My hamster isn't eating almost anything

[Pebbles82]

Is the pain relief the liquid one? I’d he still eating the baby food? That sounded good to me because it suggests he does want to eat tasty food but he won’t be able to eat properly with a broken tooth (and possible toothache too). So baby food is ideal as it can be licked.

He doesn’t sound very well but I will just go by what others said to me with our first hamster. You will know if he’s had enough and needs help. They kind of let you know. Like a cry for help. Not literally a cry but a sign. And I think every situation is different and you know your hamster. It’s an uncertain path. He may come round a bit (and I know you’re hoping the meds will help). Or he may get worse despite the meds. Or he may just stay the same for quite some time.

There used to be some markers for gauging if they were no longer enjoying life and those were - refusing food and water and no longer doing any normal hamstery things. It sounds like he fluctuates a bit and still does the odd normal thing. And as you said earlier he seems to be a little fighter and fighting it.

The difficult thing is knowing whether to wait longer or decide to have him pts to avoid suffering and you just have to go with what feels right at the time. It isn’t always a logical decision. With our first hamster he got a bit like Bogie but kept coming round. He still got out of his bed for his baby food and water and still used his toilet. When he struggled a bit getting out of bed I moved his food and water right next to his nest and he still wanted them.

He even would hop on his wheel occasionally until the last two weeks. Eventually he just stayed in his nest but clearly could get up as still used his toilet nearby. But he didn’t die. I almost wished he would just go. Then one night he left his nest and went to sleep under his shelf and his breathing sounded bad (like you mention) and I thought he would go that night. They abandon the next and go somewhere else to die sometimes - other animals do this too.

But he didn’t die. I then had that decision to make - should I wait another day or two or help him on his way. I waited another day. He just seemed to be sleeping all the time. But then he had a slight prolapse and that decided it for me - this was not going to be a quick death and could be very unpleasant so I ended up taking him to be pts as an emergency. The vet said he was unconscious and probably about to go anyway but I was relieved he was no longer suffering.

As Souffle said to me at the time - sometimes they have a strong heart. Meaning even when everything is failing they just don’t die.

Another thing she says sometimes is - better a day too soon than a day too late. A day too late is when they are clearly in terrible pain or something bursts and is acute for example.

So you just gauge it. But they also let you know sometimes. I think it’s their instinct to go to the nest or somewhere else to die but it isn’t always a quick process.

As my vet said - if you leave them long enough they will die in the cage - but that’s not always the right thing to do if you want to avoid suffering.

But your Bogie sounded like he wasn’t quite ready to go. Only you know that. Having said that, the laboured breathing is a sign he is really very poorly.

I worried about the stress of carting a dying hamster to the vets. Rather than leaving them in peace in their cage without upheaval and handing. But you just have to gauge the situation.

He might be telling you he’s ready to go now by ignoring you and sleeping more. But if he is still enjoying anything - eg the baby food or cucumber then it suggests he might not be quite ready.

People have their own views as well. The hardest decision I made was with our last Syrian as he was still reasonably active although began staggering occasionally. But he had a tumour behind his eye and I didn’t want him to suffer when he started getting the neurological effects. There was nothing more to be done to relieve suffering and then it’s the kindest thing to do to help them on their way. And they know you’re helping them.

No it isn’t silly telling then things - and yes they probably do understand some things. You have a bond and they know you’re voice and they communicate to us in a way too.

But sometimes I think they hang on for you too and you need to tell them it’s ok to go if they want to.

[Pebbles82]

If he is sleeping in his nest a lot I’d leave him and see how he is each day. If he is sitting hunched in a corner he will be in a lot of pain. If he is looking at you and looking sad he may be saying help.

Maybe tonight just say to him it’s ok to go if he wants.

[ShadowNinjaHamster]

He just tried to eat a cucumber. The thing is, he tries to eat but he can't even bite and he didn't want baby food anymore. I'll try again in the morning before we go to the vet. At one point he gave up on eating and wanted his toilet paper and other things back in his nest and also the thing he sleeps under. It's sorta like a bed for rodents and they're supposed to sleep on it, but yeah…
The pain reliever is a powder. He doesn't really like it and I had to force him to eat it. Another thing is that his eyes are always closed, except when I put him in his carrier and take him to the vet.

I am not sure whether he wants to go or not. He's still trying to eat and drink, even though it's painful, but not all the time. I'd feed him and give him drink myself if he'd open his mouth, but I can't get him to open it.
I am guessing he has eaten something, because otherwise he would've passed away by now.

I'll see what the vet thinks tomorrow, that is if he's still alive. I knew he was going to die in 2023. I expected him to go in Spring or Summer. It was just a guess, but um… Now it's too soon and I wasn't prepared for it. I also expected him to go very suddenly in his sleep, because I've read countless of stories on how hamsters pass away and most have said that their hamster played in the evening, were running on the wheel and by the morning they were suddenly dead.

It pains to see my hamster like that. I know you keep saying that it isn't my fault, but I keep thinking what did I do wrong and how did he break his tooth, because I thought I created a safe environment for him and I watched countless of videos of what to use and what not to use. I don't know. I just feel like it's my fault and I have many mixed emotions right now. I'll ask what the vet thinks and if she thinks euthanasia is the right thing to do then I'll do it, but then again he's more lively at the vet.
We'll see and I'll keep you updated.

[sushi_78]

When their teeth are brittle from illness, they can break just from normal eating or chewing. Given the context I'm sure it wouldn't have been anything wrong with his environment.

He does sound very unwell but one more thing you could try, if you wanted and the vet agreed, would be for him to stay at the vets for a day or two getting injected fluids and medications, to see if it helps him. But you might prefer for him to be comfortable at home with you, which is also understandable.

[ShadowNinjaHamster]

Originally Posted by sushi_78

When their teeth are brittle from illness, they can break just from normal eating or chewing. Given the context I'm sure it wouldn't have been anything wrong with his environment.

He does sound very unwell but one more thing you could try, if you wanted and the vet agreed, would be for him to stay at the vets for a day or two getting injected fluids and medications, to see if it helps him. But you might prefer for him to be comfortable at home with you, which is also understandable.

That's actually even better idea. He just came out from his nest, went to his house, came back out from the house and went back to it's nest. I wonder if he was looking for something.
I'll ask tomorrow if I can leave him there. They are professionals, I'm not.

Sometimes he seems to be doing better than yesterday and sometimes not. I'm not really sure anymore. He has been moving more today than yesterday though.

[Pebbles82]

Personally I think that could be putting him through more processes and he doesn’t sound fit to have surgery to remove the obstacle in his stomach/intestines. I would ask if they think he should be pts or wait a bit longer. They will probably leave it up to you to decide so really it’s more like deciding than asking. But if he’s not eating and his eyes are closed all the time he is suffering. On the plus side, if it’s the same as with humans, then if he is basically starting to starve that can cause a kind of euphoria that gives pain relief. I think I would rather have them in their familiar environment if not being pts. But see what your vet thinks. I can’t believe they can’t get hold of liquid Metacam.

[ShadowNinjaHamster]

I woke up to Bogie's noises. He's adding toilet paper to his nest. He even managed to bring one toilet paper with him. I don't know what to do. One night / day he didn't do anything.
I don't know what to do anymore.

[Ria P]

See what the vet suggests. Maybe the pain medication is helping. Before i go and see the vet, i write a list of all the questions i want to ask.

[ShadowNinjaHamster]

That thing in Bogie’s stomach is cancer

[cloudy]

I am so sorry to hear Bogie has cancer.