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Old 02-02-2020, 04:38 PM   #1
maxhanckel
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Default Hydrocephalic Hamster

hello!
I just adopted a special needs hamster. I’m in love already!

I need to know a bit more about care for hydrocephalic hamsters, as I’m not actually finding many links online. things like bedding, diet, life expectancy, etc. if you have time, start from the beginning... I want to learn as much as possible!

my current setup:
I currently have aspen bedding topped with Oxbow paper bedding, plus a small amount of sand for a sand bath. I was reading some people just use fleece out of concern for their hydro ham having an increased risk of respiratory and eye issues. should I eliminate these substrates or is this okay?

for food, I put her pellets in a blender. she seems like she can chew a little bit, maybe. I saw her with a seed in her mouth but I couldn’t tell if she ate it, pouched it, or just dropped it back in the bowl. the rescue said to feed moistened lab blocks with baby food or scrambled egg at night, and leave the dry crushed pellets available at all times. I don’t mind feeding wet and replacing twice a day if that’s better.
she will also need her teeth trimmed every couple months because of the way they grow (and the abnormal shape of her head affects the teeth) so I can’t and don’t need to count on her chewing to keep teeth trimmed. at this point, I don’t know if chewing is painful or uncomfortable or not.

and how long can I expect her to live if she is hydrocephalic?

she also tends to squeak and snore when she sleeps, sometimes when she’s just sniffing around. only on the exhale - not wheezing. my last normal hamsters have done that too, but I understand I should be extra careful and listen for wheezing.

what else should I know?

I’m also waiting to be accepted into Facebook group for hydrocephalic hamsters.

thank you!
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Old 02-03-2020, 01:04 AM   #2
Ithuviel
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Default Re: Hydrocephalic Hamster

I would also like to know more. I'm sorry i can't help, I'm a new owner myself. I'm glad you are doing everything you can.
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Old 02-06-2020, 05:36 PM   #3
maxhanckel
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Default Re: Hydrocephalic Hamster

Do you have a hydrocephalic hamster too?
I’d love to know what to you're doing that’s different from normal hamster care!
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Old 02-11-2020, 02:37 PM   #4
Engel
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Default Re: Hydrocephalic Hamster

Right I'll try my best and hopefully it makes sense and isn't too heart breaking for you.

Hydrocephalus is water on the brain giving the head a dome shape. This can shorten the snout and makes the eyes bulge. There's another condition called brachycephalic were the snout is shorter but doesn't have hydrocephalus. A bulldog is an example of an animal thats brachycephalic.

Now before we go any further, thank you for taking on a special needs animal. They deserve a life too.

Hydrocephalus in hamsters can cause brittle teeth so regular checkups are advised. As they have bulging eyes they're more prone to poking them so no sharp edges. Many are at higher risk of respitory issues because of the shorter snout. In theory paper should be ok, but if severe fleece is the only option. You may notice your ham may not be as big as a hamster without hydrocephalus. Because of the pressure on the brain, seizures are not uncommon and unfortunately life span is shorter. I can not give you exact age as it's on individual cases but it's not uncommon for them to die young.

Can we have a pic of her?

Last edited by Engel; 02-11-2020 at 04:40 PM.
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Old 02-11-2020, 04:25 PM   #5
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Default Re: Hydrocephalic Hamster

Very interesting the description you gave about hydrocephalic hamsters Engel, I was not aware of this condition before?
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Old 02-11-2020, 04:40 PM   #6
Engel
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Default Re: Hydrocephalic Hamster

Quote:
Originally Posted by Josie View Post
Very interesting the description you gave about hydrocephalic hamsters Engel, I was not aware of this condition before?
It's not species specific. Humans can have it too, so can dogs and cats. It's something that is rare amongst hamsters. Most of it is genetic and some generally breed them that way for the look. Many have a shortened lifespan I suspect from complications due to hydrocephalus.

By the way im no expert. Wanted to be a vet since I was 4 and literally read into everything hence how I know about it
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Old 02-11-2020, 09:13 PM   #7
maxhanckel
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Default Re: Hydrocephalic Hamster

Thanks for the information, Engel!

Here are a couple pictures of her. She has already been to the vet for tooth trimmings (when the rescue got her, her teeth were overgrown and hurting her) and I know I'll need to take her to the vet's regularly for tooth trims and general checkups.

I'm trying to get her to chew things on her own, and a little stale bread got her interested enough to try. She's also letting me pet her now, as long as there is promise of baby food!
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Old 02-12-2020, 05:14 AM   #8
LunaTheHamster1
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Default Re: Hydrocephalic Hamster

Maxhanckel she is very cute.
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Old 02-12-2020, 03:44 PM   #9
Engel
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Default Re: Hydrocephalic Hamster

Aww bless her. Her eyes don't seem to bulge out too much on the photos but she's definitely got the trademark dome head hasn't she. Be careful with bread as it swells a lot, even in the throat

Their teeth can be brittle so I'm unsure about chewing as a tooth might break but at the same time she'll be going for regular checkups anyway. In the ideal situation you'd want her to lead as much as a normal life as possible.
She may associate chewing with pain if her teeth were that bad so may be reluctant to try and food is a way to any animals heart
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