strange behavoir

Question
Hello,  I have a dwarf hampster, but my question is not about the breed.  We have had the hampter 7 months, that past couple of days it has become more and more active.  Today it has been on the wheel since 8 a.m,  (at least that is when we got up.)  At 5 p.m.  we took the wheel out.  While my husband took the wheel out, I held the hampster.  It crawled up my sweater and then bit me on the chin.  It is still awake and climbing and it is almost 8 p.m.  Have you ever heard of such a thing, it was not around any other animals.  Should we worry?

Answer
Hi Debra,

Usually i would say don't worry about it - your hamster just sounds as if he is very active.

but, your story sounds very familiar!  I had a russain campbell dwarf a few months ago, i had him for about 4 months and he was being kept on his own.  He seemed to be very healthy and was not thin at all - he had quite  abit of weight on him but he wasnt over fat either.  He seemed just right!  Anyway, he had a wheel in his cage and he went on it mostly at night and slept mostly in the day (normal behaviour).  But one day we woke up and he was in his wheel and he stayed in it all day and all night (i think) then the next day my husband took out the wheel but he seemed really bored - running up and down the cage looking for something to do!  After a few hours i put the wheel back in and he continued to use it all the rest of the day.

The next day he was dead!!

I dont mean to worry you, and i have no veterinary experience so please dont take this as medical advice, but your story sounds exactly the same as what happened to me.

I have never had it happen to me before or since and i ahve never heard of it happening to anyone else, but i think you should take him to the vets and get him cheked over just to make sure he is not at all unhealthy.

Pleas let me know how you get on.

Kind Regards,

Tammy