stressed out new hamster grandma

[Fluffy1]

first post and a stressed out new hamster grandma
my daughter got a syrian hamster dec 26/19

His name is mr fluffy he was about 3 months old when we got him

my daughter had him for less than a month but he got sick and had to go to the vet.

eye infection and an abscess he did by scratching his nose

his abscess is starting to look better and didn't burst like the vet thought but its still there , is there anyway to help it heal. he is on antibiotics and anti inflammatory. other than that he is fine eating, drinking, peeing and pooping . is there anything else i can do? my daughter is heart broken and we have already spent almost 200$ at the vet my friends think i'm crazy

just a little stressed and hoping someone can help or has advice

[Maker]

Hiya, if mr fluffy is still on antibiotics then it will continue to heal, hopefully with time and a small amount of fresh veggies (there is a list of suitable on this site) he will keep getting better. My Polo likes, broccoli, sweetcorn, beansprouts, and leafy greens. Hope he gets better soon. And regardless of what your friends think, i think you are a fab grandma taking mr fluffy to the vets those same friends probably wouldn't have batted an eyelid if it had been a dog.

[Vierville]

Good on you for taking such good care of this hamster!

I can only agree that feeding fresh veggies and following the vet's instructions are the best course of action.

They LOVE broccoli and it is full of vitamins so try giving him a little bit each evening.

Best of luck!

[LunaTheHamster1]

Just wanted to add you are not crazy - your hamster is a living creature and deserves to be looked after. You are awesome for doing what you are doing, you are being a responsible, caring hamster owner. I spent a couple of hundred £'s on one of my hamsters last year, so you are not alone.

[Vierville]

Originally Posted by LunaTheHamster1

Just wanted to add you are not crazy - your hamster is a living creature and deserves to be looked after. You are awesome for doing what you are doing, you are being a responsible, caring hamster owner. I spent a couple of hundred £'s on one of my hamsters last year, so you are not alone.

I completely agree with what LunaTheHamster1 said. I, too have a hamster who has had a long illness and have spent a lot of money and huge amounts of time trying to treat him so I know how it is. We are their guardians and it is our duty to look after them. They cannot get help by themselves.

Good for you for being a responsible owner.

[Fluffy1]

thank you everyone.
we had a follow up today and he extended his antibiotic , he still thinks that the abcess will burst so were waiting

our poor guy has lost a bit of weight, i guess he is taking his food to his house or something and not eating it

the vet told me to let him eat whatever he wants lol extra treats and such . what is the best to feed him to help him gain weght back? he does like califlower, broccoli and i gave him a bit of carrot i know that he can't have much. someone mentioned greens what type?

he is such a sweet guy , even the vet says he is super nice , so i will do whatever i can to help him get/feel better .

thank you again everyone

[Vierville]

Interestingly, my hamster presented initially with an eye infection and was given eye drops which didn't do anything.

On getting a second opinion, an abscess was found on the roof of his mouth which was causing the underlying eye infection.

It might be worth checking that out if his eye is still looking infected after the antibiotics.

[Ria P]

My Syrian loves a bit of hard boiled or scrambled egg which is quite nourishing. A bit of plain porridge is good too. Greens like kale and spinach are healthy and a fresh basil leaf. A bit of green bean and baby sweetcorn is liked. Syrians can have carrot and small amounts of fruit (not citrus) like a small piece of apple, pear, banana etc. The dwarves are prone to diabetes and can't have sugary foods but the Syrians are alright with it in moderation. You can also try a bit of babyfood, the ones without onions. He may like that. I give my hamsters brown linseeds daily and nuts are good too.
I'd try out different foods to see what he likes.

He sounds a lovely hamster and you are doing all you can for him. Let's hope he'll make a full recovery from his illness very soon.

[cypher]

Baby food, as Ria said the ones without onions or leeks ( I find the ones for under 4 months tend to be best & not have any unsafe things in them) porridge is good too for building them up if they're unwell & haven't been eating. He may prefer soft foods for a while or find them easier to eat but you could also try some pieces of nut, walnuts are a favourite hear but you could try others too & see what he likes most.
Egg, plain cooked chicken & even a tiny piece of cheese, mine all love tofu too.
Most greens are fine, spinach. Kale, chard, salad leaves except iceburg lettuce are all good.

[Fluffy1]

thank you for the food recommendations

i picked up kale last night , and he also had banana and he seems to like it. he is not a fan of apples . i also got a treat mix with nuts and fruit to try to get some fat on him. it kills my daughter because she hate over feeding treats lol

his abscess still has not broken but its a bit red in 1 spot so maybe next few days . i have been making sure he is eating and not just hiding food in his house . he is also starting to get smart when it comes to his meds , super cute but a pain when he is pushing it away with his little feet

ill get him some baby food tomorrow , never even thought of that . i can make some eggs that he can share with with my daughter

were making sure he is eating good and drinking and pooping and hoping we can get this little guy healthy asap

thank you for the well wishes. if i remember tomorrow ill take a picture of our cutie mr fluffy and make sure its his good side