hamster on last legs - what to do?

loyatemu

Our Syrian Hamster had some sort of fit (stroke?) on Friday and since then has been wandering around his cage aimlessly, not eating, or lying motionless for long periods of time.

He's 2 and a half years old which I believe is a good innings for a hamster and we'd been half expecting to find him to die before long. He's clearly in a bad way now, but he's still alive. Anyone any thoughts on what to do?

scudzilla

loyatemu wrote: »

Our Syrian Hamster had some sort of fit (stroke?) on Friday and since then has been wandering around his cage aimlessly, not eating, or lying motionless for long periods of time.

He's 2 and a half years old which I believe is a good innings for a hamster and we'd been half expecting to find him to die before long. He's clearly in a bad way now, but he's still alive. Anyone any thoughts on what to do?

We had a hamster who had exactly the same thing about 10 yrs ago, we took him to the vets and had him put to sleep.

Ya say he's 2 1/2, thats a good innings, be a shame for him to suffer

Zapperzy

Hamsters can be put down by a vet just ring in advance to ask your vet if they do it. If it happened Friday then I doubt there's much hope of recovery for him now. Until you can get him to a vet the best thing is to just try and get water into him, even just wet your finger to see will he lick it. Poor wee fella, they don't live long enough do they.

I had a dwarf hamster that had a stroke also but he recovered within 24 hours. It was like he was paralyzed down one side and was lying there motionless, was sure he was a gonner but I put him in a cardboard box and carried him around the house with me all evening and just kept trying to get water into him and he recovered to live another few months.

johnthemull

Bring him to a vet for an injection. Game over.

convert

If there's been no improvement within 24 hours, then he probably won't get any better, and it would be much kinder if you brought him to a vet to end his suffering.

loyatemu

just to close this one off - we kept him watered and warm, but he went into hibernation mode and then passed away. Sad, but he had a decent innings. Thanks for all your advice.

alibaba12

our hamster was about same age as yours when she died and same thing very unwell vet recommended suger & water in bottle dropper and give it to the hamster in drops it worked and she lived for another couple of months but I am not sure it was stroke she had. best to get a vets opinion.

Sigma Force

Sorry about your hamster, 2 and a half is a good age, generally as they get on they die in their sleep. But was going to suggest taking him to the vets if it went on any longer and the vet could of pts if nothing else could of been done. Generally I wouldn't think a hammy would be injected to pts when they are that frail and old it's painful for such a small animal to get a needle and I'd think the kinder thing would be for a vet to give a hammy some anesthetic gas instead same for birds and some other smallies.

Saaron

I remember my friend's hamster was on it's last legs due to being attacked by another hamster. They knew it was suffering and that putting it down would be the most humane thing.
Unfortunately, the only way they managed to do this was by drowning it in a glass of water.

To this day I'm still shocked by that. This post reminded me of it.
I'd never be able to kill an animal in such a way.

I'm sorry to hear about you hamster. At least he won't have to suffer any longer.

My hamster died from flu like symptoms. Poor little thing. We wrapped him up in a towel but he sadly passed away that night.