Help!! Brand new hamster owner with pregnant hamster - Page 2

Pebbles82 · 05-06-2016, 03:20 PM

I should just leave her to her own devices for a bit - she may be more active and come for it later on. Tricky at the moment as you are needing to leave her alone yet also remove the wheel, which as you say is quite a feat! Maybe do it during the day when she is asleep. Does it mean dismantling the cage? If so, could you disable it?

She is maybe on the verge of giving birth so best to leave her alone unless she comes out looking for you.

josiah416 · 05-06-2016, 06:15 PM

Oh removing the wheel is not a problem-- just a matter of unscrewing a knob.

I have been reading more on the subject, and at this point I wonder if it's a phantom pregnancy/ false pregnancy. Either way, I just want her to be ok.

WinnieTheHam · 05-07-2016, 02:34 AM

Is she still round? If she is, she hasn't given birth yet so I'd leave her be for now. You can try tempt her to come out with her favourite food at the other side of the cage to see if you can see into the nest. If she still doesn't look right in the next two days, I'd risk looking in her nest, remove her from her cage and use a spoon that's been rubbed in her toilet area to open the nest up a bit so you can see. Sometimes things can go wrong, so it's worth the risk of checking for the safety of mum, she may have had a difficult birth.

Mums will be on the nest nearly all the time. So she might be tired, and it could have been from suckling to why she was wobbling (or she's still pregnant). I'm sure you will hear some squeaks soon, sometimes if it's a small litter you won't really hear much. Is she on her nest a lot or is she out during the night and is active?

Nancy's Hamsters · 05-07-2016, 12:03 PM

By the photo shown of her underside she looks pregnant but not too far along in it as her nipples do look like they are starting to be milk filled but her over all size seems at maybe day 10-12. As for squeaks I have had litters that never made a sound cause Mom was very attentive and they were content.

Pebbles82 · 05-07-2016, 01:17 PM

It sounds like it's a case of waiting and just putting food and water out. Unless she is clearly looking unwell. If she's about to have pups then it would be just waiting till you see them emerge (is it two weeks?). I think Vectis said on another thread, she gives the extra protein food till after the pups are born. How did she seem today? Tricky trying to keep your distance and still observe her.

josiah416 · 05-07-2016, 03:41 PM

Ok, big update for me. I haven't touched Sophie in days because I wanted to give her space, but I needed to know she was okay, so I picked her up today. I could feel well defined bumps underneath her about the size of a marble. Maybe 6 bumps, not too many. I have had her 17 days. She hasn't eaten from her bowl in 24 hours. I'm pretty sure we're going to have a litter soon. Thanks guys for all your help and support!

josiah416 · 05-07-2016, 04:16 PM

Also, I feel the need to say that I have read more about breeding, and I am understanding why only professional breeders should ever breed a hamster (this was an unintentional pregnancy that did not occur on my watch). I have become so attached to this hamster and it makes me so sad that she became pregnant at such a young age-- it has to be so tough on her. So I'm torn between being worried for Sophie and being hopeful that she has a healthy litter. I just know at the end of the day, taking care of this little hamster, the newest member of my family, is my main priority.

josiah416 · 05-07-2016, 10:59 PM

I just checked her again. Something is not right--she hasn't been coming out even to drink, and when I take her near the water bottle she is not interested. She also has a poop stuck halfway out. I can still feel the bumps which I imagine are where the babies should be-- but again something just isn't right. She is lethargic beyond what I would expect from a mother about to give birth-- she just lets me handle her without any resistance, and this is a non-tame hamster that I got 2 1/2 weeks ago. It seems like she is dying and giving up-- not that she is pregnant.

I'm very concerned. Tomorrow is Sunday so the vet is closed. I don't know what to do at this point.

Pebbles82 · 05-07-2016, 11:21 PM

Goodness I am so sorry. I'm not a breeder but it does sound like she shouldn't be lethargic like that. Could you try ringing your vet number anyway? They might have an emergency number. I would suggest starting a new thread so the breeders see it - something like pregnancy problem. I don't know what to suggest if you can't get hold of a vet - it sounds like she needs some assistance. I've just googled though and according to this it sounds like lethargy is normal. She is probably about to give birth any day. Maybe just stroke her gently and say reassuring words and pop her back so she can have the babies, when you see her out and about avoid handling her and just put the food and water out.

How to Care for Your Pregnant Hamster (with Pictures)

Although ignore some of the other information on that link! Some doesn't sound good at all lol - like it says give her a wheel.

According to this Syrians go 16 to 18 days, so she may be about to give birth, and if she hasn't by Monday then maybe get vet help if you can't get to speak to anyone today (Sunday). I was just thinking if there's an emergency number there may be something they can advise over the phone.

http://www.petwebsite.com/hamsters/s..._gestation.asp

CMB · 05-07-2016, 11:27 PM

She may have birthing problems, especially if she is young. See if you can get an emergency vet appointment. If the vets aren't open they often have an out of hours or emergency phone number