Hamster swollen

Hamsterbelgium003 · 03-26-2017, 05:26 AM

Hello!
I have 3 hamsters (they live in other rooms)
One of them is a little swollen around her belly, it doesn't hurt if i press it and she does not seem to have any problems except that she is more awake then usual...
I know that i worry to much but I need to know if something is wrong with her.
INFO:
-Saiko is her name
-female
-5 months old
-BIGGG cage (IKEA detolf)
-every week she goes back to a smaller cage (RODYLOUNGE "DUO" CAGE)

PLEASE help me

Thanks!

PS: I'm not sure if you can see it very well but it is quite big...

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cypher · 03-26-2017, 10:39 PM

I said in your other thread that she looks normal but it's never easy to tell from photos or say for sure whether there's a problem or not, if she feels swollen then there may be something wrong & you would need to take her to the vet to get it checked out. To be honest even if we could see swelling it could be caused by quite a few different things & only your vet can give you a correct diagnosis.
The amount of time they're awake can vary from time to time but it could be an indication that she is in some discomfort.

I'm wondering why you change her cage? If she's happy in the detolf then I would just leave her in there & not swap things around as that can be stressful for them.

Hamsterbelgium003 · 03-27-2017, 11:01 AM

First of all thanks for answering here!

I don't change her cage a lot since she has 2 of them so everything will be back in place when she goes back to her cage

And it's because I have 2 houses... and not enough space to have a detolf in both of them... Do you think this harms my hamster?? And can you give me some tips to make this changing of house every week less stressful ? I already put all of her hords back after cleaning and I don't clan the toys and the bedding at the same time.

THANK YOU!

alpacassei · 03-27-2017, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hamsterbelgium003

First of all thanks for answering here!

I don't change her cage a lot since she has 2 of them so everything will be back in place when she goes back to her cage

And it's because I have 2 houses... and not enough space to have a detolf in both of them... Do you think this harms my hamster?? And can you give me some tips to make this changing of house every week less stressful ? I already put all of her hords back after cleaning and I don't clan the toys and the bedding at the same time.

THANK YOU!

She looks fine to me as well but it might be a good idea to take her to the vets just in case. It could just be the stress of moving so much that's making her sick though

Honestly, you should stop swapping the cages around, it's really stressful and unfair on the hamster, especially since the other cage is so small (it's less than half the recommended minimum cage size of 80 x 50 or 70 x 40 for dwarfs).

Hamsterbelgium003 · 03-27-2017, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alpacassei

She looks fine to me as well but it might be a good idea to take her to the vets just in case. It could just be the stress of moving so much that's making her sick though

Honestly, you should stop swapping the cages around, it's really stressful and unfair on the hamster, especially since the other cage is so small (it's less than half the recommended minimum cage size of 80 x 50 or 70 x 40 for dwarfs).

But what do I need to do then ? My parents are divorced so I don't have so much choice

AmityvilleHams · 03-27-2017, 11:45 AM

What you need to do is leave her in one house,rather than constantly causing her stress and moving her back and forth.Or,if you absolutely must,use a bin cage that is around half a square meter in floor space(or a combination,I'll explain that process later)that can be easily transported back and forth.

If it must be done and you have no other choice,the bin setup would be best.It is much more appropriate than a tiny modular cage,and it is quite easy to move.For a single bin you could just remove the water bottle(or bowl),remember where things should be placed,and remove anything breakable and put it in a safe container then set it back up while keeping her in a carrier temporarily.You'll want this to be the only cage though,otherwise it will still be too stressful and will not be healthy or ethical

cypher · 03-27-2017, 11:49 AM

If she's used to moving & doesn't seem stressed by it then I wouldn't worry, it's something only you can judge really.

Hamsterbelgium003 · 03-27-2017, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmityvilleHams

What you need to do is leave her in one house,rather than constantly causing her stress and moving her back and forth.Or,if you absolutely must,use a bin cage that is around half a square meter in floor space(or a combination,I'll explain that process later)that can be easily transported back and forth.

If it must be done and you have no other choice,the bin setup would be best.It is much more appropriate than a tiny modular cage,and it is quite easy to move.For a single bin you could just remove the water bottle(or bowl),remember where things should be placed,and remove anything breakable and put it in a safe container then set it back up while keeping her in a carrier temporarily.You'll want this to be the only cage though,otherwise it will still be too stressful and will not be healthy or ethical

Would it help if I just connected the small cage to another cage? And that I just use some of the same toys out of the Detolf cage? I really want to keep the detolf cage because I did so much to set it up and buy it and stuff...

alpacassei · 03-27-2017, 11:53 AM

You could leave your hamster at the house with the larger cage for the week (I'm assuming one of you parent's will be there to look after her still) or buy a large but easier to carry cage to replace the detolf so you don't have to change her cage each week. Though the smells of you two houses are probably still too stressful for her so leaving her in the other house would be for the best.

Hamsterbelgium003 · 03-27-2017, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cypher

If she's used to moving & doesn't seem stressed by it then I wouldn't worry, it's something only you can judge really.

She seems to like it I think she loves both of her cages and never chews the bars of the small one so I don't think she minds it but I do live like 20 minutes away from the one house to the other one and during that time she is very sleepy and sleeps almost the whole time...

THANKS!