Hamlet

[Maz]

This is very sad news and I am very sorry. Did she decide to continue the antibiotics for a while as well? Or did she seem certain. It’s very unfair on both you and Hamlet. So cruel when they are so young. Sadly sometimes they can just be born with some kind of genetic thing that doesn’t show for a while. Usually if it’s that it’s a weak heart. I did wonder if it could be a heart issue.

I hope the steroids help x

 

[Hamlet]

I asked about continuing the antibiotics and she recommended not to. She said she would have expected a slight improvement by now just in his willingness to do stuff and he's still just very slow. Originally she mentioned a tumor or heart issue, so I guess it could be that. I don't think he would survive the anesthetic though as his breathing is so poor and it would be a lot to put him through

 

[Maz]

So very sad. A tumour in that location may not be a successful op either. I did think of heart when I saw his breathing as have seen that in older hamsters before but he is so young. It could be either as your vet says but doesn’t sound very treatable.

 

[Hamlet]

If anyone has any advice about how you decide to make the call when it's time to let him go that would be appreciated. I don't want him to suffer, but it's a hard call.

 

[Maz]

I would see how he is on the steroids for a day or so. Is he eating and drinking? Any activity at all? The usual marker is if they are suffering in some way. They can have symptoms without seeming to be suffering sometimes - eg if they still enjoy certain things. If he's not using his wheel then his enjoyment is restricted by this. Is there anything else he is still enjoying? Food and drink is the main thing. I assume he isn't really digging or foraging much? Can you handle him and will he sit for a stroke or cuddle?

It can be a very difficult decision, but you usually know - although not always. Very hard. It did seem to come on very suddenly. Did the vet offer a scan at all? It can help to know what it is. Or was that going to need an anaesthetic? I have never actually had a scan done for a hamster but I think they usually give them a whiff of anaesthetic so they are still.

 

[Tulsi]

I am in a similar position at the moment with my long haired syrian hamster, Kulfi. He has been diagnosed with cancer and is on steroids.

He still eats and drinks well but he doesn't really play on his wheel any more and he doesn't look exactly lively. I am keeping a close eye on him and waiting to see how a few more days on steroids affects him.

Good luck with your decision. Hammy is so young. He is so so lucky to have a guardian that will take him to the vet. Not every one feels that a small animal is worthy of such treatment (expense).

Kulfi is still young, not even two. It is hard losing them, especially when they are so young.

 

[Rescued One]

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.

So sorry to hear about Hamlet; condolences and you'll know when it's time

 

[Hamlet]

Thank you all for the advice. I'm sorry to hear Tulsi that Kulfi is also unwell. I hope the steroids help.

Its hard to know how long he has been declining but I don't think it's a sudden thing. I think we just hadn't realised as we have not had hamsters before. He was in my daughters bedroom and he'd often rise quite late, 11pm, so she would not see him. When he was little though we'd pop in and he'd be running a marathon on his wheel. We got a large playpen in July. So we'd bring him to downstairs to play late evening. He'd wander about and slowly investigate stuff. In contrast the school hammy would be super active and into everything.

We brought the cage downstairs a fortnight ago and he's been in the lounge with us in the evening so we are seeing him more. I just thought he was laid back and chilled but my husband noticed the breathing describing him as looking like an old man almost shaking. It was then I realised maybe he wasn't well.

We will definitely see if the steroids help.

 

[Hamster Haven]

I'm so sorry to hear about Hamlet. We lost our last hamster to a tumor. He was about a year and 8 months and we didn't know what it was immediately either. After the first week or two on meds he started declining rapidly and losing weight and the ability to move freely (he would come out only once or twice a day for food) and he started losing weight because he wasn't eating as much. We continued medications for a couple weeks before making the call. In hindsight, I wish I had made it a bit earlier when it started looking likely that he wasn't going to improve, but at the time I didn't think he would linger as long as he did, and we didn't yet know it was a tumor, so I was holding out some hope. At least when we did make the call we knew his suffering would end, but it's really hard- as I'm sure you're experiencing. Even if it didn't come on suddenly, by the time you notice it feels sudden to you. If Hamlet doesn't get better, please don't let it discourage you from getting another Syrian or other hamster. You just never know what will happen. Our first Syrian died suddenly a few months after we adopted him, with no warning signs that we saw. Then our second did wonderfully until the tumor. Now we've had our third, Oaky, for about 8 months and so far she is going strong and is a delight.

 

[Hamlet]

He has just got up. Come out for a wander. Found the dandelion root I'd left for him and stuffed the entirely thing in his mouth. Quite astonishing that it fit to be honest! He's then dug around looking for the best bits of food in the lotus pod and disappeared back off to bed.

 

[Maz]

He sounds like he's still enjoying the odd thing then. Have you noticed any improvement since starting the steroids? Just a thought - what bedding does he have? Hamsters can get allergies - and while it usually presents as skin problems and sneezing, it is possible it could affect the respiratory tract as well. If it is an allergy, steroids should improve it.

 

[Socks' Mum]

This is very sad news. It's good that Hamlet is still eating and able to feed himself. I'm very sorry to hear this. Sending wishes for comfort

 

[Hamlet]

He has had a five day course of steroids already so this is just continuing that. He's just come out and had a little wander around. I'd moved a few things about so I think he was curious what was what. I am hoping he can have a bit more time pottering and chilling before we need to do anything.

He is in fitch and Finch paper bedding.

 

[Maz]

So nothing to do with bedding then. Is he handleable? So sorry you're going through this.

 

[Hamlet]

Yes he's quite tame

 

[Maz]

Just thought he might like a little cuddle or stroke - or do you think that would bother him? Sometimes when they're not well they don't like being handled. Other times, it's a comfort. Although that might be hard for you if you're thinking about the next stage.

 

[Hamlet]

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Look who is busy being busy this evening?

 

[Maz]

That's great He looks fine there. So has his breathing improved? This suggests that either the steroids are helping resolve things, or the antibiotics worked (sometimes improvement doesn't show until the course is finished and the antibiotics can knock them off as well), or that it was a viral infection so has resolved itself.

I suppose the time to tell will be when the steroids are finished. Fingers crossed.

 

[Hamlet]

So yesterday evening after getting back from the vet Hamlet seemed a bit more active. He came out and explored his cage a bit more than he had been doing. He came out and wandered around the sofa, climbed up the cushions and had a good old explore.

I rang the vet this morning and said I think perhaps we should look at continuing the antibiotics a bit longer. If course the vet was not in today so they are calling me back tomorrow. He had his final dose of antibiotics that I had left this morning.This evening he had been back on his wheel. I'll definitely be back on the phone to the vet tomorrow and hopefully off to collect some more antibiotics.

 

[Hamlet]

His breathing you can still see. The vet examined him pretty thoroughly on Monday. Said his chest sounded rattly. So I'm assuming he has not kicked it yet, but I'm hoping, really hoping, that maybe it's an infection not a tumor.

We shall see I guess. Main thing, he seems happier