Wet or Damp Looking Backside?

FishiesG0Pook · 04-04-2010, 10:30 AM

So Cupcake is a new hamster to the household, we have a cat and a dog but they leave her alone mostly. Now I've had 3 hamsters before her, when I lived on my own with a roomie, but when I moved out my ex kept them. My other hammies never had wet tail.

We've had Cupcake for a few days now, and her back has suddenly began to look wet, at first I thought she'd let her water bottle drip on her, but it's been wet for two, almost three days now and I'm a little worried. I've heard of wet tail before and the symptoms, but it says the symptoms are a wet tail, not entire backside, or is that what they mean?

This is the best photo of her I could get with the wet back...

ALSO, I purchased the wet tail medication... but I got the kind that directly apply to the ham through a dropper to her mouth, not the water soluble kind, any tricks or techniques to get her to take it?

suga · 04-04-2010, 10:58 AM

If you think it could be wet tail then the best thing to do is to take the little one to a vet as they can go down hill really quickly. Souffle has just posted about wet tail on another thread.

suga · 04-04-2010, 11:01 AM

The title of the thread is "Worried about soft poo in bedding"

annie81 · 04-04-2010, 11:02 AM

yeah...definitely see a vet with her. she will need antibiotics

fluffymunchkins · 04-04-2010, 11:17 AM

again i agree a vet is needed its not possible to treat wet tail entirely on your own without immense experience!
She will become very dehydrated very quickly and its best to take her to the vets asap!
No waiting around.
Wet tail is not just an illness, its life threatening!

fluffymunchkins · 04-04-2010, 11:18 AM

sorry to alarm you, i'm not saying its defintely wet tail. But with a new young ham its very likely.

annie81 · 04-04-2010, 11:41 AM

herbert had these symptons as well when i got her and i went to the vet coz i was so scared...turned out that it wasnt wet tail. but its always better to be on the safe side

WinterbellHams · 04-04-2010, 01:19 PM

To me it looks as though she has some water/or veg oil on her coat... Have you put any of that in her cage? At any rate, the others have directed you to another thread to peak at.
I also want to go off topic for a second and let you know that the fluff you have in her cage is VERY dangerous.. It can go in the stomach and get blocked, twist around intestines, or get tangled in a limb and cause the animals leg to lose circulation.

fluffymunchkins · 04-04-2010, 01:21 PM

oh gosh yes i didn't notice the fluffy stuff!
if she injests some of that it could cause real problems

souffle · 04-05-2010, 03:25 AM

First of all as has been said get rid of the fluffy bedding immediatly. Use ripped white loo roll and you may find she dries up.
Do not use the wet tail meds as they are pointless and can do more harm than good.
Do you see any normal hard poos in the cage? Is the wetness on her back rather than the tummy.
It looks to me as if you have oiled or greased a squeaky wheel and she has got the oil on her fur. This can take ages to come off and you need to wipe her with loo roll to absorb it. Don't bath her or anything. It will wear off in time.
Stick with hamster mix for now and no extras. If she does have diorrhoea and smells bad or there is brown mess on her tummy or around her bottom you MUST see a vet as it needs antibiotics to have any chance of a cure.
If you have greased the wheel it is too small as the spindle is rubbing her back so make sure you get one at least 8in diameter like a Wodent wheel junior or a Comfort wheel.
Hope that helps