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Hamlet

It's tricky trying to change it to evening now it's started in the mornings. I guess one way would to leave it until bedtime and then put it out in food (eg the fruit method above) - and it will be gone by morning. So the first time the dose may be a few hours earlier but after that it would be the same time every night.

However if the honey and syringe method is working then that sounds good too! If he starts rejecting that then let us know!
 
Well we achieved honey and syringe again this morning but I did put him back with rather sticky whiskers! He was not that keen but took it in the end.

We did a small piece of plum with the steroid last night as I was not convinced he'd got any of that from the dog food in the morning. Nice empty bowl this morning so thanks for that Doodleham!

I can see us ending up switching to both in food. We shall see.
 
Has anyone had a respiratory infection before in a young hamster? Just wondering how long before seeing any improvement? Hamlet still seems really poorly. It's only day 3 of 7 on antibiotics but seems just the same. Still breathing very heavily 😢
 
I'm so sorry. If it's a nasty infection, it could take almost until day 7 and sometimes it needs a longer, 10 day course or even two weeks. How is he in himself? I would make another appointment with the vet for day 6, if possible, before the antibiotic runs out and for another check.

What dose is he having? Assume it's baytril? As with humans, if it's a virus, then antibiotics won't help and it will be a case of his immune system fighting it. But usually with hamsters, antibiotics does the trick. I've had to give them for 10 days before now, with an infection that was hard to shift.
 
The antibiotic is Marbocyl. He is getting 0.03ml. He's also on prednicare which was described as a steroid anti inflammatory I think? We have a follow up appointment on Monday already booked in at the vets request.
 
Ive used bytril before for budgies with respiratory infections. I hope it's the right antibiotic we have been given.
 
They are both broad spectrum antibiotics and sound similar, although Marbocyl sounds to have a stronger effect. So I wouldn't worry. Do you still have budgies by the way? That;s good the vet is doing a follow up. Is he eating and drinking ok? Using his wheel?
 
I'm sorry to hear little Hamlet is struggling. Perhaps the vet could nebulize him. I think they put hamsters into a box to nebulize them. It delivers medication to the lungs. I hope the meds take effect soon 🙏
 
He was in an incubator with oxygen when he was there on Tues. I guess we will see what they say on Monday!

He is eating and drinking. But slow to move around. And no playing on his wheel. He is maintaining weight at 130g.

We don't have budgies anymore. I miss my budgies!

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Beautiful budgies :-) Sorry I know it's hard when they go.

Is it an exotic vet? I think if it has not improved by the vet visit on Monday (when do the antibiotics finish - Monday or Sunday?) then maybe ask about continuing the antibiotics for another week. I hope the vet can help on Monday but fingers crossed he has improved in the next few days. Sometimes improvement isn't seen until right near the end of the weeks' worth of medication and that to me is a sign it should continue for a few more days or another week.

He doesn't make any snuffling or rasping sounds does he? Just the breathing.
 
No noise at all. Just looks to be breathing hard.

It is an exotics vet so hopefully they are on the ball. I got the impression that the check up was to see if a longer antibiotics course was warranted. The course finishes on Monday.
 
Such beautiful birds ❤ Poor Hamlet, I hope he gets better soon and can do his favourite things again soon like using his wheel. Poor fellow. He is lucky he has such a good owner who looks after him well 🙏❤
 
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Hamlet said:
Yes fingers crossed. I'm just about to pick him up now to take him home. Hopefully I will be able to get the medicine in him tomorrow. I have got the dog food. Off to get honey, prawn crackers and corned beef now 🤣
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I would have concerns about the corned beef or other processed meats as they can be very high in salt and nitrites. Can hamsters process nitrites? I just got done giving Metacam and Gabapentin (Neurontin) to my Peanut after surgery. I used a few drops of water, a little baby food and the liquid meds mixed together and used a bottle dropper to administer. The narrow dropper tip slides into their mouths right behind the teeth and the meds squirt right in :)
 
I've been doing well so far with honey in the morning round the mouth of the syringe and plum with the medicine dropped into a hole in the evening. If that starts to sail I might try the dog food again, or I have some strawberry and apple baby puree!
 
Yes corned beef isn't ideal - a last resort maybe. Sadly a lot of things contain preservatives - dried fruit and banana chips eg and some Hamster mixes contain fruits without declaring the ingredients of the ingredients as they don't have to by law. They only have to include the ingredients, not whether the ingredients individually contain preservatives. So yes best avoided. Thankfully most people have something in or can get hold of something else - eg runny honey or fruit or or can nip out and buy some prawn crackers! Sometimes food is the only way for the medication, if they spit the meds out and squirting it in can be a bit risky if it goes down the wrong way. None of these are particularly healthy either - honey, fruit (for some hamsters) and prawn crackers! But a tiny bit short term to get some meds down is a minor risk IMO :)
 
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Rescued One said:
I would have concerns about the corned beef or other processed meats as they can be very high in salt and nitrites. Can hamsters process nitrites? I just got done giving Metacam and Gabapentin (Neurontin) to my Peanut after surgery. I used a few drops of water, a little baby food and the liquid meds mixed together and used a bottle dropper to administer. The narrow dropper tip slides into their mouths right behind the teeth and the meds squirt right in :)
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You've done an excellent job there!
 
Maz said:
Yes corned beef isn't ideal - a last resort maybe. Sadly a lot of things contain preservatives - dried fruit and banana chips eg and some Hamster mixes contain fruits without declaring the ingredients of the ingredients as they don't have to by law. They only have to include the ingredients, not whether the ingredients individually contain preservatives. So yes best avoided. Thankfully most people have something in or can get hold of something else - eg runny honey or fruit or or can nip out and buy some prawn crackers! Sometimes food is the only way for the medication, if they spit the meds out and squirting it in can be a bit risky if it goes down the wrong way. None of these are particularly healthy either - honey, fruit (for some hamsters) and prawn crackers! But a tiny bit short term to get some meds down is a minor risk IMO :)
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Yes I agree. Sometimes you've got to do what you've got to do to get the meds in. I know Bruce shouldn't have been getting fruit daily but it was the only way he was taking his meds.
Rescued One said:
I would have concerns about the corned beef or other processed meats as they can be very high in salt and nitrites. Can hamsters process nitrites? I just got done giving Metacam and Gabapentin (Neurontin) to my Peanut after surgery. I used a few drops of water, a little baby food and the liquid meds mixed together and used a bottle dropper to administer. The narrow dropper tip slides into their mouths right behind the teeth and the meds squirt right in :)
Click to expand...
You've done well getting Peanut to take his meds. A very caring owner. Id be too scared to try that on a dwarf hamster incase the meds got in their lungs.
 
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Hamlet said:
I've been doing well so far with honey in the morning round the mouth of the syringe and plum with the medicine dropped into a hole in the evening. If that starts to sail I might try the dog food again, or I have some strawberry and apple baby puree!
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Well done you're doing a brilliant job
 
So not great news at the vet today unfortunately. Hamlet has not really improved at all. He's still breathing very heavily and not playing on things like his wheel which he used to do a lot. The vet suspects it's not an infection and more likely a tumour restricting his breathing. We have more steroids as that is the treatment they would use for that, but it's essentially terminal.

We talked about quality of life and how to know when to make the call to PTS. He's still eating and drinking but he tends to come out, wander around quite slowly for a bit, eat and then head back to his nest. We have been hamster sitting the schools pet hamster for the summer holidays. The difference in behaviour is stark between the two of them. She's just a full on ball of energy despite being a lot older.

We have only had him 4 months, and he's only about six months old. He's our first hamster and he's such a sweet little thing. He's got a beautiful house, with lots to keep him busy and it just seems so unfair for him to not to get to have a long and happy life enjoying that.

😢
 
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