Unsteady hind quarters?

clacombe

clacombe

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So... Cinnamon is likely about one year and 9 months. For the most part, he's been his normal self lately. He has always been a late riser, so we don't see him every night, but he does take his food and we see him at least every few days. One night a couple weeks ago we took him out of the enclosure, which we don't do often anymore because he doesn't seem to relish it like some hamsters do. I remember that night. He seemed to get some tremors and shakes, but I chalked it up to him maybe getting a little spooked for some reason- we don't take him out often, and even though we had used a transport it still could have been anything. The next day he seemed fine. That still could have been a random spooked day, but I include it here in case it has relevance. Today we were watching him and hand feeding him and a couple times he seemed to randomly lose his balance near his hind quarters. Watching him after that for a while, it didn't seem like either of his back legs weren't working, but every once in awhile something seemed to give and he would tumble or twist, from the backside, and then fix it and move on. Attaching a video if it helps. You'll see it toward the end.
 
Poor girl! It happened in the video when she went to turn. Perhaps she has some stiffness that makes bending difficult. The vet might prescribe an anti inflammatory for pain and stiffness. She is eating and getting about, which are good ❤️
 
Cinnamon is a boy :-) This is quite common in old age - the back legs seem to be the first thing to stop working properly in my experience. Raffy was the same and it means some adjustment to the cage sometimes, so they can manage better. But metacam/meloxicam might really help as well, as Socks Mum says, as it could be arthritis. Having said that, if he's about 20 months old he's not that old really. It is old age, but it's usually been around aged two I've noticed it - but I can't remember when Raffy's legs started going like that. He was on Metacam and it gave him a new lease of life :)

So yes a vet visit would be a good idea and explain you think he may have some aches and pains in his older age and his back legs seem a bit weak and ask for some Meloxicam. Most vets are happy to give it to older hamsters and they should give you enough for six months. Which is a very small bottle.

As for his enclosure. It might need some adjustment. I know yours is all at ground level anyway but look at things that are easy to access. I had ramps with a shallower angle and lowered the odd thing. Plus press substrate down firmly so it's a fairly even surface to walk on. It's better if the underground things go - like watchbox/digging box etc - as he may go down and then struggle to get back up again. You can have more surface level items instead - maybe a new tunnel to make up for it.

I think once he starts on pain relief it should improve. But maybe not completely so easy access is the key then. I find they can usually zip around on a level floor very well! It's climbing they can't do and uneven surfaces. I'd only make small changes for now (eg a different ramp and flattening the substrate and removing underground things). But otherwise leave everything as it is at floor level until he starts on pain relief and then see how he is. If he's still having some issues, you might need to lower the substrate a bit but I'd hang fire on that for now.

On pain relief they can carry on fine for many months :-)
 
Thanks all! Those are helpful things to hear! I was planning on calling the vet today, and before bed last we added bedding to create a slope up to places he normally might climb. I had already been thinking that I might lower the dig box and get an above ground sand box that is more shallow. Unfortunately, the last time I looked in his enclosure, he'd dug deeper and created a larger drop between his sleeping area and his indoor toilet , which is more ground level. I'll have to think about of I want to add a little bedding there and see if he kicks it out or not. I'm feeling better though hearing what you both had to say.
 
Hope the vet is helpful :) I can't quite imagine the dig box but I'd be worried he got stuck in it. An above level shallow sand bath sounds like a good idea.
 
Sorry, she should be he, apologies🙏
 
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Poor Cinnamon, he didn't look bothered by it at all though. Other than the correction, he does seem to be moving fine. I think the other guys are right, just to check. I do think they seem to get a little unsteady, so maybe some adjustments will help. I think Maz' idea of levelling the bedding is a good one. It is hard when you try to help them, then they decide to make bigger holes, I just add more bedding, he may well decide he doesn't want the bedding there, but worth a try.
I have to say, the handsome little man, eating his food at the beginning of the video, was sooo cute
 
Skip update: i don't have a video camera on so I don't know if he's using his wheel or how active he is at night, but he has continued to come out for food and to use his outdoor toilet. However, I feel like there is a pink tinge to his urine in the sandbox. I've noticed it twice, and it's very mild, but I don't think I'm imagining it. I have a Vet appointment for 11am Wednesday morning (it's currently 18:45 on Monday here). Is that too long to wait? Should I see if they have any emergency openings tomorrow? Again, he is still getting up and taking food; the two symptoms are the tinge to the urine and the unstable hindquarters. I did move his water bowl closer to the entrance to his sleeping area, in case he has been less active and therefore going to his water bowl less often, which is typically on the other side of his enclosure, and the tinge is just a symptom of dehydration.
 
Another update: I realized later that Cinnamon must have crossed the full cage when he came out earlier because a snack I left by his wheel was gone. I'm keeping the water closer to his entrance for now just in case he has been visiting it less frequently, altitude I'm guessing he's still coming out as often.
 
If you can get an appointment earlier it would be good. He'll probably be ok until Wednesday if you can't but blood in the urine would be better treated as soon as possible.
 
So I did leave a message for the vet to call me in the morning and I gave them the update and asked for their opinion about bringing him in early if they had any emergency openings. On a positive note, I just came back to his cage and he did go to the bathroom above ground again, and this time it looks clear and normal. I'll see if the vet gets back to me tomorrow with an opening. It's just so stressful to see health changes and not be sure of how serious they are! I know all of you on the hamster forum who've been owners longer than I have can relate :) so glad to have this forum!
 
That is good news his pee is clear again, so it should be fine to wait for the Wednesday appointment if they don't get you a sooner one. Yes it is stressful and worrying - but hang in there, I suspect he'll be walking much better once he has some pain relief :-) Meloxicam (has various names) is the equivalent of human ibuprofen, so it's anti inflammatory as well as pain relief.
 
Update: So, I decided not to go into the vet early after his urine seemed normal again (though less quantity as I think he has been drinking less). Then I somewhat regretted that decision as it seemed like his energy levels declined greatly on Tuesday and I wasn't seeing him at all- but Monday he seemed to be coming out frequently, so I had made my Tuesday morning decision based on Monday.

In any case, I do think it worked out alright. I was pretty sure he was on death's door...when I would open his hideaway ceiling to check on him he was super slow to react, but then later Tuesday night my daughter called me in to say that he'd come out! Physically, he did seem worse for wear- definitely seeming to flop to the right more frequently and generally have less control. But mentally he seemed like himself- looking to us for food, eating out of my hand 2 times...

So this morning I took him to the vet and again, I could see that physically he was really struggling- circling to the right more out of lack of control than anything else, but again, mentally, he was behaving like himself- we had to drive 35 minutes and for most of the time he was trying to peek out of his carrier- he almost never settles down in in.

At the vet I declined an x-ray (as even though it would have given them more detail, the doctor didn't think it would change treatment), though I can opt for one in 2 weeks if I want when I return for a check-up. She did not detect signs of ear infection in the inner ear, but she did prescribe Meloxicam, Gabapentin (sort of like Meloxicam but more targeted for nerves- I have to wait to get this shipped), Enroflaxin (an antibiotic in case an imperceptible infection is a source) and Benebac (probiotic).

I'm feeling hopeful that we will see improvement in his physicality, even if he is now living with some long-term changes.

He is currently sleeping in his carrier and I am keeping an eye on him- I don't have the heart to move him back to his cage immediately. Even if he just goes to sleep, I feel bad rustling him when he's had such an eventful morning and I'm sure he's getting much needed R&R now. They did administer his first medicine doses there, with the exception of the Gabapentin. This was my first trip to this animal hospital, which is the closest one specializing in "exotic" animals. It was good to get there though and be able to have a feel for a place that specializes in rodents, rabbits, etc., and came recommended by our local shelter that specializes in rabbits.
 
Aw it does sound like Cinnamon is having a few issues. And it sounds like your vet is on the ball. It's about all they can do with an older hamster - try antibiotics and pain relief. The benebac is good too - I wish we could get it in the Uk - it's one of the best probiotics in my opinion. Opinions vary as to whether to give it at the same time as antibiotics (enroflaxin) or after antibiotics, but either is ok so whatever the vet said.

Gabapentin for hamsters is a new one on me. Usually it's just antibiotic and meloxicam. Basically if things don't improve after antibiotics then it's not infection and is something else. But then it would be hard to know if any improvement is down to the antibiotics or the pain relief!.

I'm glad he's going to be on meloxicam though as he may well need pain relief. He may have a new lease of life when on that - or may not - depending on what's going on.

I think you were wise not to have the x ray - it's expensive and as you say the treatment probably wouldn't be expensive - and it wouldn't show anything except bones and teeth. It might show a tooth abscess but you'd probably know about that if he had one anyway as there'd be swelling and he'd have difficulty eating and be losing weight.

You can put the meloxicam in a bit of baby food :-) It tastes nice so they are happy to have it in food. The enfroflaxin (baytril) tastes nasty and most foods don't disguise the bitter taste. Some hamsters don't like taking it from the syringe either. If he will accept taking it from the syringe, then one option is to draw up a tiny bit of runny honey, after drawing up the meds and they'll take it then. But if he gets stressed by having to have it from the syringe, there are ways of putting it in a bit of meaty dog food that can work (that's what's worked for me - or corned beef might work).

I don't like stressing the hamster out if they don't like the syringe.

It's also a good idea to weigh him weekly now and see if his weight is staying the same or if he's losing weight.

I take it you haven't found any lumps or bumps anywhere?
 
It sounded like the Gabapentin was another type of pain reliever/ anti-inflammatory but one that might complement the meloxicam well if the issue is nerve-related. We'll see anyway! I hadn't even considered a follow-up visit, but obviously that makes sense and it's nice to find a vet where that was the default- "I'd like to see how he's doing in 2 weeks."

She did feel his body for form and didn't mention anything about lumps or bumps- I hadn't noticed anything in that area myself. I did actually approve them to use a mild anesthesia during the visit so that she could look in his ears more closely for inner ear infection- he was not relaxing enough to allow her do do that without anesthesia.

Thankfully, the nurse administered the first medication doses there. As you thought, he did not like the Enroflaxin, so I may have to try the honey trick or the dog food trick. The other two were not so bad. I'm sure at this stage his low energy state helped the nurse to administer the syringe, but if he starts getting some energy back that might be harder, so I'll try the food tricks! She had to pick him up for the Enroflaxin and get behind his front teeth :(
 
It's hard isn't it? They need the medications, but when they're old and fragile you don't want to stress them too much. It was a specific dog food for small dogs I used - a tip given to me by another experienced hamster owner. It might not be available in the US. I did look a bit like corned beef in jelly/gravy - easy to get a small pea sized amount out of the pouch. Hence suggesting corned beef if you can't get it (I think it's a british make - Country Hunter beef dog food for small breeds). I have to say it worked amazingly well with all hamsters! They would lick the plate clean and push it around and bang for more ha ha. It disguised the taste well.

I've heard of gabapentin for humans - for fibromyalgia I think. It's not strictly a pain reliever but can have a pain relief effect for conditions affecting the nervous system (I think). Interesting though - I haven't heard of a Uk vet prescribing it but I think US exotic vets have more options for pain relief. I was just told there was one other alternative to Metacam (Meloxicam) if that was contraindicated for some reason.

With the antibiotic though, it's important they get the full dose each time. Is it once or twice a day?
 
Oh bless him. I hope you manage to get his meds into him via yummy food. I give my rabbit his meds on a teeny bit of banana which he adores!

My collie, Tass (rip) had gaperpentin to help with pain relief.
 
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