Deceased body position *sensitive*

M

Miff

New member
Member
Messages
2
Reaction score
4
Points
3
Hi all, I’ve just found our hamster sadly passed away. His body is in a strange position that I’ve never seen before, having owned 20+ hams over the years.
His head and neck looked elongated and angled to the side. Body straight, with paws tucked under. Eyes and mouth closed. No obvious signs of illness or injury.
His face was against the wall of the cage although that could maybe have been me trying to find him. He was buried well in his bed.
Any thoughts? It’s upsetting to have seen him like this.
 
Hello. I'm very sorry for your loss. It must have been a shock. I'm afraid I don't know what could have happened or why, but death is never a pleasant thing and we never know what can have happened. It's possible it could have been some kind of spasm. It was probably a quick death which can be a blessing. If you are really concerned to know the cause, there is the possibility of an autopsy - a vet can organise that.
 
Hello & welcome to the forum.
I’m really sorry for your loss, it’s always hard to lose a hamster & a sudden unexpected death is always a shock.
How old was your hamster.
As for the position, it really doesn’t sound that strange to me, they can sort of stretch out or contort a bit as they take their last breath, occasionally they can have a kind of fit at the very end of life probably related to the breathing difficulties that come with death, I’ve had a few die in my hands now & see things like this.
It’s possible your hamster could have had a stroke too which may explain things, it mainly happens with older hamsters but I have had one that had a stroke & sudden death quite young.
 
Just wanted to add that from my observations the things I mentioned above appear to be due to a lack of oxygen to the brain as their organs shut down & while this really isn’t easy to see they are unconscious & unresponsive by this stage & I think it’s highly unlikely that they are aware of anything which is some small comfort.
 
Welcome to the forum. I am so very sorry for your loss. I can understand you wanting answers and it playing on your mind. If you wish to, we have a rainbow bridge thread on here were you can write a tribute to your hamster.
 
Hello and welcome to the forum.

I'm so sorry for your loss and understand how upset you must be.

It does sound like your hamster had some kind of spasm in his last moment while his body was shutting down.

If you really need to know your hamster's cause of death for closure, i think that contacting a vet may be the way to go.
 
I forgot to ask how old your hamster was. If he wasn’t elderly I guess this was very unexpected. So very sorry x. If your hamster was younger it could be caused by a whole range of things. Genetic issue from birth predisposing him (eg a weak heart or some other condition). But I’m wondering if you suspect some direct cause like something he may have eaten. Even a viral illness can cause sudden death. The only sure way to know is to have an autopsy. I’m not sure how much a vet would charge for this but as an example, I paid for a biopsy atter a hamster had a lump removed (to see if it was cancerous) and that cost about £100.
 
Thank you all, you’re all very lovely. He was 18months so not a youngster but I guess we all thought he’d go on for a bit longer. We buried him today, saying our goodbyes. I’ll guess we’ll never know exactly what happened but your kind words and advice have made me feel a bit better about it in terms of his suffering.
 
It helps when you've had some kind of memorial or burial to say goodbye. But it can take time. You might want to have a look at the bereavement article - it can help a bit also. In time you remember the happy fun times. You probably know that if you've had hamsters before, but it doesn't make it any easier - they are all little individuals and bonded with us.

www.thehamsterforum.com

Bereavement Support

Bereavement Chapters Grieving Coping How do I tell my children? Support for you Grieving The loss of a pet can be incredibly difficult, no matter how prepared you think you are. Your sheer love and devotion to your tiny friends can lead to...
www.thehamsterforum.com www.thehamsterforum.com
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top