New hamster possibly pregnant?

Ponymad2104 · 10-21-2018, 03:16 PM

I got a new Syrian hamster a week ago, sexed him as a probable he but uncertain as very wiggly! Supposedly about 8 weeks old.

Now I've had a better look I think he is a she! Not uncommon but my dilemma is I know for certain his/her cage mate before I got him/her was male.

I've cared for pregnant rabbits and Guinea pigs before but never hamsters!

I'm guessing my best bet is to treat them like they're pregnant for now?
What do I need to do for that?

cypher · 10-22-2018, 12:53 AM

If she is pregnant you should begin to see signs pretty soon, looking rounder with baby bumps! To be on the safe side make sure she has plenty of deep substrate & lots of shredded plain white toilet tissue to make a big nest if she wants to & don't do any cleaning other than spot cleaning any pee so she feels really safe & secure.
If you have a look through the breeding section of the forum you'll find lots of advice on unexpected pregnancies.

Hammymoo · 10-22-2018, 05:44 AM

If she is pregnant I really recommend watching a video by Victoria Raechel, she has a video on a accidental pregnancy and it is very informative.

If the hamster is pregnant make sure to remove anything that could harm the babies for example wheel.

You should also start seeing signs that your hamster is pregnant like: body looking plum-ish shape, nipples becoming more visible.

Here is the video I recommend: https://youtu.be/6_v6ZWO177w

cypher · 10-22-2018, 06:24 AM

You don't need to remove things like the wheel just yet, not until she's actually had the pups or you think there's a chance she might have done.
If or when you think she might have had pups the most important thing is to not disturb the nest at all.

Pebbles82 · 10-22-2018, 06:52 AM

Here are some photos of pregnant syrians - they tend to look much bigger at the back end and stick out sideways (the baby bumps). But I believe that doesn't show so much until they are almost due. In another week you should be clearer!

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=pr...w=1138&bih=503

It's always good not to disturb them for the first two weeks anyway and not do clean outs etc (just spot clean the pee area after a week or so if it needs it). If there's a litter tray in the pee area with sand in you can leavethe cage for ages if you have plenty of substrate - then you just empty the litter tray every five days or so.

So just give her loads of substrate and plenty of food and a bit of fresh veg every other day (every day after the first week). And leave her to herself mostly until you're sure. And plenty of nesting material (torn up strips of plain white toilet paper - a big heap in the cage somewhere - she will take it for her nest).

Ponymad2104 · 10-22-2018, 09:37 AM

Thanks for all the advice, do I need to increase her protein during pregnancy and lactation like I would for any other animal?

souffle · 10-22-2018, 10:46 AM

I wouldn't increase it much before the pups arrive as with a young hamster you don't want the pups to grow too large in case it makes for a difficult delivery with her body not being fully grown. A normal healthy diet is fine. If the litter arrives then is the time to increase the protein a bit so she is able to nurse and raise the pups well.

Ponymad2104 · 10-22-2018, 11:34 AM

Thank you, I'm really worried as she is so young herself, her back end does look a little larger today

souffle · 10-22-2018, 11:43 AM

They usually start to show around 12 days and get larger quite quickly so she may be due soon. She will be fine as young mums are usually good mothers. The key is absolute peace and quiet and only feeding and watering for the first week at least then starting to introduce more contact as you feel she is comfortable with. Don't worry about taming for now as you can tame mum and babies together when their eyes open. You won't be able to do a clean till they are out and about with eyes open so give her plenty substrate and bedding now. I don't really handle mums from about 14 days as I don't want to risk stressing them. It's hard when you don't really know how far on they are though.
You can see the bulges on the hips in this 14 days pregnant mama
36277456_10156138006511690_9196419527934476288_n.jpg

36301764_10156138006526690_2410440057170165760_n.jpg

Ponymad2104 · 10-22-2018, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by souffle

They usually start to show around 12 days and get larger quite quickly so she may be due soon. She will be fine as young mums are usually good mothers. The key is absolute peace and quiet and only feeding and watering for the first week at least then starting to introduce more contact as you feel she is comfortable with. Don't worry about taming for now as you can tame mum and babies together when their eyes open. You won't be able to do a clean till they are out and about with eyes open so give her plenty substrate and bedding now. I don't really handle mums from about 14 days as I don't want to risk stressing them. It's hard when you don't really know how far on they are though.
You can see the bulges on the hips in this 14 days pregnant mama
Attachment 46796

Attachment 46797

Thank you! It sounds quite similar to rabbits, but with them I will check in the nest if mum is out as they are used to me and used to being handled, obviously I won't do this with a hamster.

She's not that big, there's only a very slight bulge that I've noticed has appeared since last night, it may just be her putting on weight where she's on her own now and not competing for food.