Hamster Central - View Single Post - Hamster with Cushing's came down with a cold and isn't recovering

Pebbles82 · 02-17-2019, 12:35 PM

So pleased it was more positive at the vets xxx Metacam - my vet was adamant it couldn't be given with Cushings. I almost begged saying surely it will give some pain relief and she said no it will make the disease worse. Vets vary - some don't even know it's contraindicated in Cushings. I was upset more that there was no alternative to Metacam. But if your hammy seems improved and acting fairly normally and isn't sitting hunched (a sign of pain) then maybe he doesn't need it.

The other issue with this is - diagnosing Cushings. The only way to have a categoric diagnosis is via a blood test and most vets won't do the blood test - in the Uk anyway - it seems to need a very specialised or experienced vet as it is so difficult to get blood from a hamster.

There are many misdiagnoses of Cushings without a categoric test - based on hair less, swollen belly etc. And those can also be symptoms of old age and general deterioration. It is apparently not that common for hamsters to actually get Cushings.

When they do have it the hair loss is usually a quite distinct sort of pattern - eg a large patch on one flank first. It can grow back again but they still have the disease. In later stages of Cushings hamsters get very nasty sores that won't heal up.

So if your hammy doesn't have much fur loss (other than general thinning) and no sores then maybe it isn't Cushings. Unless you had a blood test to have it diagnosed?

02-17-2019, 12:35 PM
Pebbles82 Hamster Antics Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 23,533	Re: Hamster with Cushing's came down with a cold and isn't recovering So pleased it was more positive at the vets xxx Metacam - my vet was adamant it couldn't be given with Cushings. I almost begged saying surely it will give some pain relief and she said no it will make the disease worse. Vets vary - some don't even know it's contraindicated in Cushings. I was upset more that there was no alternative to Metacam. But if your hammy seems improved and acting fairly normally and isn't sitting hunched (a sign of pain) then maybe he doesn't need it. The other issue with this is - diagnosing Cushings. The only way to have a categoric diagnosis is via a blood test and most vets won't do the blood test - in the Uk anyway - it seems to need a very specialised or experienced vet as it is so difficult to get blood from a hamster. There are many misdiagnoses of Cushings without a categoric test - based on hair less, swollen belly etc. And those can also be symptoms of old age and general deterioration. It is apparently not that common for hamsters to actually get Cushings. When they do have it the hair loss is usually a quite distinct sort of pattern - eg a large patch on one flank first. It can grow back again but they still have the disease. In later stages of Cushings hamsters get very nasty sores that won't heal up. So if your hammy doesn't have much fur loss (other than general thinning) and no sores then maybe it isn't Cushings. Unless you had a blood test to have it diagnosed?