Unsure if my hamster is well or not

[Ryan tan]

Just recently I noticed a slightly reddish area around my hamsters anus. There's no hair around it so I'm wondering if maybe he's just scratching it off and that "area" is just his skin? Anyways I hope someone can help because Im just a beginner and I don't really know what's happening. Also another concern is that I've been reading things online about wet tail and I belive some of the symptoms might match my hamster. Is there anyways I can monitor it to ensure that it's not wet tail?

[Pebbles82]

Does your hamster seem unwell at all? Wet tail is a very serious condition and they go downhill very quickly. It has a lot of diarrhoea involved too. Although hamsters can get diarrhoea for other reasons. How long have you had your hamster?

If he seems well in himself then it isn't likely to be wet tail. But a vet visit might be an idea to get him checked over. Male hamsters do have their testicles pop out of the sack at the back sometimes, and they can appear red and bald. It usually happens when they are warm or relaxed. First time I saw it I thought our hamster had a tumour!

[Ryan tan]

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

Does your hamster seem unwell at all? Wet tail is a very serious condition and they go downhill very quickly. It has a lot of diarrhoea involved too. Although hamsters can get diarrhoea for other reasons. How long have you had your hamster?

If he seems well in himself then it isn't likely to be wet tail. But a vet visit might be an idea to get him checked over. Male hamsters do have their testicles pop out of the sack at the back sometimes, and they can appear red and bald. It usually happens when they are warm or relaxed. First time I saw it I thought our hamster had a tumour!

I'm not actually sure of the exact date as my parents Brought the hamster home one day for my little brother but I would say certainly less than a year. Probably about 2 to 4 months ago? I have not seen my hamster having diarrhea or any signs of it. According to some websites I've been to that were about wet tail symptoms there was one which said "sleeping a lot" and "aggression such as biting thier owner". However he didn't fit all the symptoms listed on the website. Of course I know I can't just trust any random website, which is why I came here, so that I can get more than view and can sorta tell if a person is reliable by checking thier account. By the way when I picked him up he sorta flipped over and I saw that around his anus there was this sort of yellowish areas. Is that just his pee? If it is does that mean I should give him a shower? The reason why I'm so worried is because I really do love him and I don't want anything to happen to him.

[Pebbles82]

If he seems well in himself, bright eyed and moving easily, then sleeping a lot isn't unusual. Their behaviour is very often something in their environment that isn't right and they can get lethargy or cage depression if their cage isn't right for them.

Many people end up being sold a cage that is too small or just not right for a Syrian hamster. Legally they can sell anything and call it a hamster cage as there is no legal designation as to what is suitable.

Most animal welfare charities reckon an 80cm by 50cm cage is about the smallest size you would want to put a Syrian hamster in. It also needs to be tall enough to fit at least an 8" diameter wheel (but not too tall or they can climb, fall and injure themselves). Between 38cm and 45cm height is about right.

And it needs a base deep enough to hold enough bedding (at least 3 to 4") so they can do normal behaviours like digging and burying their hoards, usually under their nest.

On the other hand biting can also mean they are in pain, so it's difficult to know. Has he only just begun sleeping a lot and looking red at the back end or has this been going on for a while.

If you have a photo of your hammy and his cage, we might be able to suggest something.

But generally, to give him enough enrichment in his cage, you want plenty of substrate in there. Although it uses more, having it deeper, it lasts longer, because weekly clean outs aren't necessary (or advised) and they can stress the hamster a lot.

And he needs somewhere dark to retreat to - a house or hide that is big enough to build a biggish cosy nest and is dark inside. They feel secure if they have somewhere dark to go in the cage.

They do need a wheel to run in and most cages only come with a tiny 5" or 6" wheel which is too small for Syrian hamsters - only suitable for dwarf hamsters. It can cause them back pain and then they stop using it. So a wheel that is 8" to 12" diameter is needed. Most people opt for an 11" wheel but 8" would be the minimum really.

These are all things that allow them to do normal hamstery things. "Enrichment" is the key word - so variety in their cage, tunnels and hideouts - places to go and things to do! (Cardboard is fine for tunnels and old tissue boxes can make a hide with a hole cut out). They also like to forage for nesting material and food. So scattering a bit of their food as well as putting it in the bowl can spark some interest.

If everything is cleaned out and the nest and hoard thrown away weekly (which pet shops sometimes advise) this will cause stress to the hammy. Their nest and hoard are their most precious things, and if they are not pee'd in they can be left alone for quite a long time - they tend to refurbish it themselves if you keep putting nesting material out, and keep it tidy. (Torn up strips of plain white toilet paper are good for nesting - a pile in the cage, but not in their house, and they can forage for them).

It may just be that he is suffering cage stress, but some photos would help.

Is he eating and drinking ok?

It's great that you have come on here to try and get help for your hammy because there are some experienced owners and breeders on here who can help

[Ryan tan]

How do I add a photo to here? Also I do not belive he is a Syrian. Sorry for not mentioning that at the start but I belive he is a dwarf hamster however I could be wrong so I will send a photo here if your willing to check it out

Also right now my hamster only has a wheel, food bowl and a place for him to sleep in so I'm thinking whether he needs one of those sand pit thing and a place for him to do his business maybe?

[Pebbles82]

Oh sorry - not sure why I assumed he was a syrian . They still need a reasonable sized cage and a wheel that is at least 6" in diameter. They can be quite shy sometimes.

To add a photo - if it's on a pc, it's easy to re-size using paint in windows. You just upload the photo in paint and click on resize and select pixels then change the number at the top to 650, then "save as" and your photo will be saved at a size that can be uploaded on here.

To upload on here, click on "GoAdvanced" at the bottom of this (your) message box. Scroll down to "Manage Attachements" and click on that. A new window will open Click on browse and select your photo from your pc. Then click on upload. It will tell you when it's finished uploading. You can upload up to 5 photos this way. When you've finished, just close the window.

Then go to the top of this message box and click on the paperclip. And select "insert all" (you need to make sure your cursor is at the end of you r message before doing insert all).

Some text will appear in your message. Then click "Submit reply" at the bottom of the message box and your photos will appear in your post.

If you're using a phone or tablet rather than PC there are various apps that will resize your photo.

[Ryan tan]

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

Oh sorry - not sure why I assumed he was a syrian . They still need a reasonable sized cage and a wheel that is at least 6" in diameter. They can be quite shy sometimes.

To add a photo - if it's on a pc, it's easy to re-size using paint in windows. You just upload the photo in paint and click on resize and select pixels then change the number at the top to 650, then "save as" and your photo will be saved at a size that can be uploaded on here.

To upload on here, click on "GoAdvanced" at the bottom of this (your) message box. Scroll down to "Manage Attachements" and click on that. A new window will open Click on browse and select your photo from your pc. Then click on upload. It will tell you when it's finished uploading. You can upload up to 5 photos this way. When you've finished, just close the window.

Then go to the top of this message box and click on the paperclip. And select "insert all" (you need to make sure your cursor is at the end of you r message before doing insert all).

Some text will appear in your message. Then click "Submit reply" at the bottom of the message box and your photos will appear in your post.

If you're using a phone or tablet rather than PC there are various apps that will resize your photo.

I'm so sorry that it's so small... Apparently the height has to be 280 pixels....

[Pebbles82]

Ooh the photos are a bit small! I would ignore the 280 pixel height, and just shrink your original photos about a quarter of the file size they are now. If they're less than 120kb in file size they should upload fine

I can't see a lot from the photos I'm afraid.

Ooh - I just clicked on them and they went a bit bigger so got a good look. Your hammy looks asleep in the corner. Is he like that a lot? Out in the open I mean? Rather than asleep in a house.

The cage does look very small so not a lot for him to do in there. I think the main thing at the moment is to have a health check done by a vet as I noticed you mention scratching a lot elsewhere. Although as Shannon says, they can do that a lot normally anyway as they're always grooming. I wouldn't worry about it unless he scratches so much he creates sores.

Looking at the cage picture again, there are a few things you could do to make his life more hamstery and give him some enrichment, which might help him perk up a bit.

The substrate seems to be a cat pellet type which will be quite hard, and it isn't very deep so he can't do any digging or burying things. They actually like to dig tunnels if it's deep enough!

You would be better getting a paper based substrate that is softer and you can have it a bit deeper. I think that would make him happy. Kaytee Clean and Cosy is a popular one. Carefresh might be easier to get hold of locally. Whichever it is, make sure it's not a scented verysion. Longer term you can buy Fitch in bulk which works out cheaper, if you can buy online.

Also a few more hidey places in there would probably make him happy. I can see a little ceramic house, but that won't give a lot of room for moving about,

You can make an additional house out of a cardboard box - eg a tissue box - which would be slightly bigger and allow him to have a cosy nest and bury his hoards under his nest. So you'd cut the base out of the box and a hole in one side for a door and sit the open base on top of the softer, deeper substrate, so he can burrow down inside.

To be honest I don't think he'll be very happy with the current set up as he doesn't have a lot of room to run around or places to go. And he won't be able to have normal hamstery behaviours.

For now you could just tear up a load of plain white toilet paper into strips and put plenty of that on top of the current substrate - it'll be nicer for him and he may pouch some to build a nest.

I guess with a little cage like that, and not much substrate, you've been needing to clean him out a lot and so he'll be even more unhappy about that. Because it removes all their familiar scent.

They need to be allowed to have a hoard. So if the hoard has to be removed, then replace it with new food, where you found the hoard. It is difficult for them to have a hoard if the substrate isn't deep enough.

Cage: He really needs a bigger cage. It doesn't have to be enormous or cost a lot.

Something like the Alaska cage on Zooplus is a good size and comes with a platform and a ladder as well. It has a good deep base for lots of substrate. Basically the more substrate you put in, in a larger cage, the less you use in the long run because you can spot clean mainly.

https://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small...r_cages/284288

This one is also a good option, but it costs a bit more and only has top opening. Whereas the Alaska has a nice big front door which makes it easier for interacting.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Frie...gateway&sr=8-1

Or a cheap option, if you don't mind a bit of diy - is to make a bin cage out of a plastic storage bin. The Ikea Samla 78cm bin is cheap and is a good size. It means cutting holes out of the side panels and lid and attaching mesh for ventilation. Although to be honest, by the time you've bought all the bits and pieces to do the job, the Alaska cage can work out as cheap.

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/...-art-90102971/

Here are some examples of bin cages

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ha...w=1252&bih=554

If you have a Pets at home nearby, they make a cage that is a good size for a dwarf hamster - not too big, not too small. But it costs more money than the Alaska cage (which has free delivery). It's described as extra larger, but isn't big enough for a Syrian hamster (and it is sold for that purpose). It's a good size for a dwarf hamster.

It also comes with a shelf and a ladder and has a good deep base to fill with substrate. The little plastic house is pretty useless though.

https://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/p...me-extra-large

Just to let you know I have had exactly the same thing, with our last hamster. I got a cage that seemed ok but was far too small. Our hamster got lethargic and depressed and then aggressive and a kind of cage rage. I googled a bit and found this forum and got him an 80cm x 50cm cage (he was a Syrian). You wouldn't believe the change in his behaviour - he had a great time in that cage and was almost smiling.

With a bit more space in the cage you can add a lot of "enrichment" to keep them stimulated. Lots of cardboard tubes for tunnels and little hidey places. A shelf or platform is important too - it's somewhere to go that they can sit on, and they can also sit under it to feel secure.

By the way your hamster won't have wet tail. It is why I thought you had a Syrian hamster, because only Syrians get wet tail.

This is another cage that is popular for dwarf hamsters. It's a perspex tank style. Again not too big, not too small. And a good deep base for substrate. There isn't a shelf in it though so some kind of platform could be made or a large house used as a platform.

https://www.portonaquapet.co.uk/shop...a-Multy-M36261

It makes sense really. They don't have much of a life in a very small cage and can just sit, eat and sleep. With more space they can go places and do things, and dig tunnels and have favourite places to sit.

[Ria P]

Does your hamster have a nest to sleep in? I can't see any bedding material to build one or enough substrate to dig himself into but the pictures are small so i may have missed these hamster essentials. The way he looks to me is like the equivalent to a human sleeping on the floor without a duvet.

[Pebbles82]

I know it's not good news! Cages cost money. You can often get good second hand Hamster Heaven cages on ebay or Gumtree.