My hamster has pneumonia. How can I make him comfortable?

[DebiT]

About 11 days ago I took on a Syrian hamster from a friend of a friend who was having personal difficulties so was unable to look after little Freddie. I already have a Syrian so didn't think having another one would be too much trouble! When he first came to me his cage was way too small and he couldn't even fit on his wheel. It looked as if it hadn't been cleaned out for a while either so I put him in a clean, much larger cage with correct size wheel. He hasn't been handled much or been out of his cage so when I got him he loved bombing round the house in an exercise ball. He had so much energy and seemed so much happier in his bigger cage. At first I noticed he made little squeaks and clicking noises which I thought was really sweet. However on Saturday he was squeaking a lot while he was asleep and when he woke up early evening I saw him try to have a drink and looked like he was sort of chocking on it and he looked really uncomfortable. I took him to the emergency vet on Saturday night and she agreed his breathing was laboured and gave him some antibiotics. Last night (Sunday) and today he seemed to be getting a lot worse and was really struggling to eat or drink and is wheezing a lot. I've just took him to a different vet who diagnosed pneumonia :sad: He's given him some anti inflammatory medicine to take along with the antibiotics. Anyway the question is; does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can try to make him feel more comfortable because he's still squeaking and wheezing a lot and it's so upsetting. I've tried to give him some cucumber to keep him hydrated but he hasn't eaten that yet and I've warmed up some milk and added a bit of biscuit for energy. He's managed a bit of this but he's in pain after eating which I think is putting him off. Sorry this has been so long but wanted to put in as much as I could. Hopefully I can get a few suggestions .

[Piebald]

Sorry DebiT that is so sad after such a nice rescue. Many hams like a bit of porridge or if you are from the States something like Quaker Oats made up and a little warm. Baby foods can also be enticing for a sick ham just watch the ingredients. Fingers crossed the meds will kick in and start to make him better. Xx

[BrainGirl]

Agreed on the baby food. If you're not familiar with restrictions for hamsters, you need to read the ingredients to make sure there are no onions or garlic in the ingredients. I've found that foods meant for babies under 6 months of age are less likely to contain those. Chicken or turkey with vegetable have always been hugely popular with my hams ;)

Also make sure the little guy's cage is in a draft-free area, preferably a nice warm room. Or you could perhaps put a hot water bottle at one end of his cage so he can snuggle up there if he needs to.

One other thing, what kind of bedding was he on before and what is he on now? Sometimes a change of bedding can aggravate respiration.

[DebiT]

Thank you for your suggestions. I'll pop out today and try to get him some. He's enjoying some Shreddies (cereal) mashed up in a bit of water and has eaten a bit of cheese too. The bedding I use is called Comfibed. It's the same he had in his cage when I first got him. I'm really hoping the wood shavings I used were not too dusty for him but I bought some back 2 nature for him yesterday which is completely dust free. He has a hot water bottle under his cage (I've reduced his 3 level cage to 1 for now) and I've put a blanket over half of his cage to prevent extra drafts.

[racinghamster]

Hi DebiT. Great that you are now caring for this little man and he will seem uninterested in eating as respiratory problems can put them off food, but always have food in his dish and I can recommend Supreme Science Selective biscuits. This is a biscuit-shaped hamster food and the biscuits can be individually soaked and mashed up for a sick or elderly hamster, ensuring they are eating the nutrients they need. Baby food is okay, but you need to be careful that it doesn`t contain garlic or onion. This is why I mention the science selective food as it`s probably a better option.

The best thing you can do for him right now is allow him peace and quiet, rest and make sure he`s drinking. A small piece of fresh apple might do down better than cucumber as cucumber doesn`t have a sweet taste. Mash up a peanut, a shelled sunflower seed and add these to a mashed up science selective biscuit that has been softened in a few drops of water. This will taste nutty and smell nice. Little and often is the key. Any good pet shop sells science selective packs of food.

Let us know how he is and you can also use this softened food to hide/mask his medication. x

[DebiT]

Thank you racinghamster I will look for some of those biscuits to try for him. His appetite is improving I think and he has a good sleep when he's got a full belly! I've just given him some scrambled egg (made with water) which he enjoyed. I've got him a couple of jars of baby food; no onion, garlic or spices and also some natural yoghurt. I'm offering him food every few hours to keep him hydrated and keep his strength up. Is it likely a hamster fully recovers from pneumonia?

[racinghamster]

If it is pneumonia (viral or bacterial) then a lot will depend on how well the drugs fight it and the hamster having the strength to manage the symptoms. Keeping him hydrated and eating a little is a good thing as not eating can mean they are quite ill, but the signs are usually slow moving, looking tired, not very responsive or active and basically they can start to look thin/weak. The breathing may look slow or fast and audible noises while breathing in and out, but sometimes hamsters do this just because they have dusty bedding and sneeze bit.

The fact that you saw two separate vets is good, but the fight begins now with he antibiotics and getting him half well again to get his appetite going and his strength back. It`s a bit like us when we feel the flu coming on. It`s hellish. You don`t want to eat, feel restless, cold/hot flushes and just want to sleep. Pneumonia can be a silent killer depending on what strain it is, but the vet will have given you what he/she feels is necessary.

If you see improvement over the next few days/week, maybe ring the vets and update them on his health and only take him back if the vet insists on checking his lungs/breathing, or ask for more medication to make sure the respiratory issues have been well and truly eradicated. Sometimes the hamster will seem well after a week but if the therapy is stopped, the symptoms can flare up again, so I would just monitor the symptoms, his activity and overall behaviour over the next 48 hours and take things from there. Offer water from a spoon or a dropper if he`s weak and can`t get to his bottle or dish.

Keep up the good work. x

[DebiT]

I think I have enough anti inflammatory for 10 days but he started the antibiotics a bit earlier. He seems a bit of a fighter bless him and I really hope he pulls through. I feel awful that he developed this a couple of weeks after I had him but I'm doing all I can for him. Thanks again for your advice x

[racinghamster]

It is a shame he took ill like this but it can happen to any hamster. He may have got a bit stressed by the changes made if he was so used to being in cramped conditions and then had a lot of space and excersize. His body system may have got a little charged by it all, but the main thing is to concentrate on his health now and see if he can fight back. Keep us updated on how he is. x

[DebiT]

Hi everyone. Just to let you all know Freddie is still fighting. When he went to the first vet just over a week ago she said he would either get better very quickly or go downhill very quickly. To be honest he's done neither. He did get a bit better and was having a mooch round his cage, making himself another bed! He even ate some of his own food. Since then he's got slightly worse and is a little wobbly on his feet. I'm still spoon feeding him to make sure he's eating and keeping hydrated but shouldn't the antibiotics and anti inflammatory be working by now? :(

[racinghamster]

Hi DebiT. At this stage it might be trial and error really and Freddie feeling fit enough to fight his. If Freddie is an older Syrian his body may not be that of a fitter hamster, but you can`t really do more than you are at the moment. Continue with the medication but at the same time, if you feel it`s a stressful thing for him to be given the medication, perhaps try masking it inside a small amount of food like the supreme science selective biscuits I was telling you about. These are really good for softening, mashing and mixing with chopped nuts. They smell like gravy, which helps!

If you were closer, I would give you some of mine. Maybe say where your location is and there may be someone on the forum near to you who could help with some science selective food? I think Pets At Home sell this food though and possibly smaller independent pet shops, so it would be worth popping in to ask. Would be worth getting anyway if you have another Syrian who may benefit from it later on.

Eating his own food is crucial as it will keep his gut stable. Crush and mash anything up using a pestle & mortar that might be too big for him. This helps. Using a pestle & mortar, or a freezer bag and rolling pin:

Take half a peanut
A shelled sunflower seed
a dry mealworm
a small piece of science selective biscuit, or you could use a small piece of shredded wheat or Weetabix
A half pumpkin seed

Mash these into a powder. Add ONE drop of cold water, or a second drop if the mixture is a bit too dry. Mix together with a spoon and form into a ball. Leave to dry a bit, but the consistency should be dry and not soggy.

This will smell and taste nutty and Freddie should like it. Have a go and leave it near his bed. Watch to see if he emerges and eats it. x

[DebiT]

Freddie has passed :sad::cry: For the last couple of days he's been really unsteady on his feet and he has done nothing but sleep. I knew this morning from the way he was lying and breathing that he didn't have long so I didn't stress him out this morning by giving him any medicine. I know his previous owners bought him in May 2014 and I don't know how old he was when they bought him so he may have been an elderly hamster when I got him. I'm so sorry to have lost him so soon but I think I did everything I could and I hope he enjoyed his short time in a big cage and running around like a looney in his ball! I'm glad he isn't suffering any more because it was breaking my heart to see how ill he had become. Thank you everyone for your advice, especially racinghamster x

[racinghamster]

What a shame DebiT, it`s so sad after you tried to get him back on his feet, but it can be very difficult to do in such a small animal like a hamster and a lot can depend on them fighting their corner as well as the medication having a positive effect. Really sorry to hear wee Freddie didn`t come though. :(

Maybe you can rehome another needy hamster at some stage but hopefully have him around longer. Freddie could have been older than suggested and if that was the case, his body just wouldn`t be able to fight, poor lad.

Remember him as he was, dashing about and the fun times you had during his short time with you. x

[DebiT]

He did put up a good fight, bless him but he was just getting weaker every day. I think he was a bit older than I was told but I hope he enjoyed his short time with us. I'm sure we will have another hamster but not just yet. We got pretty attached to Freddie; he was a little character! Thank you once again x

[Piebald]

Sorry for your loss DebiT, you did everything you could and with racinghamster's help you know it. xx
I am so glad he had the time he did with you. I'm sure it was the best time of his life. Bless you for taking him and and being so good to him.

RIP Freddie. You are loved. xx

[DebiT]

Thank you for your lovely words piebald x

[BluerayDarkes]

I just read this thread. You did all you could for him. I'm sorry he passed. Play well at the bridge

[DebiT]

Thank you BluerayDarkes. I hope he is happy now and not suffering x