Drooling hamster?

[Hamster Dragon]

Does anyone have a drooling hamster on the forum.

I have a drooling hamster but I'm not sure why she does it, is it some kind of defence maybe?

What do you say ?

[sarah]

I've never had a hamster that drools - it's quite strange. Does he/ she do it all the time or are there certain occassions (when alert, sleepy or feeding) when he/she does it.



Perhaps you made some yummy home baked seed buns that it could smell :lol:

[SnuggleHam]

Drooling huh? this doesn’t sound right to me. How much does your hamster "drool?" My first thought it that maybe something has cut the inside of her mouth or is lodged in there and the irritation is causing her to salivate. Does she seem to eat normally?



I don't think thats normal, but maybe someone else here has a logical explanation for it. :)

[Emma]

If she's drooling all the time, check her teeth and mouth carefully. She might have overgrown teeth that are digging into her lip or tongue, or a piece of food or something stuck there. Check her water intake carefully and watch her eating - is she actually eating or just playing with her food in her mouth.



I have had the odd hamster who would get wet around the mouth occasionally when they were being handled, but it wasn't constant. It could possibly be excitement/stress.

[Hamster Dragon]

She drools when she wants to go back to her cage but I don't know why she does it instead of just getting very lively :?

[pophammy]

Our Runty used to drool after you'd had him out for a bit. I think it was the excitment of playing on the bed!!!

[babyboos]

Wierd but some hamsters get so excited to be out of their enclosures they forget to swallow :?

A hamster who seems to have drool marks on the side of their mouth a lot and expecially one who likes to bar bite needs its teeth thoroughly checked for uneven wear or overgrowth.

[Skwee]

As far as I can tell with my hoard, they all always drool if they happen to get too hot, not if they are too hot in the cage as such but if I have hot hands and I'm handling them, they start to drool. I think I read elsewhere that it was when they overheat that they start to drool a bit too cool down? I don't know how that works though :?

[babyboos]

Dogs pant to cool down so possibly something similiar?

[Skwee]

yeah, I thought that too!



It didn't half scare me this first few time I saw Hamlet doing it though! thought she was dying!!! :o :oops:



It was someone on PWS that said they drooled when they got hot so I looked out for it and they were right.

[Emma]

Tis possible. I think it's likely to be a combination of excitement, heat, stress etc. It's certainly not uncommon though!



If it was just heat then it wouldn't only be when they were out and about? A more efficient way of cooling would be to groom (wet fur - evaporation) surely?

[Skwee]

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a60/hammyratlet/hamdribble1024x768.jpg



My Hamlet was excitable ;) she ALWAYS drooled when I had her out.

[Emma]

That's EXACTLY how my old Mitzi would get. Excitable little madams!

[Michele4Mouse]

I never heard of hamsters drooling before, except if their teeth were too long. It's good to learn these things. Otherwise if I had seen Skittles drooling, I probably would have freaked out and rushed him to the vet.

I wonder if mice drool too?

[pophammy]

I think there might be something in the cooling thing because Runty would drool when he had been running hand to hand and may have got a bit warm then when he got back in his cage he would dig the sawdust aside and lay flat with his tummy on the cool plastic!

[Emma]

I never heard of hamsters drooling before, except if their teeth were too long. It's good to learn these things. Otherwise if I had seen Skittles drooling, I probably would have freaked out and rushed him to the vet.



It's worth remembering though that it can be a sign of dental problems, so it's always worth checking on teeth and looking out for other symptoms if you notice this, or the drooling is at other times than just during excitement!