Need Advice on Caring for Older Syrian Hamster

[HammieMomSilverSpring]

Good afternoon, I am the owner of a Syrian hamster named BALSAL(of almost 2 years of age).
I have noticed recently her activitiy level has significantly slowed; she seems to be sleeping quite a bit and we almost never find her on her wheel. Is this normal for an older hamster? How do I encourage exercise? Keep her comfortable? I have so many questions. Any advice on prolonging her life/etc.? Do I need to be concerned with the setup of my cage,i.e., make it a little more easy access for food, etc.? Thanks for the advice.

[Drago]

Slowing down and not wanting to exercise nearly as much is perfectly normal for older hamsters. I always recommend the CSE or similar bucket style wheel for older Syrians, as arthritis can cause their legs to stiffen and splay a bit. Bucket wheels are much deeper and thus easier for them to run on. As for keeping her comfortable, offer mounds of bedding, and toilet tissue. She'll use this to create a warm and fluffy nest where she can spend her days relaxing. Keep the setup as is. For an older hamster, who likely has vision problems as well, it's best nothing is moved around. She's used to how things are now, just keep it that way When it comes to prolonging her life, I wouldn't have that be your main goal. Rather, just keep her happy, and when the time comes, you'll know. The biggest mistake I've made with my animals, is holding on too long- much to their detriment unfortunately. Move her food and water bowls closer to her nest so she doesn't have to move all that far if she's not feeling particularly well that day. If she's having trouble eating solid foods, soak her mix in warm water for 5-7 minutes. You can also offer porridge or sugar free, hamster safe baby food a few times a week. Good luck with her. Wishing for you and her, many more months of good health and happiness

[Coco61]

Drago has given good advice there. My Syrian boy is now 2yrs and 4m. I keep a close eye on his mobility but so far so good. I have not changed his lay out at all for a very long time now. He has a wide wooden slope up to his water and I have gradually been raising the substrate under it so the slope is getting less steep. I check his water level as I change his water daily to make sure it goes down by the same amount still. If it does not then I will change to a free standing bottle close to his house rather than one on the bars. He still uses his potty across the cage but also pees in the outer room of his 3room house. I guess he can feel too sleepy and old at times to cross the cage. His coat is thinning and I add brown linseeds to his food and he loves them. Fresh veg helps with hydration. Also as he needs meds daily, he has a little baby food/porridge with it mixed in. His teeth are ok as he manages hard food and nuts but that must be monitored as teeth not worn down lead to problems with eating. A vet can clip them of course. Exercise has dropped away but my lad still goes for a stroll on his wheel. Best way to check on this is to put some substrate on top of the wheel and see if it goes during the night.