Dexter

Question
My companion Dexter (Long Haired Syrian, about 6 months old) has diarrhea. His tail is not wet, but he isn't grooming very well. His cage gets rather stale and smelly fast, so I have been cleaning it more often. He still eats and drinks and roams around in his ball.

So my question is; should I put oral rehydration powder in his water bottle? Where can I get some?

Thank you.

Answer
Hi Kalli

Sorry to hear about Dexter.

Diarrhea can become very serious for a hamster as they can lose body fluids quickly.  He definitely needs oral rehydration and a pro biotic.

The oral rehydration is the type of powder that you buy in drug stores and take if you have sickness/diarrhea.  Mix a sachet according to the instructions and put in his water bottle, and if you have a dropper you can give a little with that too.  In addition, it is good to give a probiotic.  There is one for pets called Avipro, but this might be difficult to get unless you know a vet or order on-line. However, if you go to a health shop that sells vitamins etc. they should sell a product called acidophillus - it can be quite expensive, but you can always take it too!  If you either empty a capsule into his water bottle or crush one (depending on the type you can get).  Again, this can be fed through a dropper.

Regarding food, do not give any vegetables until there is some improvement and definitely not lettuce as this can cause diarrhoea.  It is worth giving his cage a thorough clean and use a pet disinfectant in the corners to kill any germs.  Try giving a bland diet - his usual dry  hamster mix and some raw porridge oats, bread crumbs, nuts etc.  As he starts to improve you can introduce some fibrous vegetables, such as cabbage, brocolli, sweet corn etc.

Also, as he improves you can slow down on the probiotic and oral rehydration - it is best to phase out gently ideally a few days after the last time he was ill.  If there is no improvement after a week, or if he is clearly getting worse during that time then he definitely needs to see a vet who would be able to rehydrate him by injection just under the skin.  Should you need to consult a vet, check that they have one who specialises in small animals, and check that they offer a reduced rate for a hamster so that you don't end up with a huge bill.

I have nursed hamsters with wet tail and very serious diarrhoea - providing you treat it quickly then it is possible to get them through this.  If left untreated it can become fatal unfortunately.  Also, if you have any other pets, it is vital that you don't handle them straight after handling Dexter in case you transfer any germs over.  

I hope this helps you and that Dexter is OK.

Regards
Sheila