Incontinent hamster

[ham888]

What's the best way to care for an incontinent Syrian hamster? I've been using toilet tissue with very slightly warm water and wiping the poor ham down which seems to do the trick - no soap of course. Is that sufficient? Since Biscuit lost the use of his back legs he cannot bend and keep himself clean - just his bum, he is clean generally so I guess he manages to groom a little still.

[racinghamster]

Hi ham888. Just what you are doing really. Keeping the urine off his skin will prevent urine scald, so a wee bum dip in warm water every evening or every few days and pop him onto a nice cosy towel to rummage in and dry off while you sit with him. Use a wet cotton ball or pad to clean his nuptials and do the bum dip when his rear end is looking in need of it. x

[ham888]

It seems poor Biscuit is going downhill fast. I guess his leg paralysis is due to some internal cause after all. He is very cold now and just wants to sleep. I'm giving water by syringe but he still wants to eat and will still pull his bedding over. I'll try him with some porridge later to see if that helps. Nothing hurts him at least and I am not going to put him through a vet visit which will stress him and do little good.

[WinnieTheHam]

I had a rescue hamster, Jonah, who eventually lost the use of his back legs within a couple of days. I took him to the vet and they said it was most likely due to some sort of damage to his spine and/or a mass of fluid/lump in his spinal chord. Surgery wasn't an option because it's very difficult and there would have been hardly any chance that he would have recovered from it.

I highly recommend you take him to the vet, he may not be in pain now but you never know what could happen in a couple of days. I did everything I could to make Jonah better. He ate, drank and pooped and pee'd just fine. The only choice I could make was that he be put to sleep, because his condition would have gotten worse if I left him like that.

I really hope that Biscuit isn't in as bad as condition that Jonah was, and that he'll be okay, but I highly recommend having a vets opinion. x

[racinghamster]

Just seen this ham888 I`m so sorry to hear Biscuit isn`t doing well. It does sound as though he`s not coping too well now and like you, I always like to leave them when they turn cold and seem near the end, although obviously you can see Biscuit and know how he`s coping visually. If your gut feeling is that he`s stopped eating or taking much interest in food, water or moving around or you see signs of discomfort, then yes, the vet might be the better option. But Biscuit will tell you. x

[cypher]

I'm really sorry to hear Biscuit is going downhill now ham888, it certainly sounds as though you are doing the best thing for him, I hope he can remain comfortable & pain free with you & avoid the stress of having to go to the vet, you will know if that's the case I'm sure.