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Old 10-04-2021, 01:08 PM   #1
Victoriaraechelfan
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Oct 2021
Posts: 4
Default New hamster owner..worried

Hello, i haven’t had a hamster since I was a child and I just got a male Syrian hamster who’s about 8 weeks old and he’s sleeping a lot! I’ve noticed he’s awake and very lively from about 2am-8am and then doesn’t leave his nest/house any other time in the day and just goes toilet and eats in his bed where he stored food. Is this normal? We’ve had him 4 days and haven’t held him yet and been very careful to not scare him or stress him out but is he maybe just scared of us? Or extra sleepy because he’s so young?

We also had a scare 2 days ago when his bedding was soaked in red urine that I thought was blood, but he had eaten carrot so could it have been dyed red from that? We took away the carrot and by the next day his urine was normal colour again, but I’m still worried incase it was blood, however apart from sleeping a lot he looks healthy, his ears are perky, his face looks bright and normal, he’s eating and drinking, and runs like crazy on his wheel and is busy making nests so doesn’t seem unwell when he’s awake. If anyone has any advice or reassurance I would be so grateful I’m so nervous all the time checking he’s alive and worrying I’m doing something wrong! Thanks!
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Old 10-06-2021, 06:27 PM   #2
Lilafernim
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Join Date: Sep 2021
Posts: 409
Default Re: New hamster owner..worried

Hi,

It is true that lethargy can be a symptom of illness but every hamster I’ve owned slept a lot. I suppose we see them as sleeping a lot also as the times we sleep they’re awake, so it appears like they’re forever sleeping. They might think we’re lazy when they’re up and they hear us sleeping for so long!

It is also very new, like I said every hamster I’ve owned slept nocturnal hours when I first got them but with handling they adjusted to my times more. So with my previous hamster, 9pm sharp she’d get up, see me, then she’d go for another nap before getting up for the night!

It can also just be their personality and normally male Syrians are known to be more calm and relaxed.

The part I do worry about is the urine. Ive not had that before even from giving them carrot, are you 100% it was the wee? If it was, I’d consider going to a vets, or at very least see if it happens again.
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Old 10-08-2021, 06:44 AM   #3
Victoriaraechelfan
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Default Re: New hamster owner..worried

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lilafernim View Post
Hi,

It is true that lethargy can be a symptom of illness but every hamster I’ve owned slept a lot. I suppose we see them as sleeping a lot also as the times we sleep they’re awake, so it appears like they’re forever sleeping. They might think we’re lazy when they’re up and they hear us sleeping for so long!

It is also very new, like I said every hamster I’ve owned slept nocturnal hours when I first got them but with handling they adjusted to my times more. So with my previous hamster, 9pm sharp she’d get up, see me, then she’d go for another nap before getting up for the night!

It can also just be their personality and normally male Syrians are known to be more calm and relaxed.

The part I do worry about is the urine. Ive not had that before even from giving them carrot, are you 100% it was the wee? If it was, I’d consider going to a vets, or at very least see if it happens again.
Thank you so much for your reply, you’ve reassured me his sleeping patterns are pretty normal! But I woke up this morning to more blood after seeing nothing red for days and I know for sure it’s blood this time as I could see it coming from his bottom end and he hasn’t eaten any red food, not sure which part of his bottom but he’s booked in to see the vet today, I’m so worried I hope he’s ok and wish I had taken him sooner, however he seemed totally fine all week until today so I thought was a one off weird pee and didn’t want to stress him out with a vet trip, but just hoping the vet can help, thanks again
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Old 10-09-2021, 01:38 AM   #4
Noxoy
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 33
Default Re: New hamster owner..worried

My hamster is a bit like yours she usually sleeps until 11-12 at night. Then she comes up for a drink and a treat. Sometimes she is awake at 5 in the morning but not always.

I don’t know about the urine but I doubt carrot would colour it red.
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Old 10-09-2021, 12:32 PM   #5
Lilafernim
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Default Re: New hamster owner..worried

I am really sorry to hear it is definitely blood. But I am really glad he is going to the vets.

I think rule of thumb is if in doubt, take them to the vets. I had a hamster who recently passed away, I think of an underlying health condition. Like you though, I didn’t see any ill symptoms so I dismissed it. Mine had a limp the day before she passed away and I just thought she’d fell somewhere. And even that morning, she felt bloated but it wasn’t lumps like you see on the internet.

She was eating, drinking, she still had this limp and was sleeping more but nothing like thinking she’d actually pass away that night.

By the afternoon she blew up like a balloon (was too late to call the vets) and she sadly passed away I guess of an erupted tumour that had been an underlying health condition I hadn’t known about.

My point is (sorry blabbering!) hamsters are REALLY good at hiding pain and you can think nothing of it. So when something like this happens, it’s easy to dismiss small things. But there’s no point blaming yourself and a vet bill is better than a hamsters passing.

I hope he does get better. Wishing you both the best and finger crossed 🤞🐹
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Old 10-09-2021, 06:01 PM   #6
Victoriaraechelfan
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Posts: 4
Default Re: New hamster owner..worried

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lilafernim View Post
I am really sorry to hear it is definitely blood. But I am really glad he is going to the vets.

I think rule of thumb is if in doubt, take them to the vets. I had a hamster who recently passed away, I think of an underlying health condition. Like you though, I didn’t see any ill symptoms so I dismissed it. Mine had a limp the day before she passed away and I just thought she’d fell somewhere. And even that morning, she felt bloated but it wasn’t lumps like you see on the internet.

She was eating, drinking, she still had this limp and was sleeping more but nothing like thinking she’d actually pass away that night.

By the afternoon she blew up like a balloon (was too late to call the vets) and she sadly passed away I guess of an erupted tumour that had been an underlying health condition I hadn’t known about.

My point is (sorry blabbering!) hamsters are REALLY good at hiding pain and you can think nothing of it. So when something like this happens, it’s easy to dismiss small things. But there’s no point blaming yourself and a vet bill is better than a hamsters passing.

I hope he does get better. Wishing you both the best and finger crossed 🤞🐹
Thank you so much, the vet thinks it’s a UTI so he has painkiller and antibiotics, the only way I’m managing to make him take it is by dripping it onto cucumber so hope that’s ok as the vet wanted me to “scruff him” which I’m too scared to do as we haven’t got to holding stage yet and will stress him and me out equally! And as we’ve only had him one week the pet shop kindly covered the vet bill, although the vet experience was stressful for him and he tried to bite the vet a lot! But not seen anymore blood and he seems ok but like you say he could just be hiding the pain very well! But will keep going with the meds and hope he recovers.
I’m so sorry to hear about your recent experience with your hamster, that must have been so scary and upsetting. But yes in the future I will definitely go to the vet if in doubt! Thanks again
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Old 10-09-2021, 06:05 PM   #7
Victoriaraechelfan
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Join Date: Oct 2021
Posts: 4
Default Re: New hamster owner..worried

Quote:
Originally Posted by Noxoy View Post
My hamster is a bit like yours she usually sleeps until 11-12 at night. Then she comes up for a drink and a treat. Sometimes she is awake at 5 in the morning but not always.

I don’t know about the urine but I doubt carrot would colour it red.
Thank you I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one and it’s normal to have a sleeping pattern like that. And yes i now know it was blood in the urine but vet gave us antibiotics for UTI now so hopefully won’t be any more!
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Old 10-10-2021, 02:54 AM   #8
Lilafernim
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Default Re: New hamster owner..worried

No problem 😊 I’m so glad he’s better!

I will also say though, after my experience I found out that pet shops don’t check for underlying health conditions so it’s quite common for these things to happen.

As they’re mass produced in hamster mills for pretty colours and not health. I have had four hamsters in my life from a pet shop and the one who passed away is to be fair, the first I’ve had an issue with.

I’m glad they covered the bill, but in the future (this is what I’m doing now) maybe see if there are any ethical breeders or ones wanting adoption. They don’t cost any more, and avoids the pain of seeing a hammie get sick.

I’m happy to hear things are going better and I hope he lives a long and prosperous life from now. (Also for the syringe don’t do it all the time as he needs to get used to your smell but you could wear gloves just while you syringe him)
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Old 10-10-2021, 04:38 AM   #9
GhostBella
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Join Date: Jul 2021
Posts: 44
Default Re: New hamster owner..worried

All totally normal! Mines up at 5:30pm till 1am ish then she goes to bed and gets bk up around 6am stays awake till 9am ill iv given her her morning toast.
When she was a baby she slept from 5am till 11pm! Like any baby animal they sleep more than there up! Its important you dont interfere with that, totally normal! Your boy will get himself into a routine then you will no whats normal or not. Eating weeing and pooing during the day in her bed is what all hamsters do.
Hes alert eating drinking exercising all good signs you have a happy healthy hamster! There from the hot desert hamsters are tougher and robust than they look. The only thing you could start doing wrong is not leaving him alone or start to wake him up, that will lead to aggression and lack of trust.
Mine thinks shes a dog most of the time, carrying sticks like a dog, jumping down off the sofa like a dog and when shes out and i get up shes on my heels following me like a dog. Thats the norm for Bella
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