Orange substance

TsukiCatHammy · 02-02-2019, 05:47 AM

Hi, im really worried. On my way out i noticed what looked like blood on tissue near Hojis food bowl. I checled it and was convinced it was blood. Its like a dark orange but then it fades a littlr toward the edges. Then i noticed another bit but more orange next to it on another peice of tissue.

Then i noticed a biylt more where hes sleeping. I frealed out n tried seeing if hed get up to cjeck him amd i noticed his top teeth were an Orange also but im not sure if thats normal.

He had an apple slice, corgeute a cucumber and a piece of salad for supper and besides that nothing else but his hamster food.

Please advice i dont know what to make of this and darent leave him...

cypher · 02-02-2019, 09:05 AM

It could be blood in pee which often looks like diluted blood, if it is that then it may be a UTI which would need to be treated by your vet.
The teeth should be a kind of dark yellow not white like ours so that's normal.

TsukiCatHammy · 02-02-2019, 09:16 AM

Hi, i had thought thay but i doubt it would be pee. It was on his plagform and his hide but only ittle bits. He normally pees in the corner where he has sand... It could be tho... How would i tell? Ta

cypher · 02-02-2019, 09:25 AM

You could try putting some tissue in the sand & see if that picks up any of the orange stuff, not sure what else it would be as it doesn't sound like anything in the cage or food related.

TsukiCatHammy · 02-02-2019, 12:16 PM

I found a bit of food that did look bloody... Im thinking he has cut his gum now... I will try the tissue idea tho thanks.

Just going to have to keep an eye

cypher · 02-02-2019, 11:38 PM

If he has cut his mouth somehow you need to have a really good look around the cage to make sure there's nothing sharp he's been chewing, no plastic that's been chewed, does he chew the bars?

Pebbles82 · 02-03-2019, 04:32 AM

Also check that his bottom teeth haven't got too long, as they can puncture the roof of the mouth if they have.

It sounds like it isn't food related although it did sound like a lot of fruit and veg for one evening, which can upset their stomachs or cause diarrhoea if too much in one go.

Just thinking orange sounded more like watery poo or urine. Diluted blood tends to be pinky or brown if dried.

I once thought our hamster had had awful diarrhoea in his wheel after finding brown sludge in it - it turned out to be food he had put in there and then pee'd in his wheel while running in it - centrigual pee sludge!

Pebbles82 · 02-03-2019, 04:37 AM

When he yawns have a look at his bottom teeth. They are supposed to be long, but not too long. They grow constantly, which is why they need chew sticks,wood and other hard things to chew on to keep their teeth trim and why they need a hard hamster food mix. Sorry if you already knew that bit.

Here's a picture of what the teeth should look like and they shouldn't be any longer than that. Assume it's for a Syrian?

http://www.petwebsite.com/hamsters/h...h_problems.asp

However that article mentions clipping their teeth and that isn't recommended unless done by a vet.

TsukiCatHammy · 02-03-2019, 12:44 PM

Hi all, yes he is a bar chewer, hes been spending more time on his wheel lately now ive finally found one he likes but he does chew them.

@Serendipity7000 Hi, yeah I did know that about their teeth however I never new the rough ideal length, looking at the picture id say its about the same length as Hoji, so I will generally keep an eye on that thanks

I had someone look at the tissue and they said they wouldnt have thought blood because it did look more orange, however today he seems ok, not really been up, but he was out his usual in everything self last night.

I am thinking that one of those cylindar pellets may have got caught in his gum but am going to clean him out to rule out anything else, that way I can see if anymore "stuff" appears, then its going to be a vet trip if there is anymore.

Thanks for the advice

Pebbles82 · 02-03-2019, 02:49 PM

Yes just keep an eye on things if he seems fine. I wouldn't clean him out too much - if you do everything at once it really stresses them and they start peeing on things to claim their territory afterwards. If you do his substrate, maybe leave the wheel and other items for another week - partial cleans don't stress them so much

Usually best to leave their nest or put it back as well - unless it's pee'd in.

If he's bar chewing then he might need a cage change - or his teeth will get damaged and that can lead to all kinds of issues and vet bills.

Sometimes bar chewing is because the cage isn't big enough - and basically they just want to escape. In a large enough cage they are quite happy staying in it.

But another cause of bar chewing is stress - eg if cleaned out too much. When everything is cleaned it removes all their familiar scent, they feel like they're in a strange place or something has been in their "space" and want to run away and escape.

Another reason for bar chewing is to try and tell you there is something wrong in their cage - ie get your attention. Eg if the wheel is jammed or their water bottle is empty or they can't reach food or water.

But it does sound like he has a bar chewing habit. For now you could try weaving some strips of cardboard in the bars in the area he chews - but he'll probably just move to another area. Don't put things on the bars to deter them because it doesn't work and can make them ill to eat nasty tasting things.

What cage is it?