dead baby hamster... AGAIN!!!!!

Question

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Followup To

Question -
Hello, i've discovered that there is a dead baby hamster in the cage and the mother just scoots it over. I thought that she would eat it when she discovered it, but I thought wrong. How do I take it out without the mother getting angry? Or should I just leave it?   THANKS

Answer -
Hey Shanna.

You can remove the dead baby by scooping it up gently with a clean spoon.  This should prevent the mother from getting upset or stressed about new smells in the cage.

Can I ask what kind of bedding you are using?  Some kinds of bedding (cedar and some "fluffy" beddings) have been linked with pup deaths.


I haven't been using cedar or fluffy bedding, but I did buy some cotton candy looking stuff so that she could build her nest and I haven't been having any problems.  

Answer
Yeah - that cotton candy stuff is what I meant by "fluffy bedding".  There are a few varieties of it, and it has been linked to pup and adult hamster deaths by people who were using it.  They ingest little pieces of it, and since it is synthetic it will not break down in the stomach or gut and causes major problems (usually the first symptom of which is death).

If you want to give your hamsters something to make fluffy nests out of, give them a few sheets of plain white unscented toilet paper.  If they swallow bits of it, it will just break down and pass through their intestines, unlike the "fluffy" stuff.

Here is an article on the fluffy bedding and hamster deaths:

http://www.petwebsite.com/fluffy.htm

And please, remove the bedding from all your hamster cages!  Remember, if it won't dissolve in water, it won't dissolve in your hamster's stomach and is very dangerous!