Winter White

Question
QUESTION: I had a Winter White that just passed away last night and I am not sure why. She was not showing any signs of sickness until yesterday afternoon she looked skinnier than usual. What could have gone wrong? no diarrhea, no decrease in activity, did not look to have any other illnesses, she just looked skinnier than usual, but was still eating. We barely had her for a little over a month. My son is going to be devastated. Can you help?

ANSWER: Hi Bobbie

I'm really sorry to hear about your Winter White.  It is always a shock when a hamster dies this young with no obvious symptoms.

It is hard to know for sure what was wrong and it might have been some genetic abnormality in that part of her didn't develop during the first few weeks of life.  Hamsters can suffer heart problems etc. and they can die suddenly with this.  Another thing might have been diabetes. Was there any sign of drinking a lot of water?  If so, this could have been the cause.  Diabetes is quite common in dwarf hamsters (although normally Campbells variety) and excessive drinking is usually a sign, as is a sweet smell to their urine.  Sometimes it is possible to save a diabetic hamster with a change in diet etc. but I have had whole litters with it and some have survived, and others have died very young.

I'm sorry I can't say for sure why she died.  It is hard explaining to a child why their pet has died so suddenly.  It certainly doesn't sound as though she suffered at all, which is a blessing.  I have fostered unwanted hamsters for years and often end up with ones that can't be homed due to illness/special needs.  However, I decided to take on a baby hamster that was fit and healthy for a change (or so I thought).   This little fella collapsed after just a few days and he needed veterinary treatment to treat what they believed was a heart condition.  I thought he would be fine, but a few days later he died.  At that time he was the youngest hamster I have ever had who died and also the shortest amount of time with me.  The only way I could come to terms with what happened was to believe that he came to die with me, rather than live with me.  In the short time I had him he was well looked after, and loved and in many ways that was a comfort.  Perhaps your little hamster came to die with you too.  This doesn't mean that any other hamsters you have in the future will live only a short time - chances are if you decide to get another one they will live a full life. Sometimes there are no logical explanations, and in animals this tiny postmortems just aren't feasible.

I would however advise that you take the precaution of thoroughly disinfecting her cage before you re-home another hamster in it.  Ideally it is best to use a pet disinfectant, but if you can't get that a household one is OK but thoroughly soak the cage in hot soapy water afterwards to make absolutely certain there is no trace of any chemicals before using the cage again.  In case this illness was virus/bacterial related (unlikely judging by the lack of symptoms) this will any germs.

I hope this helps you.

Regards
Sheila



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I really appreciate your expertise in the matter. We are going to get another one later on this week we have already started sanitizing the cage so it is ready for a new little one. One more question for you though, What type of bedding do you recommend. Some places I have read say do not use wood to use the recycled paper and others say do not use the recycled paper use wood. I want to make sure that the bedding we are using is appropriate for the hamster.

Thanks for all your help!!

Answer
Hi Bobbie

I use woodchip on the base of the cage and give mine shredded paper for their nest.  I never use the fluffy type of bedding as this can get caught around their legs and cause injury.  Regarding the woodchip/woodshavings, the important thing is to make sure that it is safe for small pets and it should be advertised as such.  Don't give pine, cedar or cypressus as these contain a volatile oil that can cause skin irritation or breathing problems.  Also, I avoid any woodchip that has essential oils added to it to make it smell nice - I recently discovered one is sold with lavender in it.  If you buy it pre-packaged from a reputable pet shop it should be fine, but if you are in any doubt then look for something else.  Paper based beddings are OK for lining the cage but you would need to clean the hamster out a lot more as it will soil quickly.

Dwarf hamsters also like to have a dust bath.  If you have a low level container and buy a packet of 'chinchilla dust' this is a sand-like substance and the hamster will roll around in it.  I tend not to leave it in all the time as it gets everywhere and is quite expensive to keep topping up, especially if they then decide to use it as their toilet! But every now and again they seem to enjoy this.

I do hope you find a great little hamster for your son - if you are going to get another dwarf I would strongly advise that you avoid getting a Campbell (they look very similar to winter whites) as they are more temperamental than Winter Whites and are known to nip a bit! Whereas I've always found Winter Whites to be pretty friendly little hamsters.

Good luck with this.

Regards
Sheila