仓鼠 Tsang Shu

My wife was scared that the hamster had escaped, so I took the roof off of the six room hideout. There were two tunnels dug under the house.IMG_8866.jpeg
 
Tsang Shu has a doctor's appointment at 8:45 tomorrow morning. The veterinarian is 12 minutes away. If Tsang Shu does not appear on the surface to eat or to run in the wheel, I will need to uncover her to put her in the travel cage. Take the bedding away and find her. This will be her initial checkup. I think I will use gloves.
 
Do you have some concerns about her health or do you just want the vet to check her over? It’s not normally necessary to take a hamster to the vet unless they are ill or injured, it will be a very stressful expereince for her & it’s important to avoid stress with hamsters as much as is possible.
Chinese hamsters don’t bite unless they are extremely scared then there is a chance they might but they aren’t biters if treated carefully.
 
I can understand you are feeling concerned but Tsang Shu has not settled yet. She will still be feeling unsure. She is in a new home, with new smells, new people, new food. They do suggest not to try to interact with a new hamster for at least one week.

I would let her settle. I am sure once she is settled you will find she is more active. :)
 
I agree. It would be too much stress right now. She has just had a huge change of environment and taking her out of that right now would not do her any good. Obviously if she is unwell then she would need to see a vet.

Hamsters are actually very healthy creatures generally and unless they show signs of illness they don’t need a vet check.

If it’s something that concerns you and you want some reassurance that is ok then I would at least wait a couple of weeks until she feels more at home in her environment.

She will hide away pribably in those first two weeks, but then gradually gain in confidence and be out and about a bit more at times and even interact with you.

With hamsters it takes a bit of time and patience initially, and letting them do things on their own terms. That can then lead to a very special bond when they trust you and could eat from your hand or hop on it, or have some out of cage time with you.

At the moment she is just a frightened baby hamster :) Sometimes people forget they are still babies.
 
If a hamster looks well to you they will probably look well to a vet and there isn't much a vet can do at a general checkup apart from make sure they're not too skinny, their fur is sleek and shiny, eyes are bright, walking on all four legs etc. All things you can do yourself at home. Vets aren't usually able to spot illnesses that aren't already obvious to the owner. That's why general checkups aren't usually necessary for hamsters and I think in this case it would be unnecessarily disruptive to Tsang Shu.
 
This is a new exotic pet vet.
I want to introduce myself to this vet.
She weighs 32.9 grams on 7/15/23
Now I can tell if she is gaining weight.
 
Why do you need to take Tsang Shu to the vet? Is she ill? And why did your wife think that she escaped? Did someone leave a door open?

Sorry for all the questions but it is important for a new hamster's wellbeing to give them a chance to settle in.

If you have a reason for concern and you think that she is unwell then it is necessary to see a vet of course.
 
You people seem nervous. I just drove her to the veterinary office to get a check up. It was cute. She bit the vet tech, who tried to pick her up. I suggested the tech weigh the hamster in a box, then deposit the hamster in the cage and weigh the box. Subtract. 32.9 grams

The exotic pet veterinarian examined my hamster. He advised me to watch for Wet Tail, Lung Issues and Skin Issues. Steady feeding, exercise, avoiding sweets, spinach leaves or arugula once a week.

Everyone calm down. The hamster is back home. No worse for wear and tear.
 
I'm glad to hear the vet visit went well. I think your vet's advice is sound and 32g is a good weight for a Chinese hamster. Aside from the lung and skin issues, with a Chinese hamster you also need to watch out for symptoms of diabetes as they're prone to it. Symptoms would mainly be excessive drinking and peeing.

I know we might have sounded overcautious but we tend to advise based on what has worked best for our own hamsters and they can be quite sensitive. However it's good to hear that Tsang Shu has settled in again at home. Looking forward to hearing more about her progress :)
 
Hamsters bite when they are afraid or stressed and wet tail can be caused by stress.

Was it really necessary to take your hamster to the vet and what was achieved by it? I'm not expecting you to answer this question because it's your hamster, your choice and none of my business. I try to look at things from a hamster's perspective as well as that of a human's.
 
It is a choice at the end of the day, and it is something some people do for reassurance when they get a new hamster, although personally I think it's better to wait a bit. However it's done and the hamster can settle in now.
 
I thought I had explained this. I will do so thoroughly now.

I took the hamster to one of two only vets in Memphis who treat hamsters. It is considered an exotic pet, here.

Nothing was wrong with my hamster.

The vet tech seemed less experienced than the actual doctor. She grabbed the hamster to weigh it. She placed it on the scale, it started to leave, she grabbed it. It bit her. I calmly suggested the subtraction method. I am a chef and am used to weighing awkward things.

The veterinarian noted her coat and looked at her face. He said no sweets which was the diabetic warning. He noted that hamsters are independent creatures, that if they become ill, with wet tail for instance, they die pretty quickly. He gave me his cell number, which I appreciated. He is a good vet who cares about animals.

I appreciate all feedback here. I choose to take from them what works and leave the rest. Thanks everyone for being so helpful.
 
It's good the vet warned you about no sweet things, as Chinese can be prone to diabetes. Not all of them, but some of them. And good you are now registered with an exotic vet. It can be a bit stressful for hamsters going to the vet, but she will get over it and settle in again now. I look forward to hearing more about her! She may well hide away a bit for a few days. Have you got a nightcam?
 
I hope she’s a little more settled this morning, it was a very stressful day for her, it’s not always easy to understand hamster behaviour when you’re new to them. It is important for hamsters to avoid stress as much as possible.

As Daisy said diabetes is one of the main things to look out for but kidney disease is also quite common in female Chinese hams with some similar symptoms so that’s something else to be aware of.
I’m not sure what skin issues your vet may have been referring to but did he mention skin splits? These are more common in females too & something you need to look out for.

When you say you decide what advice to take think about what works best for your hamster, I have nine years experience keeping Chinese hamsters & even though I had other species before it was a steep learning curve, they are quite different & a suitable set up in the enclosure can make all the difference to their life health & the way they interact & bond with you,
 
I set up the cage in the same way. I emptied her food dish and placed two spoons of food in the dish.

When I put her in the cage, she dove under the bedding. I will report any further movement or behavior.
 
I think it’s fair to say that most if no all of us made mistakes when we began keeping hamsters, there’s a lot to learn.
 
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I am open to new suggestions, but the idea of the water bottle on top of her house was physically impossible. There is not enough room there for the water bottle.

I read every message and it makes me ponder.
 
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