Pregnant or illness?

Question
My female hamster stopped being as active as her usual self yesterday. She was mostly hunched over, all sleepy-eyed, and was moving only once in a while to move some of the bedding.

Today she moved even less. She was curled up most of the time and I noticed a bit of blood on the bedding.

I have two hamsters, and I house them in the same cage because the storekeeper said they were both females. After playing around with them for a few weeks at home, one of them appeared to be more of a male, with more aggressiveness, activity, appetite, and a protrusion on its underside, which I assume to be the penis.

So now I'm not sure if the male impregnated the female, or whether the female is just ill. I read about how hamsters sometimes have rectal prolapse. How do I tell which is the case or whether it's something else?

Answer
Hi Jovian

I'm sorry to hear that your hamster doesn't appear to be well right now.

What type of hamsters are these?  If they are Syrian then they must be housed alone otherwise they will fight.  Syrians are solitary creatures and it is wrong to keep more than one in a cage.  If they are dwarf hamsters then these can live together providing they don't fight in which case they need separating.

Regarding the sexing of them - it would be worth doing this.  Male Syrians are pretty easy to identify - dwarfs are slightly harder but if you hold them side by side you should get an idea.  Have a look on the following site for some ideas of sexing them: http://www.hamsters.co.uk/sexing_hamsters.htm

Regarding the blood - this is unusual.  If she were pregnant in theory the only blood would be when she gives birth.  The standard gestation period for a Syrian is 16-18 days, for a dwarf it is 18-21 days.  Often you don't notice that they are pregnant other than a few slight changes in behavior and they start to bulge.  I have known a female to bleed before (possibly a miscarriage) but it is literally a spot of blood.  If there is more than that then there is probably some other medical explanation. Hamsters can suffer from infections but these usually produce a pus discharge and the hamster sits hunched up in pain. Do you think the blood is coming from her rear end or another part of her body?

With rectal prolapses you tend to find that the hamster has either had a bout of constipation or diarrhea - both cause the hamster to strain to go to the toilet.  If there is a prolapse you tend to see the inners actually coming out of their rear end.  If this is the case it is vital they are taken to a vet immediately as sometimes a vet can save them.

Have you checked both hamsters for bites?  Hamsters can be very vicious if they fight and their bites can be quite bad.  I suggest you examine her to see if there is any obvious sign of teeth marks.  If so she might be in shock through being attacked or lack of fluids if there are bite marks.  In which case it might be an idea to give her oral rehydration (you can use the powders designed for humans - if you buy a packet and mix according to the instructions) for a day or two as this will prevent her from dehydrating.  

I had a family of gerbils once who all got along OK until one night I noticed one sitting on his own hunched up. His fur was very wet.  Upon examination I discovered him to be covered in bites.  I separated him immediately from the others and started him on rehydration fluids - giving them via a dropper every hour or so.  It wasn't long before he was feeling a lot better and went onto make a full recovery. So if she has been attacked it might be worth doing this for a day or two if you can.

It is very difficult for me to know what has happened to your hamster.  If they are Syrians then definitely separate them.  If one is being aggressive and there is the possibility that they have been fighting seriously then you should separate them, however, once separated you can't put them back in together again.  I would strongly advise you having a good look at her to see if there is any sign of pus or blood coming from her rear end of if the problem is elsewhere.  If you do see blood or pus then I recommend you get a vet to check her out in case she needs antibiotics or some other medical treatment.

I hope this helps you and that you get on OK.

Regards