Concerning whether or not my hamster might have wet-tail

Question
I've read and looked at several different web-sites to determine whether or not my hamster has wet-tail. The web-sites give an array of different symptoms that a hamster might exhibit when having wet-tail and while he might have a wet and matted tail, that is basically it.

He doesn't show any other signs of having wet-tail that I know of. He's eating and drinking pretty normally, and doesn't seem lethargic or sluggish.

Can a hamster just experience diarrhea without it being wet-tail? I'm not sure what to do though. Since he really isn't exhibiting wet-tail symptoms that I know of, how should I go about treating diarrhea?

Answer
Wet tail is tricky. The hamster can have a dirty diarrhea bottom and matted fur, or the hamster can be acting just fine with a wet bottom. When my female had wet tail when I first got her, the only symptom she had was a very wet tail area. It was wet with what looked like water or urine. There was no physical diarrhea at all. I suspect it was from the pet store over feeding her carrots. She acted completely normal as well, and her fur was not unkempt.

Are you overfeeding fresh foods that are full of moisture like lettuce? This is usually the cause of diarrhea. If your not overfeeding fresh foods and the hamster has developed diarrhea, I'd suspect wet tail. Wet tail can be a fast killer, so if the diarrhea is not gone in 1 or 2 days please take it to a vet. They'll be able to determine if its wet tail and give you antibiotics to clear it up.