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12-18-2014, 01:39 PM
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#1
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Hamster Therapist
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Beirut, Lebanon
Posts: 2,550
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How Long are the Hammies OFF LIMITS?
Oddly enough, on Saturday or so, Pook was a sneezing furrhead. Since everything looked normal, other than he tended to have those pause, ah, ah, ah CHOOO complete with the whole body movement....I let him sleep more, gave him more bedding and had to help him tear it up and? He made a new nest on top of what I think is his toilet area. Then he buried himself in it. Quietly. Only when moving about did he seem to get the sneezes. I left a jar of Marjoram oil and ti-tree open near the cage.
By morning, no more sneezing, but to be sure it wasn't seed dust from his stashes, he got a full cage clean. Which didn't seem to bother him much, if at all.....
Two days later, I have a cold with violent sneezing. Congestion. Medicine now has it moving toward my throat, lungs maybe, but I do feel better than the first two days or so..
How long am I contagious? And was it the Evil Pook who put his disease in me in the first place? Now that I am hands off unless its cleaning or replacing food, they're both very interested in coming out to play a lot. I woke up to see Pook walking by the bed as if he hand't a a care in the world. Sure enough a cage door hadn't been shut properly. And he DID bar chew on and off through the night, waking me......Guess he figured letting me sleep and getting out on his own was a doubly good thing....
It's about day four of this cold. Colds tend to have lingering symptoms after the worst is over. Does anybody stick to a rule about when its okay to handle them again, or if I can handle now, so long as I'm constantly using anti-bacterial soap and not getting them near my face or breathing on them??
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12-19-2014, 04:56 PM
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#2
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Hamster Pup
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Manchester
Posts: 86
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Re: How Long are the Hammies OFF LIMITS?
I would say that you are still contagious whilst coughing and sneezing I'm unfortunately in the same boat with a terrible cold and cough. Here's wishing we are both well soon!
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12-19-2014, 06:02 PM
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#3
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Retired Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Brooklyn, New York USA
Posts: 10,295
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Re: How Long are the Hammies OFF LIMITS?
I just got over a cold myself, although it wasn't as bad as yours sounds. I stay away from the hams when I am sick. No more sneezing, coughing and runny nose...then I can be near them. I also, believe it or not, have packages of thin rubber gloves that I use when I am sick to feed the hams. I get them in packs of 10.
Pook is too funny. Actually, so is Ziggy. I love how they walk around like they own the place. Hmmmmm. They do, don't they?
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12-19-2014, 08:15 PM
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#4
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Newborn Pup
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 41
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Re: How Long are the Hammies OFF LIMITS?
I deal with this quite a lot because I have three chronic conditions that weaken my immune system which pretty much just means that I'm sick for longer (takes about two weeks for me to feel better).
Technically speaking, you are contagious before you even start showing symptoms (I think the cold is 1-3 days before you show symptoms, the flu is about a day before showing symptoms) so your hamsters would have been exposed briefly to begin with. Most regular colds & flus are contagious for approximately a week but as long as I'm still feeling a bit 'meh' I take the extra precaution of not taking the hamster out. Although if it's been well over a week, around a week and a half, I will make sure to thoroughly wash my hands and handle the hamster for a bit assuming I don't have any symptoms like sneezing or coughing still.
I don't do much except try to keep my room disinfected as much as I can (since my hamster's cage is in my room) and avoid handling Flurry until about a week or more after the symptoms began. I just feed her, change her water, that's it
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12-19-2014, 10:12 PM
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#5
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Hamsters on the Brain
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Vancouver Island, Canada
Posts: 6,458
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Re: How Long are the Hammies OFF LIMITS?
Aww, hope you're feeling better soon Skeever! I'm at a disadvantage, or maybe it's better to say that my hamsters are, because when I get a cold I very rarely know I have it until it's over, my chief symptom being grumpiness. It might sound like it's not as bad as dealing with snot and phlegm but people are a lot more understanding when they can actually see that you're sick
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12-20-2014, 02:13 AM
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#6
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Hamster Antics
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 23,533
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Re: How Long are the Hammies OFF LIMITS?
I think you are contagious until something has cleared up really, and a few days before, but these virus are spread mainly by touch (that's what they said in the swine flu epidemic) although possibly by breathing germs as well. So here's your Christmas list Skeever:!!!
Wet Ones Be Fresh Original Antibacterial 40 Wipes Pack: Amazon.co.uk: Kitchen & Home
Or some other kind of antibacterial hand wipes - these kill 99% of bugs including viruses and last for a few hours.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Virus-Swine-...ords=face+mask
Or some other kind of paper masks. Paper masks generally only work for about 10 minutes or so I believe, but it would mean you could handle them a bit and if you wear a Santa beard as well Pook and Ziggy might not find it so scary lol!
I reckon it would be ok to do the odd little bit if you use hand wipes and a face mask.
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12-20-2014, 12:44 PM
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#7
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Retired Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Brooklyn, New York USA
Posts: 10,295
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Re: How Long are the Hammies OFF LIMITS?
Santa beard ***giggle*** hahahahahahahaha. If you do this Skeever, could you please video it? I have got to see this.
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12-20-2014, 02:27 PM
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#8
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Hamster Therapist
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Beirut, Lebanon
Posts: 2,550
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Re: How Long are the Hammies OFF LIMITS?
Thanks all. At the moment, its just like a chest cold feeling without a cough.....sinuses and stuff fairly clear and I don't feel loopy anymore, without taking the medicine anyways....Hoping the leftover cough sensation is the cold leaving and not warming up for a bronchial bout....
I'm using germ antiseptic hand washes for changing food and stuff, and keeping them away from my face if they get out or want to use their play area toys. Then just putting them back in the cage. Hopefully in a couple days max this will clearly be a cold of the past.....
Odd how they just beg to come out suddenly when you really can't take them out? sigh..............
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12-20-2014, 05:21 PM
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#9
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Retired Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Brooklyn, New York USA
Posts: 10,295
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Re: How Long are the Hammies OFF LIMITS?
I hope you feel better Skeever. It's lousy to be sick.
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12-20-2014, 07:24 PM
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#10
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Hamster Warrior
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Lanarkshire, Scotland
Posts: 15,575
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Re: How Long are the Hammies OFF LIMITS?
Hope you're better soon!
Yes, that always happens, the minute you can't handle them they want out.
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