My Hamsters keep dying

Question
Hi, 2 years ago I bought a teddy bear hamster (Rosie) and we grew very atached to her.  She had a cold and died 4 weeks ago.  We had a buriel for her in our back yard.  I promised my kids that i would get them another hamster so after carfully cleaning to hamster cage and all the things in it I went and got another teddy bear hamster ( black Pearl).  we had her for 2 weeks and I woke up one morning and she wasn't moving. I got her out and she was still breathing,  I tried keeping her warm but after about two hours she past away.  Like I said I cleaned very good and even bought the vitamin drops the pet store owner recommended to me for the hamsters water.  Now  I got a fancy hamster and she is looking not so good.  It is really breaking my heart. I read soom of the other quesions and saw something obout wet tail.  She has a wet tail  her whole botom is wet.  I also noticed she has lost alot of wieght like my last hamster that I never could get to eat anything to start with.  She isn't as active as she was. what can I do? I don't think I can take another death.

Answer
Hi

Sorry to read your email.

Hamsters do get colds and these can be fatal unless treated urgently and even then the prognosis isn't very good.

When a hamster dies unexpectedly, it is advisable to soak the cage for a few weeks in pet disinfectant, then wash thoroughly.  Either wash thoroughly or throw away any toys, bottles etc.

When a hamster has wet tail they have diarrhea, which makes their rear end dirty and wet.  Hamsters are generally very clean and like to have a corner in which to use as a toilet, but if they are weak sometimes they are too ill to walk there and therefore dirty themselves.  This can be confused with wet tail.

Hamsters can suffer from a condition called aspergillus that causes quite sudden death.  This is caused by inhaling fungal spores.  Fungus forms on uneaten food, urine, and in damp conditions (i.e. if a water bottle is continually dripping on bedding, which isn't changed regularly) or some external fungus - i.e. if the room they are in is damp.  When it is released into a room if a hamster breathes it in it makes them very sick.   It affects the hamster's breathing and they become so weak they can't even be bothered to eat.  They die quite quickly.

If it is this condition, then it is difficult to treat but your vet should be consulted immediately.  Where is her cage situated?  Is it in the damp part of the house, or garage/shed etc?  

There is clearly something wrong with the environment she is in - in terms of the cage or location or you could just be unlucky.  I would therefore advise that firstly you get her to a vet and if this is diagnosed, I would advise you check her cage and its location.  If the cage is a plastic tank with tubes, perhaps there isn't enough ventilation and condensation is building up in it.  Throw away any plastic houses as they love sleeping in these but if they store their food in them it goes moldy quickly and condensation forms from their body heat so they are surrounding themselves in an unhealthy environment.  Wire cages are best for Syrian hamsters.  If she pees on her stored food, remove it and also remove daily any uneaten fresh vegetables.

Good luck with this.  I hope it has a happy ending - please let me know how you get on.

Regards