Hey i'm new

[Popilitta]

Hey everybody i've joined this group as i have a Syrian Hamster who is 2 years 3 months, and is starting to really age and was wondering if anyone had any advise on keeping him comfy (i have had Syrains in the past and would have them for nearly 2 years each time but everytime we had to move and i wasn't allowed to take them with me so gave them to friends or family) also i have a concern as recently he has been sleeping on his back, yesterday he was trying to turn over but was really struggling so i helped him over i'm just wondering if this is normal (maybe a preffered way to sleep at the minute) or if i should be worried?

[Bec]

Hello and welcome to HC.

That's a good age for your Syrian. In terms of him sleeping on his back, that sounds fine to me. Our previous Syrians have slept in some amusing positions. As long as his other behaviour is fine, then I don't think it is cause for concern.

[Popilitta]

Thankyou, i am taking him to vets as with him laying on his back i notice patching on his skin, i hadn't realise how old he was until i was looking through pictures and notice the date on the picture of the day i got him

[cypher]

Hi & welcome to HC

Your ham really is a great age & sounds as though he's doing well, I don't think you need to do anything very different unless he shows more signs of age & struggles to do things more, as long as he can still get around his cage ok & reach everything he needs then he should be fine without changes.
I'm not sure what you could do about him struggling to get up if he's sleeping on his back tbh, maybe make the area where he sleeps a little firmer so he can push against the substrate more easily or possibly put something else in his nest area for him to push against to get up, if that makes sense!

[Popilitta]

Originally Posted by cypher

Hi & welcome to HC

Your ham really is a great age & sounds as though he's doing well, I don't think you need to do anything very different unless he shows more signs of age & struggles to do things more, as long as he can still get around his cage ok & reach everything he needs then he should be fine without changes.
I'm not sure what you could do about him struggling to get up if he's sleeping on his back tbh, maybe make the area where he sleeps a little firmer so he can push against the substrate more easily or possibly put something else in his nest area for him to push against to get up, if that makes sense!

Yeah bless him when i cleaned him out recently i also changed his cage around a little since he isn't getting around as much and have noticed him being a bit unsturdy on his feet and thank you i will try doing that it seems to be on and off when he sleeps on his back.

[Thin Lizzy]

Hello and Welcome to HC. Your ham is doing great for his age. In the past, I've always made ramp type things from those bendy wooden blocks, increased the substrate and bedding. I also made the cage one level.

[Popilitta]

Thank you, i have done most of them as reading through some of the threads someone had mentioned the substrate and bedding helps keep them warm, i don't think i know what the bendy wooden blocks are? Here's a picture of Toffee to introduce him properly (it has a bit of the patching i am worried about)

[pinkneon]

Hi and welcome! Toffee is cute

[cypher]

Aww what a cute photo of your lovely little guy
When you say the patching you're worried about do mean some hair loss? It does look as though he may have some but it's not too easy to tell from the photo. Some hair loss is normal with age so not necessarily something to be concerned about although you can supplement the diet with some evening primrose oil, just a drop, & some extra flax seeds which can help.

I think Lizzy might have meant bendy bridges not blocks?!

[Popilitta]

I took Toffee to the vets this morning and he has had to be put down as he was suffering quite badly, so he's no longer with us but at least he's not suffering anymore.