And I’m sad to say that my hamster has started to get worse again.
Now I am not sure what to do since I’m at the moment is in the middle of moving, do not have any income since I’m taking a pause from studying and my hamster is turning 2 in just 1,5 months…
The first diagnostics was that it is mites but it was a really vague diagnosis but the vet had trouble finding anything - not any tumors, does not look like an infection. I have no contact with other animals except my hamster so I have no idea where the mites might come from. It is just a wound on each side of the head (one of them has moved further down to the same level as the eyes now).
It might sound heartless but I do not have the economic means to spend another 120 euros (ruffly changed from Swedish kronor for vet exam and medicine) on a hamster that is at the end of her life and does not show any signs of distress except the wounds, I have not even seen her scratching. I am also worried that a trip to the vet would just stress her out (last time she just slept but she behaved a bit different the following days). Do you guys have any tips on what I can do to help her? I will also call the vet tomorrow to see if they have any free tips on what I can do.
At the moment I’m planning to do a complete cleanout of her cage (again) but also change the bedding type to paper-based if it is something with the bedding (aspen and hemp) that is irritating her and remove all things made from wood just to be completely safe. I also clean her wound with salt water every second day as recommended by the veterinarian.
I will see if I manage to add some pictures in my next comment
Picture one is how it looked a month ago and picture 2 is how it looks now
Both are after I have cleaned the wound so that's why it looks wet
It is not easy taking a good close up picture on a little squirming hamster....
A lot of hamsters carry small harmless mites, but sometimes when a hamster is older or it’s immune system if compromised, they can have a reaction to the mites. When she was diagnosed, did the vet prescribe medication? And if so, did you notice any improvement in her behaviour or injuries after taking it?
It sounds like the wounds are where her claws would hit while scratching? My cat gets similar injuries sometimes. Are you sure she hasn’t been scratching or grooming more frequiently than usual?
Hopefully switching over to paper bedding will help as well since it’s less dusty than woodshavings so less likely to irritate the skin and hamsters can have wood allergies.
It doesn't look like a mite problem, it could be from scratching, I think I asked before if maybe there was something that may have got sharp in the cage or a hole or entrance to something she's squeezing through that could be catching & cutting her but it might be worth checking that again.
Wooden things shouldn't be causing a problem, changing to paper based substrate won't hurt but I would have expected to see more of a generalised reaction if substrate was the problem & changing substrate is going to stress her which won't help with her immune system or ability to heal so if you change then I would stick with that & try to do as few cage cleans as possible.
Bathing with saline should help keep the wounds clean & allow them to heal again, make sure she's getting everything she needs in her diet, a really good quality mix & fresh veg so she has the best chance of recovering.
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So sorry to hear she has these wounds again - she is an adorable looking little hamster. Such a patient expression on that photo! With the wounds being either side of her ears, it does look like it may be from scratching. Scratching behind their ears is part of their normal grooming process, but this kind of thing can happen sometimes if their nails have got too long. Have you checked her nails?
I think it's a good idea to change to paper based substrate as it's hypoallergenic and it rules out any issues. When changing all the substrate though, it will be stressful for her and upset her, so it might be an idea not to clean anything else at the same time. I don't think it's mites or she would have been sore and scratching in other places too. Also if she has these wounds paper will be kinder to them than something like wood or hemp.
So maybe do this in stages. Change the substrate for a paper based one - which one can you get in Sweden? Don't remove her nest or hoard though if you can possibly leave them, this will help reduce the stress, and don't clean any other toys or items at this stage. As the others say, bathing with a bit of salt water will help the wound heal. They used to do salt water baths in hospitals to speed up wound healing. But not too much salt in the water - I believe it's about a level teaspoon to a pint of water.
When bathing it, try not to get her too wet. So rather than "bathing" it as such, dont have the cotton bud dripping with water - press it against the side of the jug with the saline in so it's a bit wet but not dripping and just dab the wound. I have also used the corner of a clean soft cloth rather than a cotton bud. If she does get a bit wet, give her a bit of a dry off and say sorry So she doesn't feel too upset - they pick up your tone of voice.
As Cypher says you need to check her cage to see if there is anything at all that she could be catching her head in or on? Anythinng with entrance holes that might be a bit small? But with it being both sides and near the ears it does suggest scratching.
Sounds like it's a stressful time for you too as moving is a massive upheaval and very stressful. If funds will allow you could also give her a few supplements with her food that will help her immune system fight infection and help give her the right vitamins etc. A few hemp seeds in a little dish each day and also some linseeds. And half a brazil nut (out of it's shell) once a week. So if you can stretch to a little packet of each of those (supermarkets sell little packs of brazil nuts usually - linseeds and hemp seeds are usually at health food shops - for humans!).
I usually cut the brazil nut in half and eat one half - to make sure it isn't one that tastes bad as they taste horrible! Then give the other half to the hamster.
While moving also it will be stressful for her too - we moved with an older hamster and he was fine, but best to keep them out of the way of all the upheaval. So leave her cage till last when packing up and moving everything out. Then you can pop her in a pet carrier just before you finally leave, move her cage (maybe in the back of a car?) having bagged up the contents ready to just put straight back in again.
I then had the pet carrier in the car on my knee with a blanket over the top to keep it dark and in the new place put the pet carrier in the quietest room while things are being moved in and unpacked etc. Maybe in a quiet bedroom? Or a room where most of the boxes aren't going.
Thinking about where the cage is going before you move to the new place is good too so you then don't have to move her cage again. Although I did have to move the cage after a week and that did cause a bit of stress.
So if you can set the cage up first when moving in and pop her in it that would be good. Although if that's going to be in a room with a lot of upheaval in then it might be better to set her cage up in the quiet room and then move it later. Give her lots of treats in her cage to keep her occupied and distracted as well.
In you're going to change all the substrate probably best to do it before you move house, then bag it all up and replace it in the cage after the move. Then at least the substrate will still be a bit familiar after the move.
What cage is she in? Do you have a picture of her set up in case we can spot anything that might be causing an issue?
Although she is 2 she looks well and healthy other than the wounds. So she just needs some extra care in her old age. I think the only thing different a vet may do is give antibiotics but hopefully it will heal up with the saline.
If it turns out her nails are a bit long then this is something that is better done by a vet as it needs to be done properly and they can show you how to do it yourself next time. However it is possible to clip them yourself if you know the right way to do it and she is tame enough to hold while doing it, and you are careful not to cut the "quick" or it can be very painful and cause a lot of bleeding. Generally the idea is not to take off any length but just the very tips - a tiny tiny bit off the tip. If you google it there will probably be diagrams to show where the quick is and how much to clip. Just a little pair of nail scissors should do.
I also found this to be a problem when our last hamster got older because even though he had a rough stone in his cage they become less active and their nails don't keep naturally worn down the same as when they're more active.
It does look a bit like a wound from sharp nails scratching.
With the move being such a big stressful thing - she should be fine just kept in a quiet place at both ends and food and water put out for a few days while you get yourself organised.
However a nail clip at the vets shouldn't cost very much and if it needs doing I would recommend getting that done. It could save a lot of problems later.
I answer you all in this note. Thank you a lot for your help!
She got a vague diagnosis since the vet could only find one mite but since this was her best guess due to lack of other fitting explanation. She got prescribed a spot on treatment with 3 applications and the wounds got a lot better after just one treatment but after that it did not get better and a few days before the third treatment it started to get worse again. I forgot that mites originate from the hamster itself, the vet told me the same thing, haha. Her behavior has not changed at all what I have noticed. Just that she now is a bit annoyed at me for cleaning her wounds. I will try to not get her so wet in the future, I have gotten her a bit too wet before since I really wanted it to get it clean and she is not exactly still when I clean her
She always gets a few sunflower seeds and a half yogurt-drop and she is somewhat ok with that
I have not been able to find anything hard edges in her cage, I will try to upload a picture of her detolf in just a few minutes. My thought with taking away the wood houses is to remove the possible hiding spots for possible parasites or if it is something else in them that might irritate her. The vet said that her skin overall is a bit red so changing out “everything” is just a precaution to eliminate anything that might irritate her. Eg if she has an allergy (I know it is really a stretch, but I want to be sure to eliminate all possibilities) and I will try to fo it gradually, first change the substrate and then the toys and leave the nest, as suggested . To find a good type is going to be a bit hard but I plan doing it similar as Erins animals are doing it, using paper-based pellets and then make my own paper stripes. I can get a hold on care-fresh online that does not cost more than normal bedding but it always takes a few weeks for it to get to my place and I want to make some changes at least before moving. If I get a hold of carefresh I'm planning to make a mix at the next cleanout, not changing everything to quick.
Diet is a really hard subject for this hamster since she refuses to eat fresh food. I’m just happy if she eats at all to be honest…. It does not matter if I wait and add just vegetables or trying different vegetables, she straight up refuses and it just goes bad. At the moment she gets versele-laga crispy muesli and also versele-laga complete pellets since this is what I have found that she accepts, even if it takes a long time before she goes for the pellets. Once a week she gets a peanut (rarely eats) and a chickpea (always find at least one or two when cleaning her nest). I have tried giving her eggs but she was really unimpressed. I will see if I can get a hand on Hemp seeds and linsseeds
I have actually forgotten about her nails for a moment, I have been a bit worried about them but I asked the vet and she said that they are a tiny bit too long but not so long that it might cause a problem. Since she is not motivated by food it is really hard to keep them short. I saw a tip to add just a little bit of sandpaper to a pipe or the wheel and next time I am in the city I will try to find a super fine sandpaper and try it out. I took out her rock a few days ago to clean it and has not added it yet. I do not believe that they are so long that the vet would cut them since they have not become longer since the last time we were there. I am somewhat used to cutting animals claws after I had a special needs cat, but it is really hard and can so easily go wrong so if I see that they really get too long I will take her to the vet. I will hopefully start working next year and if she is still so healthy I will take her then if needed.
She is a little angel, really sweet and patient. She has also starting to look younger since I got her a year ago so even if she is getting older she is healthier now.
When moving I plan to move her to her old fernplast cage (the middle size). Keeping all bedding etc. and keep her there for a week or so before moving. Moving all my animals the last thing I do. Mostly since I only have an hour to move everything and she lives in a detolf that will need to be packaged properly to avoid breaking. It is only a 15 min trip with the car so for that short time I will have her in her small traveling cage and then just put her in her fernplast cage when we arrive. Since she slept the last time she went traveling, on a noisy bus, I hope it will not be too stressful for her. But I will take your advice putting her in a quiet place in the new apartment (even if it will be a challenge).
Yes moving with a detolf sounds a challenge! If you're planning to move her to the Ferpast cage before the move then maybe do the substrate change then - you'll need less! I believe rat rations ship to sweden but don't know what the postage costs are. They sell Finacard (shredded cardboard) bedding which is ok, and they also sell the Oxbow pure comfort bedding which is paper. I tried that one and it's ok. Mixing the two would work out cheaper as you can buy Finacard in bulk sizes. It might be worth a look but no idea what the postage costs would be.
It's a tricky one. Stress can cause mites to occur as well and changing a lot in her cage would be stressful.
Maybe just move her to the Ferplast cage now with all new paper bedding and a new cardboard house (shoe box?) but keep her other familiar toys in with her. That would get the change out of the way before the move and also solve the mites issue - in that case don't keep the nest and hoard. It would be a full clean and move to the smaller cage. She should have chance to adjust and settle before the move then. I did find an older hamster accepts a cage clean better than a younger one as long as they like the new set up and get lots of treats.
Yes moving with a detolf sounds a challenge! If you're planning to move her to the Ferpast cage before the move then maybe do the substrate change then - you'll need less! I believe rat rations ship to sweden but don't know what the postage costs are. They sell Finacard (shredded cardboard) bedding which is ok, and they also sell the Oxbow pure comfort bedding which is paper. I tried that one and it's ok. Mixing the two would work out cheaper as you can buy Finacard in bulk sizes. It might be worth a look but no idea what the postage costs would be.
It's a tricky one. Stress can cause mites to occur as well and changing a lot in her cage would be stressful.
Maybe just move her to the Ferplast cage now with all new paper bedding and a new cardboard house (shoebox?) but keep her other familiar toys in with her. That would get the change out of the way before the move and also solve the mites issue - in that case, don't keep the nest and hoard. It would be a full clean and move to the smaller cage. She should have a chance to adjust and settle before the move then. I did find an older hamster accepts a cage clean better than a younger one as long as they like the new set up and get lots of treats.
I'm sorry for not updating you but I moved her into her new cage today. I kept all her toys in the new cage (except her borrowing box)
I absolutely love the bedding I bought, little and bigger papperloo, it was incredibly cheap and much softer and smaller pellets then I was expecting. I have filled the rest with ripped tissue paper and it was really nice watching a movie and just ripping them apart. I will probably keep this type of bedding for my future hamsters (and some carefresh or similar in a burrow box). A few days ago I cut some of her claws, she had one or two that was a bit long and tried to smooth them down with a bit of sandpaper, it was not optimum but they felt less sharp afterward.
She is a bit annoyed or really excited since she has just run around the last couple of hours. The bad news is that she looks so much worse today. I just cleaned her wound, once again getting her too wet in my attempt to get away the puss/crust, and it looks enormous. The wound in itself does not get bigger (I think) but the crust or whatever it looks so bad, it is getting really dark and a bit yellow. She really hates me touching it and squeaked every time I tried so I do really think she avoids scratching it since it would hurt.
I will try to get better at cleaning the wound, right now I do it twice a weak and not as often as the vet recommended. It is just painful to see her in pain so I hate doing it, but I will do better in the future
I add pictures of her new cage and of her wound
She did not get better after all....
So she doesn't feel too upset - they pick up your tone of voice.
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