Extremely smelly hammy??

Oreothebabyhammy · 03-23-2016, 02:25 PM

Please help, I've had my little Russian dwarf hammy Oreo for almost a year now but recently I've been having to clean his bed out every day or two because the smell is repulsive , he's always pooped inside his bed but it has never smelt this bad before, is he just getting old ?
any advice ? X

**Cinnamon Bear** · 03-23-2016, 02:49 PM

It's his urine that is smelling, the poop doesn't have any odor. As hammies get older their urine can get stronger but a year doesn't seem old?

How old was he when you got him? How old is his approximate age?

18-24 mo is when they are beginning to really age

Oreothebabyhammy · 03-23-2016, 03:01 PM

We adopted him and the guy who gave us him had no idea how old he was said he was fully grown though

**Cinnamon Bear** · 03-23-2016, 03:34 PM

He is most likely entering elderly months then, it could be age related urine smell, especially if his overall health is the same?

Have you noticed any other changes in or around him? Any new animals (female hammies) in the living area? Males scent mark too, so any changes, more frequent cage cleanings for example can trigger this scent marking, so just as fast as you clean he will stink it right up again

I don't know what else it could be besides age if all other factors are the same? Will see what others say? My elderly female winter white , her urine seems stronger now than when she was young, she's approximately 20 mo old.

Oreothebabyhammy · 03-23-2016, 04:50 PM

Well his all around health has been fine and we haven't moved in any female hamster but did buy two female gerbils a few months back

**Cinnamon Bear** · 03-23-2016, 04:56 PM

Yeah, if this recently started then it's most likely not the female gerbils, let's see if anybody else posts?

cypher · 03-23-2016, 10:21 PM

Is he peeing & or drinking more than he used to?

Oreothebabyhammy · 03-24-2016, 01:57 AM

I haven't noticed him drinking more if anything he's drinking less he hardly ever comes out his bed anymore

cypher · 03-24-2016, 02:02 AM

If he's getting old his kidneys may not function quite as well as they would when he was younger & his pee could just be a bit more concentrated & smelly, only guessing really it could also be that he has a UTI but I really couldn't say for sure, if he doesn't come out so much it could be either that he's beginning to age & so become less active or it could be a sign that he's not really well so I would keep a close eye on things.

Pebbles82 · 03-24-2016, 02:16 AM

Does it smell of strong pee or something more foul? I'm just wondering if he could have a urine infection.