Spinning robo

[Larrymom]

Hey! I posted some videos a while back and took everyone's advice and I thought it had stopped. I noticed earlier that Winston was just going crazy spinning and spinning. I'm here really to ask for some more information about it. I don't think there's much I can do to stop but I want to be informative enough to help keep him comfortable.

Is it true they die earlier with this condition?
Thanks

[racinghamster]

Hi Larrymom. It`s what I suspected. It doesn`t necessarily shorten their lives, no. The main points are not to change the layout now inside the cage or add anything. He should have easy access to his water (without having to climb up onto anything to drink) and a low sided ceramic food dish he can actually sit in. Flower pot drip trays are ideal for this. You know the glazed ceramic plates that sit below a flower pot? Poundland and various other shops usually have these, or your nearest garden centre.

All you can do now is leave him to do what he wants. Don`t try to pick him up unless it`s totally necessary for the odd check up etc... but not for any play times. He should stay inside his cage for safety reasons and to prevent any escalation of the spinning. You may see him emerge and just want to spin in tight circles. Just let him do it. I used to feel frustrated and wanted to place my hand down to stop Fred from spinning so much, but he would just stop for a few seconds and then start again, so it`s futile.

I stated that this spinning is like a compulsive behaviour and although it isn`t necessarily diagnosed as one thing or the other, they feel it`s something they HAVE to do, so treating them with Baytril or anything else is not going to help, believe me. It`s not an inner ear infection. The symptoms would be different and he would have a `tilt` of the head and seem unbalanced. Some hamsters fall to the side. Spinning is a controlled behaviour. What triggers it is anyone`s guess, but with my lad, it was a flying saucer wheel. x

[Piebald]

I'm sorry to hear that Larrymom. I hope the poor fella can still manage to have a reasonably happy life. You're very good to care for him. xx

[Larrymom]

@racinghamster- should I put that log back in? The good thing with me is that I never change the layout. Both my boys have the same one and I just throw out old toys with new. The spout is directly at his level. His food bowls on the platform but he runs up and sits in it. I wouldn't want to take it out now. I use a flower pot tray for his sand bath.

Should I stop with the bath time playtime? I feel mean leaving him in his cage 24/7. That's what I did when I first noticed. I even opened the cage, he stopped, waited for me to leave and went back to it .

I feel so bad that I bought that wheel. I regret it so much. He already was a little bit of a spinner but I made it so much worse. My poor little baby.

@piebald- I know most people would probably take him back immediately but he's my baby. If I took him to the pet shop they'd immediately put him down and the thought of that makes me want to cry. It's so sad that people who buy/adopt hamsters for their kids to play with wouldn't even consider keeping him. I feel guilty about the wheel but now all I want is to let him live a comfortable stress free life.

[kyrilliondaemon]

Larrymom, if he seems to be enjoying his bath time playtimes then I'd continue them. I remember when Pompompoms posted about Tinker (her spinning robo) and he enjoyed getting out of his cage for regular playtimes and cuddles.
I've also got a syrian who circles a lot and she enjoys socialisation. As long as you bear his spinning in mind I'm sure you'll be ok. I'd also try not to blame yourself for his spinning, I'm sure in time you'll find ways to manage it and he's far better with you caring for him than he would be with someone who didn't care for him as carefully as you

[racinghamster]

I definitely wouldn`t take him back to a pet shop! The outcome would be his end. Spinning robos carry on as only they know best and they routinely spin and carry on regardless, so whether he will live six months or two years, his life now is one of what you might see as a disability, but one he can cope with. Spot clean around him and play with him, but be aware that too much stress can escalate the spinning so preferably, do what you feel he`s comfortable with. He may find running around the bath fun, but his awareness of his own `space` means he knows where he is (his cage) but that doesn`t mean he can`t be handled or have short play times.

I`m not too sure about the log to be honest. He may use it as a tool now to express the behaviour more, or he may enjoy having it back. I suppose you could place it along the side of his cage and see if he uses it. I removed anything in the central floor area because Fred would just run around it all the time rather than explore more. It`s up to you though. x

[Larrymom]

I've actually just realised something when I was cleaning his cage. He has always been a spinner. When I first got him, I thought he was a she and I recall googling 'why is my hamster running in circles' and it said because she is in heat so I was like oh okay that must be the reason but obviously now that he's a boy it can't have been. Maybe that's why he was up for adoption as opposed to for sale.

kyrilliondaemon - I'm moving this week to a house without a bath so I tried both my boys in this huge box someone donated to me. Larry hated it and tried his hardest to jump out, baring in mind it is extremely tall so he failed, I immediately put him back in his cage. Winston didn't have as much fun but I think that's because I left the carrying box in there which he loves to hide in, I'll try him again later without the box and just his toys. Larry likes his ball but obviously now that I know Winnie is a spinner he can't go in his and I don't want him to be constantly in his cage.

Winston is only just getting around to me, I've had him for a couple of months now and he wakes up as soon as feeding time happens and he's started to run out if he hears me but he'll hide if he hears an unfamiliar voice. I'm kind of sad that I didn't try harder to tame him at the beginning when his spinning wasn't as bad because I know now it'll be more difficult.
This is true thanks. You'll see at the beginning of this post that he's always been a spinner so at least now I know it wasn't all me.

@racinghamster - I put his wood block in, against the wall because I put it in the box during playtime and I could tell he missed it. As soon as it went back in to his cage he ran around jumping on top of it.
He only has a toilet roll tube in the middle that he digs in, I would move it out but I think that'd make him more stressed. The problem with his spinning that I'm finding is that I'm constantly refilling his sand bath. I have ikea candle holders http://www.fancypantsweddings.com/wp...E190824_S4.jpg do you think they'd be a good thing to use? They're medium sized so he can sit and roll still and they're higher

[racinghamster]

Wasn`t sure what you want to use the Ikea candle holder for? You mentioned his sand bath emptying a lot but that could be because he`s spinning inside it and the sand is being thrown out. Unavoidable unless the sand bath is removed. I removed mine when Fred was spinning as it was more of a liability than a positive thing. It`s good that he`s enjoying the log again. x

[Larrymom]

To hold the Sand. I've kind of dug it in the bedding so it hasn't been emptied yet so think I've found a solution!

[racinghamster]

I wouldn`t be too concerned about having sand permanently in the cage to be honest. Offering a sand dish a few times a week for him to have a roll in should be fine but if he tends just to use the dish to circle in, I would remove it. x