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Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

I'd also go with a vet fund and no insurance. I looked into the insurance once as well and decided against it but can't remember why. With Syrian hamsters, they are usually pretty healthy if well cared for and in a good environment. None of mine have needed the vet until they got old. Except for Pickle who needed an op at 21 months (which is getting near old age). Then you get the old age things and possible old age diseases. And usually not much to be done apart from prescribe metacam.

However female syrians may be different - there is the risk of pyometra before old age.

When you mentioned what the insurance covers, it reminded me that vets, like Doctors, can recommend all kinds of expensive procedures if they know you have insurance, and while that may or may not be useful, there's also the aspect of stress for the hamster with too many procedures.

There are very few vets who can properly diagnose or treat Cushings, which, thankfully, isn't that common. They can't take a blood sample - it's a highly skilled thing that most vets don't do. But maybe your vet does.

Whatever you're comfortable with though. If you do go with insurance I would read the small print carefully!

I'll give examples of our hamsters:#

1st Syrian - needed his teeth trimming age 2 then nothing except Metacam in old age. Had to be pts at 2 yrs 8 months.

2nd Syrian - didn't need any vet treatment until old age when he failed then pts due to beginning to swell and suffer. Age 2 years 4 months approx.

1st Robo - developed lumps at 18 months old. Lumps too big an area for surgery. Kept on metacam until he began to suffer then pts at age just under 2 years approx.

3rd Syrian - adopted at a year old, developed a large lump at about 2 years old. On metacam. Died in his sleep age 2 years 4 months approx.

4th Syrian - Developed a scent gland lump at 21 months old. Had surgery costing about £360 in total which included an optional biopsy and meds. At 2 years old developed eye problems and on metacam and antibiotics. Had to be pts due to secondaries behind eye area. Just over 2 years old.

These were all male hamsters. So basically my experience is - they tend to be healthy if well looked after. If they develop lumps or tumours it's usually when older when it's too late to operate or too much body area for surgery for the hamster to survive.

Apart from that £360 bill for Pickle most of my vet fees for hamsters have been a maximum of a couple of consultations and a couple of bottles of meds. Tooth problems can lead to some regular vet bills but not necessarily large ones. But again if well cared for it shouldn't be a problem.

With female hamsters or dwarf hamsters it may be different. Pyometra could be an emergency operation. Thankfully haven't seen many cases of that amongst members on here.

Dwarf hybrid hamsters can get diabetes. Most cases I've heard of have been in old age.

Hamsters don't live that long and once elderly it's unfair to put them through too much.

I'd probably put £300 in an account and add £15 a month.

Edited to add their ages

Thank you for sharing this with me it was very interesting. I am happy to hear with your hamsters they have not had too many health issues.