dying hamster?

Question
I'm quite sure I know the answer but here it goes.My daughter has a 2 year old Teddy bear she stopped using her wheel has gained a lot of weight and doesn't run in her ball like usual.Now she doesn't go upstairs in her cage and stays in the corners.She doesn't seem to eat or drink as much yet her cage really smells 24hrs after cleaning it. When I call her she tries to raise her head but doesn't open her eyes and seems to fall asleep.I gave her a carrot which is her favorite and all she did was chew a little off it and spit it out.

Answer
Hi Christine

I'm sorry to hear about your hamster - she does sound very sick.

There could be a couple of things wrong.  Firstly, hamsters around this age are very prone to getting tumors and the weight gain might indicate this.  They tend to lose weight on their top half but gain it on their bottom half.  When the tumor gets large it can put pressure on internal organs/spine and can make life miserable for the hamster.  In extreme circumstances blood can be seen coming from the hamster's rear end which would indicate that it has ruptured.  Sadly in these cases euthanasia is the kindest option.

It could also be some sort of infection, and these could be kidneys or ovaries that have swollen.  When infection is present often there is pus coming from their rear and they can smell.  I would strongly advise that you get her seen by a vet as soon as possible.  If this is an infection then a course of antibiotics might help but your vet needs to examine her and determine if this is treatable or if euthanasia is the kindest thing for her.  Her quality of life is important and right now she clearly sounds as though she is in a lot of pain.  If you don't have a vet that you know it would be worth phoning one or two and seeing if they have anyone who specialises in small animals - often they charge a much lower fee for a hamster than a cat/dog.  If they don't have a specialist as such it would still be worth going, but agree the fee beforehand so you don't end up with a nasty surprise.

I hope you get on OK.

Regards
Sheila