sudden death in young hamsters

lusardi · 05-30-2011, 02:41 AM

our 5 month old syrianne died suddenley yesterday just found him on bottom of cage dead, previously very healthy, our previous hammy lived to age 3, it looks like heart attack has anyone else experienced this before?

princessbarbie1988 · 05-30-2011, 03:12 AM

This happened to me too but I had two dwarf hamsters. I don't know what caused the first one to die (I'd only had them for about three weeks) but I think the second one died of almost a broken heart as she walked around sadly for days without her friend. I think this can happen to hamsters of a young age due to stress etc. Unless you can think of anything you may have done differently to you previous hamster then don't worry it is nothing that you've done.

souffle · 05-30-2011, 04:15 AM

Sadly this is actually not that unusual. Sometimes hamsters have a little something wrong inside that, as they mature, will suddenly give out resulting in sudden death. Could be a heart valve or a weakness in a blood vessel in the brain. It is a bit like a 'cot death' and you are unlikely to ever know why it happens but it is very quick and the hammy suffers no pain which is a blessing.
Play well at the bridge little one. x

Gizmodo ^_^ · 05-30-2011, 04:15 AM

Im so sorry for your early loss
Sleep well little hammie <3

Lil Miss · 05-30-2011, 05:14 AM

i have known it happen due to poor breeding, the only way to be sure for certain though if you want answers is to get a necropsy

sometimes they can have neurological issues, and their brain just shuts down, they fall into a deep coma like state, and peacefully make their way over the bridge

Gillzy · 05-30-2011, 05:26 AM

Sorry to hear about your loss.

It's never easy to lose a hamster so young.

Hope you're doing alright.

AlexWyattMommy · 05-30-2011, 05:59 AM

What a terrible shock. Please accept my condolences for your loss.

**Hamtastic** · 05-30-2011, 10:00 AM

I'm sorry for your loss. My first robo hamster died on the first day I brought her home in a way Lil Miss described. She was fine in the store--very lively. But toward the evening she had some seizures and then just went to sleep

It happens, as it happens with humans too (strokes, heart attacks, etc.)

amyXlovesXhamstersX · 05-30-2011, 10:06 AM

Im sorry to hear of your loss

I lost a hamster that was under a year old and I thought she was fine and healthy. There is alot of thing that could of been wrong really.
Sleep well little one x

lusardi · 05-31-2011, 05:35 AM

thanks for all your responses we cannot think of anything we did different to the other one that died of old age... he was playing an hour before he died, it looked pretty quick like heart attack, maybe some noise spooked him or he may just have had a heart defect.... my little girl aged 9 wants another but will wait a bit. thanks x smokie he was called and lived in the delux hamster heaven so he had a nice short life, think he was about 5 months old.