Bloated/Hunched Female Syrian

Hambobs · 10-08-2018, 04:39 PM

Last Wednesday I noticed Briar looked hunched & bloated when she left her nest. I hadn't seen much of her since the previous Sunday so it may have started about a week ago. When i checked her over she had a slightly dirty bottom & the surrounding fur was damp.

I took her to the vet on Friday as she hadn't improved & they suggested it might be an inflamed bladder and gave me some Metacam & critical care. She's much perkier now but is still a bit hunched & i'm wondering whether to get a second opinion from an exotics vet if she still looks bloated by Wednesday.

Any ideas about what it might be? Not sure if you can tell from the pics, but she appears slightly distended on her left side. She's 22 months old.

- I don't think it's pyometra as she doesn't have any discharge & her belly isn't hard.
- She is pooing normally as far as i can tell but still has a slightly dirty bottom. She's drinking and weeing fairly normally.
- She's pottering about happily, eating well & isn't distressed but doesn't have a lot of strength in her back legs. She struggles to right herself if she falls (i've changed her cage layout now so there's less possibility of falling).
- The distended area feels a bit ballon-like if i touch it (she doesn't seem to mind me doing so).

...

cypher · 10-08-2018, 10:07 PM

The metacam will be helping with pain whatever the problem is so that's probably why she seemed a bit perkier but I doubt it's an inflamed bladder, I'm not a vet obviously but this does seem a bit unlikely if there's no signs of a UTI which would need antibiotics anyway, I wouldn't rule out a closed pyo tbh & there are other possibilities too so if the bloating doesn't go very quickly I would get her seen by another vet.

souffle · 10-09-2018, 12:14 AM

It looks like a pyometra to me or possibly a cyst somewhere or a bowel blockage though these are usually more one sided. I've never seen bloating with a urinary infection. Is there a more hamster savy vet near you?

Hambobs · 10-09-2018, 03:39 PM

Thanks - I wasn't convinced it was a UTI/bladder issue so I rang a vet that advertises themselves as exotics specialists with small furry experience & made an appointment for Thursday.

However, when i checked on Briar tonight, although she was pottering around OK I could see she'd passed some bloody stools. I cleaned her up and gave her some cucumber with her Metacam dose, which she wolfed down immediately. She's also been weeing a lot and there's quite a fishy smell from it.

So it seems very possible it IS pyometra - i'll contact them in the morning & try to get her appointment moved to tomorrow. If they confirm the diagnosis I'll get her booked in for spaying ASAP - from the pyometra info i've read in the stickied threads it doesn't seem worth trying an antibiotics course...

Hambobs · 10-10-2018, 05:17 AM

I'm gutted - Briar passed away in the night...

When I went to bed she was foraging for the cucumber I gave her & she wasn't bleeding - she didn't seem distressed & came up to me for a quick cuddle. When i got up this morning she was lying in her nest & was cold & stiff.

The upsetting thing is that she'd clearly been struggling as I found quite a bit of blood in her nest & in her wee box there were a few large bloody lumps. They were quite hard & compacted but did break apart when I poked at them - she must have had a bad time trying to pass them.

I don't know whether it was pyometra or perhaps an internal blockage, but I'm kicking myself for not seeking the second opinion quicker.

I'm so sorry, Briar...

cypher · 10-10-2018, 06:10 AM

I'm so sorry Hambobs, you did what you could for her & the metacam will have helped with any pain she was in making her passing more peaceful, it's really hard to lose a ham like this & not know if you could have done more but it was clearly something serious & she may not have been able to recover whatever you had done.
She's at peace now & not suffering, try to take some comfort in that.

Run free & play well at the bridge Briar.

souffle · 10-10-2018, 06:20 AM

I'm so sorry for your loss. There is little you can do I'm afraid at that stage for a blockage and even an acute pyometra. They are such tiny creatures and operating is risky. You tried your best and gave her a chance with the meds. We all question ourselves about the whys and what ifs but try and remember the good times.
Run free at the bridge Briar xxx

Rads · 10-10-2018, 08:34 AM

Hambobs,
You did your best and helped little Briar, as others have said there really would have been very little even a vet could have done, the Meds would have helped her, yes I know from experience you feel so totally bloody awful and question your self constantly, but you gave briar a wonderful life and she knew she was loved to the hilt.
Rest well little Briar there are many hams a the bridge to give you good company run free there and have much fun.