hamster diarhia

Question
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Followup To
Question -
Hi kelly


my hamster has diarhia ( which i think is also called wet tail) umm he is very active he is a baby. what should i do about this. what is the cause of this he puts the bedding in his mouth ( carefresh colorfast) but i dont know if he eats it or moves it. i have a strong bond with him even though i have only had him a week. i hold him daily. would that stress him out? help please
Answer -
Hi Dave,

Actually, diarrhea is different from wet tail.  The droppings from a hamster with diarrhea are soft, light-colored, and messy.  The hamster appears healthy otherwise, though he may lose a little weight due to dehydration.  Diarrhea most commonly results from the overfeeding of fruits and vegetables.  To cure diarrhea, only feed your hamster his normal dry mix (avoid fruits and vegetables for now) and make sure he has plenty of fresh water.  When your hamster no longer has diarrhea, then you can slowly introduce him to fruits and vegetables.  Begin by feeding him a small piece of a fruit or vegetable 2-3 times per week.  After a few weeks, then slowly increase the amounts.  Don't feed your hamster more than 1 small piece of a fruit or vegetable per day.  Here's a link to a list of safe fruits and vegetables for your hamster to eat:

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

Wet tail, on the other hand, is a disease that is caused by stress.  It is most common in young hamsters around weaning time.  (Weaning time is very stressful to young hamsters.)  If the hamster has wet tail, his bottom and the top of his tail will be dirty and wet.  Other wet tail symptoms include lethargy (not having any energy), walking hunched up, and squealing with pain.  If you suspect your hamster has wet tail, it's very important that you take your hamster to the vet immediately.

As long as you handle your hamster gently, and you don't surprise him, it's fine to handle him daily.  Also, hamsters don't eat their bedding; your hamster is just putting the bedding in his pouch and transporting it somewhere else in the cage.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.

Kelly



hi kelly
and yesturday he was pulling his poo out of his butt. that doesn't seem right, but it stopped. and he is super energetic ( not in the bad way inmn the good way) also i feed him carrots. is that bad?
and i dont know if there is a bad energetuic way.

Answer
Hi Dave,

Carrots are fine for your hamster.  If your hamster has diarrhea right now, though, hold off on the carrots and feed him only his dry mix.  When the diarrhea stops, then you can give him a small piece of carrot (or other fruit or vegetable) 2-3 times per week.  After a couple of weeks, then you can give him a small piece of fruit or vegetable every day.

Your hamster should be energetic.  If he had no energy, then you should be worried.  To help keep your hamster from climbing the walls (from so much energy!), try putting him in a run-around ball (sold in pet stores), for 10 minutes every day.  Make sure to supervise him, and make sure there are no stairs around.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.

Kelly