Red tail looks to have lost a little hair

[CPalmer]

Freya has been getting up later and later these last few months. A couple of days ago I gave her a quick health check as soon as she got up. She has started to get food and water and go back to bed most evenings. I noticed her back end looked a little wet and assumed she had just had a pee before getting up.
Tonight she hadn't been up at all, and tbh I was worrying whether she had passed in her nest. But after gently moving her actual nest she came out and snuffled up a chocolate drop.
I noticed her tail tip looked really red. I picked her up and the underside of her tail is bright red and looks to be hairless. My hubby thinks she may also have a little triangle of hair loss around her bottom. I'm not sure if that's just where she had been laying in her nest.

I checked her nest and there is no signs of blood or diarrhoea. Normal poops. I took out a tile we recently put in to try to file her nails in case it was irritating her
We will leave fresh foods for a few days and see if that helps.

Does anyone have any ideas of causes? If no better I'll take her to the vet on weds to rule out mites. I read that someone used a skin cream to aid healing, I have sudocrem and bepanthum but would be worried that she may actually be biting her tail.

I've never been so clueless. Poor Freya

[BrainGirl]

Does she pee in her nest? I'm wondering if perhaps she's sitting it and the urine is irritating her skin.

[CPalmer]

She pees.more in her larder. She has started storing seeds in her nest so maybe peeing there too. I might put some carefresh in. She has hemp and shavings mixed and toilet roll as bedding.

[Thin Lizzy]

I was going to say mites, they can cause hair loss and redness.

[Pebbles82]

It's difficult to know really. Maybe see if it improves in the next day or so, and if not, a vet check could be a good idea. They should be able to tell you what it is.

[CPalmer]

I've put some care fresh into her toilet area and nest. She is currently snuggled in the hubby's jumper. I've had a better look at her. No worse than yesterday. A tiny bit of hair missing from tail tip but otherwise seems normal. There is a little matted hair that looks like urine. I had a little go with damp kitchen roll to tidy her up but no luck. I'm hoping that she will groom it out once the irritation has gone. I may make an appointment for weds for a health check as she is getting old and could do with 2 nails trimmed that are growing sideways curved.

Here is the photo. What do you guys think?

[Pebbles82]

Hmm. I'm no expert but it looks a bit infected due to being red.

[cypher]

That looks really sore, it could be urine burn or have got infected so a vet check certainly wouldn't do any harm.

[Thin Lizzy]

I agree it looks infected, it's quite a dark red colour.
A trip to the vet would get prescribed medication to help it.

[Nancy's Hamsters]

I don't wish to scare but that bottom looks very close to what the bottom of my last Pyo hamster's bottom looked like. I would not delay and book her an appointment ASAP. Sadly I waited too long and my girl was lost to the Pyo :(

She is most likely licking her tail area and has now irritated it from the too often cleaning. She is trying to clean herself of the yuck coming out from inside her. It may not be Pyo as this would also occur with a Urinary Tract infection as well.

[CPalmer]

I don't wish to scare but that bottom looks very close to what the bottom of my last Pyo hamster's bottom looked like. I would not delay and book her an appointment ASAP. Sadly I waited too long and my girl was lost to the Pyo :(

She is most likely licking her tail area and has now irritated it from the too often cleaning. She is trying to clean herself of the yuck coming out from inside her. It may not be Pyo as this would also occur with a Urinary Tract infection as well.

Thanks Nancy. I am going to ring them first thing tomorrow. I have all day off Wednesday so will take what ever appointment they can give me.

[CPalmer]

I have just practised getting her into a carry box. I have a bin with substrate and air holes that she digs in. I've half filled it and can put her whole nest in it. Hopefully this will allow me to get her to vets without stressing her out. Plus the big box won't move about as I don't have anyone to hold her when I drive.

Have just checked her over again and had cuddles. Her tail is no longer that bright red. Just deeper dark on the end. Hopefully a sign of healing. There is no discharge or smell. So really hopeful it isn't pyo. I will ring the vet tomorrow for advice. But feel more confident abut getting Freya there unharmed and unstressed.

Thanks everyone for the support x

[Thin Lizzy]

That's a good idea putting her nest in the carry box, for when you take her to the vet. Familiar smells and comfort will help Freya with the journey, try not too worry, the calmer you are the better. When you make your vet appointment, tell the receptionist that she'll be nervous, this let's the vet know in advance.

[CPalmer]

Appointment at half 4. I'm anxious lol. Funny how these small furries become such a big part of our life's.

She got up and had drink and raided the larder at noon so she should be fine. Might pop in a slice of cucumber just for water backup.

Her tail looms so so much better. But will.put my mind at rest and get 2 nails clipped whilst I'm there.

[CPalmer]

We're back. Freya slept all the way. Vet was really good with her. Freya nice and calm. She listened to her chest and felt for lumps or stones. During the examination Freya started to bleed. Vet isn't sure whether it's a uti or something more that needs referral for ultrasound etc.

As it stands I have metacam and septrin for swelling and infection. Just tried the first dose with Freya. So not impressed! I'm not sure how much she actually took from what I was attempting to get in her. I tried 2 doses of the antibiotic as I managed to get it all over myself and her coat and not in her mouth! Crazy stuff. Is it a case of scruff and insert into mouth? Vet thought she'd luck it from syringe as they are sweet but nope. I even tried putting it on a treat for her but nope.

I just want my baby better. ��

[racinghamster]

What a shame the examination discovered blood rather than what you suspected as a sore tail. :( If she has been licking her anal/vaginal area it could be that she`s been cleaning up any discharge and that`s why you havn`t seen any signs of blood until now. Hopefully the medications will alleviate things.

Have you tried wetting a science selective biscuit? These are very good for masking medication but if you don`t have any, most good pet shops should sell it. I got my bag from a small independent pet shop but not sure if Pets At Home sell it or not. The biscuits can be wetted and made into a mash or mixed with something tasty like a small amount of dissolved honey or a small amount of crushed nuts.

She may have a urine infection or a womb infection. I went through a similar thing with my Chinese hamster but sadly, she couldn`t pass urine and was also passing blood. I suspected she had some kind of internal tumour. :( I lost her very quickly after the symptoms appeared. It all happened so fast I don`t think even the vets intervention of surgery or x-rays could have saved her.

Please let us know how Freya is doing over the next few days. x

[Thin Lizzy]

Hi CP, how did you get on at the vet with Freya?

[CPalmer]

I just gave her her second dose of septrin. She took it much better this time. I guess yesterday was just a long stress for both of us. Today I lifted her house and was able to scruff and administer the dose easily. No mess at all. She is now rebuilding her nest after a cuddle and treat. I have some shreddies that I can add water to and soften if needed. She's cleaned up most of the blood too. It was shocking to see.

I gave her a little natural yogurt last night as I know it's good for humans with uti.

[cypher]

Sorry you've been having so much trouble with your baby, it does sound as though things are going better with the meds now both of you are a bit less stressed, I hope she continues to take them ok & there's nothing more serious going on. Fingers crossed.
If you do struggle with meds I always find they'll take them mixed with a little baby food.

[Thin Lizzy]

Aww bless Freya, glad her meds are going more smoothly. I agree with Cypher that injecting the meds into baby food really helps, I did this with Archie.

[CPalmer]

I have some baby food in the freezer so can always defrost some. Thanks for that both of you. Just want her back to normal. She's not even using her wheel atm

[cypher]

I can imagine just how you feel, just try & give the meds time to work, it's a hard game of wait & see but hopefully they'll do the trick & she'll be perking up soon.

[Thin Lizzy]

I'm with Cypher on giving the meds time too work, It's never easy for the owner who wants fast results, some hams respond quickly to meds while others take longer. I know this from experience which I had with Archie, I was hoping for a miracle but in the end, his infection was so bad, he was on antibiotics for 6 weeks but, he recovered.
But, hang in there you will get through it xx

[nickoh]

Keep on a look out for huffing or any signs of distress while breathing. I might be wrong but sometimes the infection can spread to the lungs and eventually suffocate them. It's unlikely to happen to Freya since it's caught early. Better safe than sorry though! I hope she will get better soon :)

[CPalmer]

Keep on a look out for huffing or any signs of distress while breathing. I might be wrong but sometimes the infection can spread to the lungs and eventually suffocate them. It's unlikely to happen to Freya since it's caught early. Better safe than sorry though! I hope she will get better soon :)

Thanks for the warning. The vet did listen to her chest with a tiny tiny stethoscope. All clear as of weds.

Freya and I just bonded over a slice of toast lol. Poor lass. Still she is taking the medication well so far.

Thanks everyone x patience is not something I excel at lol.

[Thin Lizzy]

You're doing a great job. Did you put anything on Freya's toast?
Twinkle loves margarine but, her favourite is melted cheese. Definitely recommend that.

[CPalmer]

You're doing a great job. Did you put anything on Freya's toast?
Twinkle loves margarine but, her favourite is melted cheese. Definitely recommend that.

Just marg. Our cheese is extra mature. Not Freya friendly. I have bought some small animal grooming wipes today as she is still not looking clean downstairs. So going to give her a little hoping hand tonight. She's getting used to me waking her up now. Just gives me a resigned look lol.

[CPalmer]

Well we're back to the vet again tomorrow night. Finished antibiotics last night. Was looking a little better. Her pee hole finally looked normal again and not wet. She looked like she'd started grooming too. But it was the first time in almost 2 weeks. I rang vets to try to get a bit more antibiotics to make sure all was well. Made appointment for tomorrow. Thankfully I did as she's just got up and she looks all grungy again. Husband is coming with me so will have a second pair of ears.

[Thin Lizzy]

Good luck at the vet with Freya. Good that your Hubby's going along with you.

[cypher]

Really hope another course of meds will do the trick & clear things up completely for her, good luck at the vets.

[CPalmer]

Thanks both of you. Later appointment at 6.30 pm so will be 48 hours without medication. Hoping a stronger batch will work. These almost had it. So close.

[Bertiebobbins]

Hope it went well at the vets?

[CPalmer]

Well slightly better news than last time. Defiantly not pyo. She feels a slight enlargement on Freya side. Which is either the spleen making extra white.blood cells to fight infection or its Freya's liver. There isn't anything but palliative care for liver problem's. So we are treating with baytril and continuing with metacam. Hoping it is an infection still. Otherwise we'll be keeping Freya comfortable until she deteriorates.

They did say they could refer for an ultrasound as their machine is meant for cats and wouldn't give a clear picture. But as the treatment would be the same we decides against stressing Freya further.

Lots of treats bought that are low in protein to assist liver and some nutrients for her water bottle.

We'll have everything crossed.

[Thin Lizzy]

This vet seems to know what they're talking about and that's a great thing to have. All you can do is continue with the baytril & metacam and fingers crossed it's an infection that can be cleared up.
Little Freya sounds like a fighter and I'm wishing her a speedy recovery.

[CPalmer]

I think I was lucky with this vet. I hear so many less fortunate. She has her own hamster so I think that helps.

I think Freya has had enough of me moving her from her nest... she has relocated to another house to sleep. She doesn't realise the roof comes off it and gives me better access!

At least her meds are once a day and I don't have to wake her up this morning.

[cypher]

Good that you have such a helpful vet, fingers crossed it is just an infection & the meds will clear it up with time. You really are doing all you can for her.
I think Freya deserves a nice long rest in that nest of hers & maybe a few of those nice teats now!

[CPalmer]

I am very glad that the med are once a day now. It mea 's that I can wait for her to.get herself up. The past set meant I was making her wake up morning and evening to.get the timings right. Probably doesn't help her feel good being dragged out of bed

[CPalmer]

Back to vets again tomorrow. I'm starting to think our Freya is needing a little help to go to the bridge. It makes me cry just thinking it.

Long and short of it is. Vet gave me the 10 day baytril. Worked wonders. Freya looked pretty much back to normal. I gave for 11 days. Although I still had more in bottle I decided to see how she did. After maybe 4 days she started looking a bit wet. She still wasn't active or leaving nest much so I thought maybe it was down to her peeing in nest. The next day still wet so started on the antibiotics again as I had some left. It's now been nearly a week on them and no improvement.
Tonight I got her up and there is a lot of discharge in her nest. And she was so so messy under neath and tail looking sore again. She isn't awake really. Not walking well. Seems slow. Not gathering up the food given. But she did have some corn on cob yesterday.
She also looks to be puffy under her neck and chest area. I wonder if she has fluid build up.

So a trip to vet and maybe a helping hand. Freya is my first ham. I've never had to do this before but I can't keep putting her through scuffing for medication that isn't helping.

[BrainGirl]

I'm so sorry, it's never an easy decision, even when you can see that her quality.of life is suffering. We always hope... x

[Nancy's Hamsters]

You did all you can for her and Freya has fought a good but long fight, if the Meds are not doing anything and Freya is just existing and not enjoying her life it is time to consider her best interest and help her be at rest and no longer battling a battle which she is not winning.

The hardest part of Love is the time we must set them free of their pain and suffering. I remember a happy and sassy Freya posing in so many Pics of the Month doing such funny things that I would seek out her photos just to see what funny thing she had done that month. Now I read of a Freya who barely wants to move from her nest, a Freya who doesn't sound happy at all. One who doesn't want to make you sad but in turn is going through a lot of pain. This is one thing so many people just don't understand. We know as Hamster owners and lovers that these little furballs will give us the Moon once they learn to love us. I do feel you are making the right choice for your wonderful girl and I will always remember her as that spunky sassy make Mom laugh Hamster.

Hugs to you and gentle pat to frail Freya, may her travel to the bridge be quick and peaceful and Hugs to you as you face the hardest part of owning Pets that don't live as long as us.

[cypher]

I'm so sorry, having had to help two little ones on their way now I know what a difficult & heartbreaking decision it is.
Thinking of you & Freya *Hugs*.

[CPalmer]

Now at vets. Got Freya out of nest so husband could say goodbye and there is so much blood. None last night. Defiantly time for our girl. So hard but I know it's right

[cypher]

I'm really sorry, it is right, you clearly know it's the kindest & only thing but I understand it's still very hard *hugs*

[CPalmer]

She's being helped now. Rainbow bridge gets a new sparkle.

[cypher]

Sleep well little one, no more pain now.

[Thin Lizzy]

I cried when I read your post CP, so sorry for your loss. Freya put up such a fight but is now at peace.
You and your hubby did the bravest and kindest thing and you were with her right to the end.
Sending both of you big hugs xxx
Sweet Dreams little Freya xxx