it.

I really hope he gets better, but that cannot happen unless you take him to the vet.