Wet Tail

Syrian hamsters can all potentially carry the wet tail bacteria, usually this is kept under control but under stress the bacteria can overwhelm the system causing the hamster to become lethargic, suffer from a wet bottom area/diarrhoea and loss of appetite, a strong unpleasant smell is often present.
You MUST take your hamster to a vet as soon as you spot these symptoms as wet tail is a fast acting killer. Your vet will most likely prescribe antibiotics and a protein supplement. I cannot stress how important it is to consult a professional vet, you CAN NOT cure your hamster using pet shop bought medicine.

Over Grown Claws  

Sometimes claws become overgrown and need to be trimmed. Unless you are confident you can successfully attempt to do this yourself it is best to ask your local vet to do this for you. If the claws are not seriously long allowing your hamster to run on fine sandpaper may help wear them down, this should be done under supervision.

Overgrown Teeth

Hamster’s teeth grow continually and wood chews or dog biscuits should be provided to stop them overgrowing and causing problems. If your hamster stops eating and has a visibly sore mouth its time to consult a vet for a tooth trim.

Matted Fur

Long haired (often referred to as Teddy bear) hamsters sometimes get knots or bits of bedding stuck in their coat. Never attempt to bath your hamster to remove these, take a sharp pair of scissors and carefully remove the offending item.
Brushing your hamster can help knots from forming so try to do this regularly.

Skin Problems

Hamsters can contract Ringworm and Mange, symptoms include reddening of the skin and bald patches/general hair loss. These can be treated successfully by a vet.
Do not confuse your hamster’s scent glands that he/she has on each hip as a bald patch, these are perfectly normal.
Fleas are uncommon but are often a result of poor cage hygiene and can be treated with a small animal flea powder.

Colds

Hamsters can pick up human colds so never handle your pet if you have one. If your hamster appears to be snuffly provide plenty of bedding and keep him or her in a warm place.

Hibernation

If the room temperature drops below 10c/50f degrees your hamster may go into hibernation. This is basically a very deep sleep and it may appear that they have died as their whole body slows down.
Gently warm your hamster to see if he appears more lively. NEVER do this in an oven or Microwave!
The ideal temperature for your pet is around 68-78 degrees F.

Smelly Hamster?

Hamsters are odourless creatures, but poor cage cleaning can sometimes induce a pungent smell!
Ideally try to clean your hamster’s whole cage weekly, if the smell persists try removing the litter around the toilet area daily. Some hamsters can be ‘toilet trained’ to wee in a small pot or dish making this easier . Sometimes you will see your pet wee on their food, this is rather distasteful to humans but actually softens hard food matter making it easier to digest. 

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