Hamster pain relief - Page 2

hammy_mumma · 03-11-2012, 06:20 AM

Here are some piccies of her (mostly on the table from which she fell

)
https://picasaweb.google.com/1091721...CL7U9uKxwoWeUA

Many more poops now and I have even dared pick her up and she didn't object.

sully · 03-11-2012, 07:02 AM

Hope she gets well soon.

shazzy · 03-11-2012, 10:30 AM

How long ago was it that she injured herself? As if it was only recently I wouldn't risk too much handling or letting her out just yet.. It could have healed but only just and you don't want to risk undoing the healing. Glad she's starting to feel better though x

hammy_mumma · 03-11-2012, 12:49 PM

It was only 1 week ago. I literally just picked her up yesterday to put her into another cage whilst I was cleaning, don't worry I will be being extremely careful over the next 6-8 weeks. While I will not be letting her climb I thought it would probably be good for her to have a gentle potter about so she can keep all her muscles strong and her spirits up.

shazzy · 03-11-2012, 12:54 PM

I agree with letting her have a bit of a gentle potter, but maybe after a little more rest. I had a ham with a dislocated leg that definitely did benefit from a gentle walk out of her cage to keep her happy, but it was at least 2 weeks after the I jury occurred

hammy_mumma · 03-23-2012, 02:58 AM

Hampsey is now zipping around like a furry bullet. Aside from a slight weakness in one back leg (which has improved no end) you'd not know she was any different. I am still giving her 1 drop of metacam twice daily but I intend to reduce this over the next couple of days as she seems perfectly comfortable. I am of course still being ultra careful with her and I think I will feel I always need to be now, as I'm guessing that verebra will allways be more fragile than the others.

She has had to have a her cage reorganised as I think it would not be good for her to negotiate the tight bends of the rotastak tubes she had before. However I have got her some new toys for her one level cage, she is using her wheel again now and enjoys her evenings scampering around my son's bedroom floor. As far as her quality of life goes, it's great

p_anda · 03-23-2012, 06:46 AM

Even though hamsters have very similar immune systems and central nervous system to us humans, giving your hamster medication in doses intended for human use is not a good idea. Basically a standard dose of something a person can take is far too large for a ham, and you can't just break up tablets to give to them as that would not be accurate in terms of a dose. Metacam [meloxicam is the chemical name] is what your vet has given you so stick to that. It's an NSAID, [non-steroidal anti-inflammatory] which is a class of drugs which ibuprofen also belongs to. Metacam has fewer gastrointestinal side effects [stomach related side effects] compared to other NSAIDs and that's important for an animal with a sensitive digestive system such as a hamster. There isn't a lot of difference between NSAIDs on a whole, most of them vary in terms how well they reduce fever and how bad the stomach upsetting effect is.

If you have reason to believe your hamster is not getting enough pain relief from the Metacam, you need to book another appointment ASAP. Your vet will then prescribe her an opiate, probably Tramadol, Buprenorphine or Morphine. All opiates that humans can take are suitable for rodents, however, in much smaller doses. Your vet will probably pre-measure each single dose for you.

An example of the difference between effective doses for humans and hamsters:
a 40g hamster [Princess] needed 0.25mcg of Diazepam as a sedative for a long trip
a 48kg human [me] needs 5mg of Diazepam tostop a panic attack

So I need ten and and a half times more medicine than my hamster did. When working out a dose, your vet uses body weight for reference alongside other factors. That's impossible to do without medical scales and the right knowledge.

AliKati · 04-07-2012, 07:41 AM

I'm sorry Hampsey went through that, but thank you for this thread. I was just wondering - how did you know the fall was bad and did you see any symptoms of pain that made you think, something has broken?

I had a bad scare yesterday when Hamchan fell out of my hand at quite a height and landed on his back. It was so loud. He just lay there, so I picked him up and held him to keep him warm and we sat very still on the sofa for a while. Since then he's been back up, and he has used his wheel and run around, eaten, and stretched (which for some reason, made me feel more relieved than the wheel-using). But I was still really nervous last night - I stayed up and checked on him every so often. This morning, he's still eating and I see poop.

I guess my question is how did you know your hamster was in pain?

Lynternette · 04-07-2012, 08:20 AM

That's really good news. xxx

HemCutie · 04-07-2012, 09:40 PM

please..do not drop your hamsters..when i read about them, it stabs at my heart

Poor cuties!
whenever you pick them up, try not to lift them too high.

when my Ham got older, I would pick him up with tissues for softness. Hold them tight (not too tight) and firmly. My older hamster - Hammie was a VERY wriggly one. For very wriggly ones, it is best to never lift them up too high. if you have to move/carry them from one place to another, best to quickly put them in a carrier and transport it even if it is a few steps away. I'd take all precautions!

Cheers