Unexpected hamster owner

Suehammy · 03-21-2016, 01:49 AM

I was walking earlier today when i noticed a small cage with hamster beside a garbage bin. I decided to keep it because clearly the former owner doesnt want it anymore and i pity him/her. I noticed it is tamed because when i put my finger on the cage it just licked it and my heart just broke. I pity the little fella. When i got home i searched online for nearby vet that can treat hamster but i found none. It looked thin. I also looked for rescues but theres none in my province. I think ill just keep him. This is my only option now but any suggestions is appreciated on what to do with him/her as i have no experience with animals whatsoever.

Ok here is the "ailment". He/she looks thin. I picked it up and i can feel bones in the back. Poor thing. He/she also have a swollen area on the behind (i think its his/her butt? I dont know). Its kinda red. Anything i can do? Thank you.

The cage has pellets in it but no water so gave him one from a bowl. I really have no idea on taking care of him but im willing to learn. I just hope im not too late.

Pebbles82 · 03-21-2016, 06:55 AM

Hello there. You are wonderful for rescuing that little hammy. They are such lovely gentle pets and can really bond with an owner. I am so glad he found you and can have some happiness and comfort for however long he has now.

Are you in the US? So we know which foods and so on to recommend. Meanwhile it sounds like he needs some building up. You can't go wrong with Hazel Hamster (Harry Hamster) food if you can get hold of some. You can also give fresh food in very small amounts - thumbnail sized - like a small piece of veg every couple of days, a small piece of cheese or half a brazil nut, the occasional piece of plain cooked chicken, scrambled egg or a bit of porridge on a teaspoon.

For now it might be best to just stick to a good hamster mix until you know if his tummy is upset or not. but offering him a small piece of cheese might go down well.

If there's no water bottle you could put a small dish of water in his cage but the water needs changing every day or it can get contaminated with bits of bedding getting into it and so on.

Is there any substrate in the cage? If not then you could buy a bag of Carefresh or Kaytee Clean n cozy which are probably both available easily - these are better than pine wood shavings. He'll need nesting material - they like to build a cosy nest - the best thing for this is plain white toilet paper. Take a few sheets of it and tear each sheet into about 5 or 6 strips lengthways and put a big pile of it somewhere in the cage. He will probably pouch some and take it somewhere to build a nest. If you don't have a food bowl for him you can scatter feed (just scatter about a tablespoon of the food on the substrate) - they like foraging for it sometimes anyway.

If his teeth are damaged he might not be able to eat hamster mix well and then you can give baby food, scrambled egg or poridge - but see how he goes. If you can find a vet that deals with small animals then do take him along for a check - they might be able to give him something to help build him up and have a look at that lump. If you can tell us your location someone can help find a suitable vet nearest you.

My heart almost broke just hearing your story!

SilverLainey · 03-21-2016, 06:59 AM

Wow! What a lucky hammy having you care about him/her when it's original owners put him/her out with the rubbish!

In the first instance you've done ok by making sure hammie has water. Next stop would be to a local pet shop (not sure whereabouts you are) to get some proper food for him/her. I would then keep trying to locate a suitable vet but if you're really worried the closest might have to do.

Other than that take a good look round this site as it has invaluable information. You've definitely come to the right place

I'm sure other more experienced posters can help you further.

If you could take a picture of hammy and of the cage we might be able to tell you what type of hamster it is and it's gender. Be warned, if the original owners were putting her out with the trash, they probably didn't have the best cage and bedding for him/her and you may have to invest in a new one.

Let us know what you decide to call him/her and welcome to HC

Erin.R · 03-21-2016, 07:37 AM

Welcome, good for you for saving the poor little one. I just wanted to comment on his backside

If you can get a picture that would be great. Just from your description of his backside I am betting he is a male and those are his male bits, they can look swollen and red but that's normal if that is what you are seeing.
Since you mentioned you couldn't find a vet near your "province" I am going to guess you are not in the US so I will leave others to comment on food and other necessities.

Pebbles82 · 03-21-2016, 07:58 AM

Mmm - province doesn't sound too English either! I was also wondering if the lump might be his testicles! I thought our hammy had a tumour on his backside the first time his testicles got large and descended

Suehammy · 03-21-2016, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

Hello there. You are wonderful for rescuing that little hammy. They are such lovely gentle pets and can really bond with an owner. I am so glad he found you and can have some happiness and comfort for however long he has now.

Are you in the US? So we know which foods and so on to recommend. Meanwhile it sounds like he needs some building up. You can't go wrong with Hazel Hamster (Harry Hamster) food if you can get hold of some. You can also give fresh food in very small amounts - thumbnail sized - like a small piece of veg every couple of days, a small piece of cheese or half a brazil nut, the occasional piece of plain cooked chicken, scrambled egg or a bit of porridge on a teaspoon.

For now it might be best to just stick to a good hamster mix until you know if his tummy is upset or not. but offering him a small piece of cheese might go down well.

If there's no water bottle you could put a small dish of water in his cage but the water needs changing every day or it can get contaminated with bits of bedding getting into it and so on.

Is there any substrate in the cage? If not then you could buy a bag of Carefresh or Kaytee Clean n cozy which are probably both available easily - these are better than pine wood shavings. He'll need nesting material - they like to build a cosy nest - the best thing for this is plain white toilet paper. Take a few sheets of it and tear each sheet into about 5 or 6 strips lengthways and put a big pile of it somewhere in the cage. He will probably pouch some and take it somewhere to build a nest. If you don't have a food bowl for him you can scatter feed (just scatter about a tablespoon of the food on the substrate) - they like foraging for it sometimes anyway.

If his teeth are damaged he might not be able to eat hamster mix well and then you can give baby food, scrambled egg or poridge - but see how he goes. If you can find a vet that deals with small animals then do take him along for a check - they might be able to give him something to help build him up and have a look at that lump. If you can tell us your location someone can help find a suitable vet nearest you.

My heart almost broke just hearing your story!

Im from the philippines so supplies are scarce.

I found a little pet store nearby and purchased all i can find.

-water bottle
-wheel (unfortunately their biggest is 5.5in)
-i cant find aspen (only softwood and i read thats bad) so i just bought 4 rolls of tissue paper. I hope thats ok for now.
-hamster food. Only available is vatakraft premium menu for hamsters
-mineral chew for small animals

Thats all. I will go to a bigger town tomorrow to look for better supplies. I hope these are enough for now.

I think his/her teeth are ok, theyre not damaged.

I have gerber squash baby food, is that safe?

Suehammy · 03-21-2016, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilverLainey

Wow! What a lucky hammy having you care about him/her when it's original owners put him/her out with the rubbish!

In the first instance you've done ok by making sure hammie has water. Next stop would be to a local pet shop (not sure whereabouts you are) to get some proper food for him/her. I would then keep trying to locate a suitable vet but if you're really worried the closest might have to do.

Other than that take a good look round this site as it has invaluable information. You've definitely come to the right place

I'm sure other more experienced posters can help you further.

If you could take a picture of hammy and of the cage we might be able to tell you what type of hamster it is and it's gender. Be warned, if the original owners were putting her out with the trash, they probably didn't have the best cage and bedding for him/her and you may have to invest in a new one.

Let us know what you decide to call him/her and welcome to HC

Thank you. I dont know how to upload a photo. I found a cage that looked like his/hers. The only difference is color and there are hole for tubes maybe that is boarded up by cardboard when i found him/her
Hamster Cage,rectangle w/ wheel/water bottle

Suehammy · 03-21-2016, 08:19 AM

my little friend is awake now. Its eating and drinking. He/she also tried to run in the wheel but its a bit slow. Maybe because the swollen behind part is bothering it. He/she is also no that hyper like the ones i watched from youtube. I dont know if because its still weak or sick or old. Its kind of frustrating that i dont know whats wrong and theres no vet in here to check him/her out.

**Cinnamon Bear** · 03-21-2016, 09:04 AM

The cage your new hammie is in is sadly too small. He/she needs to be in a cage that is at least 360 sq inches and needs a much larger wheel. Usually a 12 inch wheel is recommended for a Syrian. Maybe you could order a larger wheel on-line? A bin cage you could make for your hamster if you have the supplies in your area. The 5.5 in wheel is way too small, your hammies back would be arching and this could lead to arthritis or other health problems later on.

Good for you for rescuing him, sounds like you were like a little angel to the little hammie. If you can't get all the supplies immediately, I'd work on it as much as possible to get him (it sounds

) into a larger cage.

A vet trip would be awesome just to make sure he is healthy and that his teeth are ok, he would need chew toys, wooden chew toys to keep his teeth worn down.

Sounds like he didn't have any of this with his previous owner, I can't believe they would just put him out with the trash. You would think there would be laws against that?

cypher · 03-21-2016, 09:10 AM

It's wonderful that you've taken this little ham on, well done!
The cage & wheel are too small but for now it sounds as though what he needs most is some good food (what you have will be fine for now at least) & all the love you will give him.
If you can find a vet that would be great but once he's had some decent food & had a chance to settle down in his new home he may actually be fine.
I wouldn't bother with the mineral chews really, they don't need them.