Help!

[Hammielover]

My hamster got out of her nest and was walking very slowly and then suddenly stopped and lay on the ground with her heart beating really fast. I picked her up and she is currently in my hand with her eyes closed and her heartbeat is still going very fast. Last night I was awake until 3am and during that time she only got up to get a drink which I thought was odd. I don't know whats happening. I have only had her for a few days.

[Hammielover]

Should I put her back in her cage or keep her with me?

[racinghamster]

Is she a young Syrian hamster or a dwarf hamster? Either way, this doesn`t sound good. I would place her in her cage if she`s not agitated and offer her a drop of water from the end of a teaspoon or a tiny piece of apple. If she refuses, I would leave her alone. Obviously you could take her to the nearest vet, but sometimes when they are this weak, it can tip them over the edge.

Monitor what she`s doing and if she wants to sleep, let her. If she`s lying out in the open, breathing slow or very fast or her breathing seems laboured, she may be very ill. :( If her body feels warm, that`s good, but if her body feels cool/cold, this isn`t so good.

How is she now since you posted?

[Hammielover]

She is a hybrid. I have put her back in her nest and she is still laying there breathing very fast. I have offered her water on a teaspoon but she doesn't seem interested. My mum has just told me that she was in my bedroom hoovering earlier so I'm wondering if she is maybe in shock?

[Hammielover]

Also her body is warm I forgot to mention. I'm assuming she is only around 8 weeks old since my auntie bought her from a pet shop.

[racinghamster]

Noise can stress them so it`s possible, but impossible to say if that is the cause. If the hoover is noisy, then yes, she may have been stressed.

The best thing you can do for now is keep offering her water or apple every now and then but only every hour. More importantly, get her into a quiet room and close the door. Stay with her and monitor how he is. Sometimes they just need time to recover. Try not to pick her up or intervene unless you feel it`s necessary. Just talk quietly to her.

I remember now, your aunt bought you a new hamster, right? Was she okay when she arrived? Running about okay and placed into a cage and left to settle down?

[Hammielover]

Yes she has been fine until today. She was settling in well and was very active.

Thank you for your help I will keep a close eye on her and see what happens.

[racinghamster]

Upright hoovers can be very noise. I have a Henry cylinder Hoover and they are much quieter. I only use mine occasionally though and when I do, I usually make sure Chubs (my dwarf hybrid) is rummaging about and knows I am there. He and the other hamsters I`ve had have all been fine with the Henry hoover, but you do need to get them used to it.

Hope your little one is okay, it would be a shame if she didn`t come round. They really can`t be stressed when moving to a new home, it can take weeks for a new hamster to fully accept things, not the couple of days most people advise and noise, stress and interactions should be done gradually. x

[Hammielover]

I am thinking that it probably was the hoover as it is very noisy. She is taking water from the spoon now which is a good thing but the apple remains untouched. I was out at the time and if I was home I wouldn't have let my mum hoover in my bedroom because I can imagine how stressful that would have been for the hamster. Her heartbeat and breathing is still abnormally fast though so I really hope she recovers from this as it would be devastating to lose her so soon.

[cypher]

Really sorry to hear this is happening with your little one, it does sound as though it could well be shock (I always think a new ham is a good excuse not to vacuum for a while!) if she's beginning to take a little water & her body is warm it sounds promising.
Just try to keep her warm & quiet & try to keep an eye on her without disturbing her too much. There really isn't much more you can do but I hope she pulls through & gets over it ok.

[racinghamster]

If she does recover, mum needs to know that her cage will need to be moved into another room while hovering and close the door to minimise any noise. Either that, lift the carpet and have floorboards like me! ;) x

[Hammielover]

Things aren't looking good, she is very cold

[Hammielover]

Sorry to tell you all that Amber has passed away :(

[Piebald]

So sorry Hammielover. It's possible she had some illness or defect and it was just unfortunate. She could have had a stroke or aneurism there is no telling. I say that so you won't blame your self or your poor Mum who hoovered. I think if it was just the hoovering she would have recovered.
It was good she had you with her at the end. I know that even though you were only friends for a short time it breaks your heart. So so sorry. :( xx

[Hammielover]

I think it might not have been the hoover because like I said she wasn't very active during the night. I'm not blaming anyone as its not fair and nobody could have saw this coming. Thank you though x

[Sarah9969]

So sorry to hear this :-(

[Chezzu]

I'm so sorry to hear about little Amber, a similar situation happened with my roborovski Cheddar, I'd only had her a day before I found her panting and shaking in the middle of her cage poor thing. I'm sure she was loved very much whilst she was here and she was lucky to have a caring owner like yourself ♥

[racinghamster]

That`s really sad, what a shame. It does sound as though she`s had some kind of acute illness suddenly come on and the noise from the hoover wouldn`t be a help, but at least you know to take precautions if another hammy comes into your life. x

[candice clews]

So sorry to hear this!