Register FAQ Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read
Navigation
Front Page
Forum
Gallery
Wiki

Ads by Google


Go Back   Hamster Central > Hamster Central Forum Topics > Hamster Healthcare

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 02-02-2022, 02:27 AM   #1
Hagane80
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Feb 2022
Posts: 7
Exclamation Help! Weird temporary rasping sounds: allergy or respiratory disease?

Hello!
My hamster, Mame chan, is a 1 year 4 month old female Winter White. She's always been sweet and tame. She seems healthy and is very active at night. 2 months ago she was sleeping next to me (as she sometimes does when she wakes up in the morning and I get her out for a snack, then sit on the bed with her), when she suddenly started making weird rasping sounds. It sounded a bit like hiccup or coughing and lasted for about 10 minutes. When she woke up she looked completely fine and was quiet as usual. I was worried, so I brought her to the exotic vet and her x-rays came back pretty inconclusive, showing no real signs of infection. The vet said that he was unsure and she seemed fine, but he suspected a very early onset of pneumonia and prescribed an antibiotic for 14 days, twice a day.

I have no idea if the therapy worked, because Mame chan never showed any symptoms other than those 10 minutes of weird sounds. The antibiotic seemed to bother her a bit: she suffered from constipation for a couple days, had less appetite and was less active. After completing the full 14 day-course, I gave her vitamins and probiotics until she got better.

All was great until 2 days ago, when she fell asleep next to me and again started making those weird rasping sounds, this time for about 45 minutes (louder for 10 minutes, then gradually weaker). Eventually she stopped completely and seemed normal. Again, I brought her to the vet, and again, the x-rays showed no signs of infection. The lungs and the head/nose area appeared clear, with no inflammation. The vet said there seems to be nothing wrong, but he's not sure; so like 2 months ago he prescribed her another 14 day-course of antibiotics. But like last time, Mame chan is very active at night, she's eating and drinking normally, and shows no symptoms of a respiratory disease a part from those isolated sounds.

Since that day, I listen close to her enclosure everytime I can and never heard her making a single sound. Whenever she's fallen asleep next to me she's been completely quiet. She doesn't show any signs of discomfort, wet nose/eyes, or laboured breathing.

I don't understand: if the x-rays show no clear signs of an infection, wouldn't the antibiotic be useless? I'm scared it would it just weaken her immune system and mess up with her gut flora. I'd rather not give her any medication if the scans show no infection, but I don't want to leave her without any treatment in case she indeed has an infection.

Here's a 1 minute video of her making those sounds: IMG_4210.MOV - Google Drive
And here's a 33 seconds video of her just a few hours after that episode, sleeping and breathing normally: IMG_4233.mov - Google Drive

Have any of you ever heard these rasping sounds, that happen once then just stop completely, in a hamster that shows no symptoms of a respiratory illness? Could it be asthma, or an allergic reaction to the hay that I sometimes sprinkle in her enclosure? I now removed it completely, just in case. Her bedding is just aspen chips and unscented paper, and I use non-dust unscented sand for hamsters/reptiles in her bath box.

Should I give her the antibiotic again? Is there any other diagnostic test to see for sure if she has pneumonia? I love my little hamster, I want her to be 100% healthy. Sorry for the very long post and many questions, I'm confused and very worried. Any input or advice would be very appreciated.
Hagane80 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-02-2022, 12:01 PM   #2
Ria P
House of Hamsters
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Wiltshire, UK
Posts: 7,103
Default Re: Help! Weird temporary rasping sounds: allergy or respiratory disease?

For some unknown reason my phone won't play your video so i can't hear the sounds your hamster is making.

Hamster do make strange and at times alarming sounds when they are asleep and dreaming.

All i can suggest is to get a second opinion from another vet and play him/her the video. An exotics vet or general, hamster knowledgeable vet should be able to identify the sounds.
Ria P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-02-2022, 09:09 PM   #3
Hagane80
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Feb 2022
Posts: 7
Default Re: Help! Weird temporary rasping sounds: allergy or respiratory disease?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ria P View Post
For some unknown reason my phone won't play your video so i can't hear the sounds your hamster is making.

Hamster do make strange and at times alarming sounds when they are asleep and dreaming.

All i can suggest is to get a second opinion from another vet and play him/her the video. An exotics vet or general, hamster knowledgeable vet should be able to identify the sounds.

Thank you for replying! ☺️
I don’t know why the videos don’t work. I’ve also uploaded them on youtube though, here are the links:
Video 1 (rasping sounds): Weird rasping sounds (coughing? Hiccup?) - YouTube
Video 2 (silence and regular breathing, just a few hours after): Mame chan breathing normally, just a few hours after that episode. - YouTube
(Sorry if you know this already, but I’ve noticed that to see any videos on this forum you first have to click on the confirmation to visit an external website.)

My vet is specialized in exotic animals. I live in Japan, and here any knowledge about hamsters well-being/treatment is still underdeveloped. Even specialized vets can only perform x-rays or ecos; for everything else they just prescribe antibiotics, even if they’re unsure of the issue.

2 months ago, when Mame chan made these sounds for the first time, I asked another exotic vet for a second opinion (and of course, I showed the video to both vets): she also said that the sounds seemed a bit concerning, but she couldn’t see nothing wrong in her x-rays, and to just give her the antibiotic anyway. And so I did. But now I’m suspecting an allergy or asthma, so I’d like to hear more opinions and get to the bottom of this.

Since Monday afternoon, Mame chan has been completely fine and quiet. I know hamsters can mask symptoms really well, but she shows zero signs of a respiratory disease. Her breathing seems normal, she’s active at night and she’s quiet all the time, like in the second video I uploaded. Whenever I’m home I’m checking on her if she’s awake, and basically living with my ear glued to her enclosure if she’s sleeping; all I hear is complete silence (except for the occasional crunching when she’s eating). She’s also not doing the typical “clicking/jumpy” movements or sounds that I remember in a few of my previous hamsters that had a cold or a lung infection.

If she has a respiratory trait disease or pneumonia, shouldn’t she show signs of it sometimes/more often? I’m so confused. I wonder if it could have been they hay, the laundry detergent that I use to wash her blanket, or the heating; the air is very dry here in winter, despite the humidifier.

I called the vet and asked him if I can wait to give the antibiotic and just keep a very close eye on her for 1 week: he said he sees nothing wrong in the x-rays so it’s fine. I’m gonna bring her to the clinic next week anyway, and probably ask for an eco. Maybe it’ll show more and help us understand what’s going on.

Thank you for reading, I’ll keep you updated! ❤️

Last edited by Hagane80; 02-02-2022 at 09:28 PM. Reason: typos
Hagane80 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-03-2022, 12:11 AM   #4
Ria P
House of Hamsters
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Wiltshire, UK
Posts: 7,103
Default Re: Help! Weird temporary rasping sounds: allergy or respiratory disease?

You mention a blanket. Is the blanket inside her enclosure? Hamsters should not have fabric without supervision like in a playpen because they may chew the fabric and the fibre can be harmful when ingested.

Hay could cause an allergic reaction and is not necessary for hamsters. Hay should always be frozen before use to kill any bugs and their eggs.
Ria P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-03-2022, 01:09 AM   #5
Ria P
House of Hamsters
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Wiltshire, UK
Posts: 7,103
Default Re: Help! Weird temporary rasping sounds: allergy or respiratory disease?

I was able to watch the videos now and was amazed at how tame Mame chan is. What a lovely little hamster.

I'm as puzzled as you are which is of no help to you but have heard dwarf hamsters make screechy kind of sounds before that sound a bit similar but were not health related.

I agree that the sounds would occur more often if Mame chan had pneumonia or respiratory issues or at least one would have thought so.

I hope your vet will be able to find out what is going on and please keep us updated.
Ria P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-03-2022, 07:34 AM   #6
Hagane80
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Feb 2022
Posts: 7
Default Re: Help! Weird temporary rasping sounds: allergy or respiratory disease?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ria P View Post
You mention a blanket. Is the blanket inside her enclosure? Hamsters should not have fabric without supervision like in a playpen because they may chew the fabric and the fibre can be harmful when ingested.

Hay could cause an allergic reaction and is not necessary for hamsters. Hay should always be frozen before use to kill any bugs and their eggs.
Thanks again for replying and watching the videos. I really appreciate it!

The blanket is NOT inside her enclosure, it’s a soft, absorbent blanket that I lay on my bed when she wants to sleep outside of her enclosure, so if she has to pee she’s not gonna wet the sheets.

Btw, her enclosure is a big bin box (she also has a playpen, but she mainly sleeps in it instead of playing ). She has no fabric or cotton in it, just aspen chips an a lot of unscented paper bedding, where she likes to dig her tunnels. She eats a mix of Mazuri lab blocks, little seeds like millet, canary and quinoa, and I give her fresh veggies once a day. As a treat, I give her 2 sunflower seeds a day, no snacks or fruit… all in all, I think she has a healthy diet and life. She loves to run on her wheel at night, and she’s the sweetest little hammie.

I used to freeze the hay before sprinkle it on top of the paper bedding, but now I removed it and I won’t do it anymore.

Today I requested a consultation with a different exotic vet in my area, and another online consultation too. After watching the videos, they both said they’d still recommend the antibiotic. They said those rasping sounds are concerning, that x-rays are very hard to understand in hamsters, and the antibiotic is still less risky than a full blown pneumonia infection.

I’m still confused, but since 3 professionals all suggested antibiotic I decided to start the treatment today. I’m a bit sad, because she has no symptoms and so I won’t see any improvement. Also, I’m worried that the fact that Mame chan is only 1 year and 4 months and already had to be treated with antibiotic twice, doesn’t bode well for her life expectancy. But I hope I’m wrong. My previous hamsters all lived long lives - one of them even more than 3 years without any disease - and I wish the same for Mame chan too. ❤️

I’ll keep you updated.
Hagane80 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-04-2022, 05:00 PM   #7
Pebbles82
Hamster Antics
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 23,533
Default Re: Help! Weird temporary rasping sounds: allergy or respiratory disease?

I watched the first video and I think she might just be squeaking or making a weird noise in her dreams. If it was respiratory it would be all the time.
Pebbles82 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-04-2022, 05:43 PM   #8
Hagane80
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Feb 2022
Posts: 7
Unhappy Re: Help! Weird temporary rasping sounds: allergy or respiratory disease?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Serendipity7000 View Post
I watched the first video and I think she might just be squeaking or making a weird noise in her dreams. If it was respiratory it would be all the time.
Thank you for watching the video! The first time she made that noise, 2 months ago for about 12 minutes, I thought so too, because she was asleep when it happened. However, the exotic veterinarian prescribed antibiotcs anyway.

This time I was more confused, because those sounds lasted about 45 minutes and Mame chan also kept making them briefly while awake. That’s why we brought her to the vet again. But despite the fact that the x-rays appeared clear, that she had no other symptoms and she didn’t make a single peep for 4 days after that episode, she still got prescribed antibiotics.

I feel like the veterinarians don’t listen to me: I explained it clearly, but maybe they think that she makes those rasping noises all the time? I’m crying everyday because I’m afraid I’m gonna weaken Mame chan’s immune system with the antibiotic, despite the fact that I don’t think she needed it. What should I do?

Is there any GOOD veterinarian for exotic animals (doesn’t matter where in the world, as long as he speaks English, Italian or Japanese) that you would recommend and that does paid online consultation? Of course I’m not expecting anyone to provide a diagnosis or medications online, just his/her professional opinion on why this could happen. I’m really distressed and so worried all the time.
Hagane80 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-05-2022, 04:49 AM   #9
Ria P
House of Hamsters
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Wiltshire, UK
Posts: 7,103
Default Re: Help! Weird temporary rasping sounds: allergy or respiratory disease?

Did your vets check your hamster's heart rate? A slow heart rate could lead to fluid in the lungs causing a rasping sound but again, it would be apparent much more often.

It could be that the sounds are behavioural because she's not in her nest where hamsters normally sleep.

Sleep and vocalizations are connected going by my own dwarf hamsters behaviours. They make similar but quite loud screeching/rasping sounds when i unintentionally disturb them while they are sleeping.

I doubt that an online vet would be able to indentify the sounds because sounds are very individual to hamsters. Vets try to diagnose illnesses and when they can't then they prescribe antibiotics as a way of elimination. It's the same here in the UK.

Vets can only advise but in the end it's down to us whether to follow their advice or not. You can get probiotics for hamsters online to support their gastric system while on antibiotics.
Ria P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-05-2022, 10:27 PM   #10
Hagane80
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Feb 2022
Posts: 7
Default Re: Help! Weird temporary rasping sounds: allergy or respiratory disease?

Thank you, Ria P!

You’re right. I guess I was expecting the vet to maybe ask more questions about Mame’s usual behaviour, her habitat, etc. I tried to tell him all these things, and that I suspect an allergy because Mame made these sounds once in a blue moon, but he didn’t seem very interested. (He did check Mame’s heart rate though, and said it was normal.)

All the exotic vets I’ve been to, here in Tokyo, are very brief and don’t seem to want to get to the bottom of things. It wasn’t like this in my home country and we have more advanced treatments/diagnostic exams available for hamsters, so this makes me a bit sad.

I wante to add one thing: I never force Mame to sleep anywhere outside of her enclosure, I don’t even wake her/get her out unless she wakes up by herself and try to climb on my hand. Then I sit with her on the blanket to give her a flaxseed or some veggies, and she often falls asleep while I pet her. When she wakes up, she looks for my hand and I bring her back to her enclosure. She’s behaved like that since she was like 4 months old… she’s extremely sweet. ❤️
Hagane80 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
sounds, infection, completely, vet, weird

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Optimisation provided by DragonByte SEO v2.0.43 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
Copyright © 2003-2022, Hobby Solutions
All times are GMT -7. The time now is 03:17 PM.