My Hamster (Menstruation or wet tail?)

Question
Hi,
I am really desperate. My hamster, Oreo (F), has been bleeding and after my parents brought her to the vet, found out she had menstruation. do hamsters have menstruation? if yes, a) how should we clean it up b) what should we take note of? c)is it life-threatening?
But if no, my hamster is having a wet tail, then what should I do?
Right now, my hamster is fine, but the only thing worrying me is the blood, it's dried up a bit. I dont feel any wetness... but now I'm not sure.

Dr, please answer this. I really love my Oreo, and I don't want to lose her because of human error. Please give me advice.

Answer
Hi Krystal

Sorry to hear you are worried about Oreo.  First of all, this isn't wet tail.  Wet tail causes diarrhoea, not bleeding as such.

Blood is something that should always be investigated as it can be caused by a number of things.

Firstly, hamsters don't really menstruate - I have noticed blood once or twice with hamsters, but this isn't common.  How much is she bleeding?  Is it literally a spot on the bedding, or can you see it actually coming out of her?   You haven't said how old she is - if she is young and you have only just got her, it could be that she was pregnant and this is a sign of miscarriage.  If she is old, i.e. 2 or more, then the bleeding could indicate something quite serious - hamsters are very prone to getting tumors and they can cause ruptures, which can result in blood coming out of the rear.  This always needs investigating by a vet.

If hamsters have either diarrhoea or constipation, then they can strain to go to the toilet and this can cause bleeding - in severe cases it can cause a prolapse of the intestines - in which case you actually see them coming out of the hamster.  This is serious and needs urgent veterinary intervention.  It is therefore important that the hamster is given a good, well balanced diet - standard dry hamster mix available all the time, a small amount of fresh vegetables given nightly (such as cabbage, brocolli, spinach, sweetcorn, peas etc.  Avoid giving lettuce too often as this can cause diarrhoea).  For 'treats' you can give raw nuts, seeds, scrambled egg, small pieces of cheese, bread, raw porridge oats.  Never give chocolate as this is toxic.  This will help maintain a healthy digestive system and prevent bowel problems.

I'm assuming your vet examined her, and felt her abdomen for any signs of lumps/tumors?  If so, and if they were satisfied that this is nothing to worry about, then you might find that this bleeding was a 'one off' and won't happen again.  

I would advise that you change all her bedding, if there is blood on her, gently wipe away with a damp cloth, then monitor her.  Check her and her bedding daily for any traces of blood - if it continues then I would advise getting her looked at again, or if she starts displaying any signs of illness - sitting hunched, shivering, not wanting to come out, etc. then get her back to the vet.  Hopefully whatever has caused this will just sort itself out on its own, but if it persists then treatment may be needed. Something to be aware of is that hamsters' urine can sometimes look very dark orange which is normal.

I hope this helps you and you get on OK.

Regards
Sheila