My hamster grace is very sluggish

Question
I wonder if you could answer my question. I have a black teddy bear syrian hamster called Grace. She is nearly 2 and a half years old. This evening when I went to clean out her cage, she was lying very still and breathing very quickly, almost like a shallow shivering, She is also very lethargic and moves very slowly which looks like she uses every ounce of strength she has left. Then she'll just sit back in the corner and go to sleep exhausted. This has happenned very suddenly in the last day or so and has got me worried. Do you think that old age has suddenly just hit her or is she possibly sick. I have held her in my hands and checked her out all over and everything looks normal. She has attempted to get to water and her food dish to pinch the peanuts in shells I leave as treats.

Answer
Hi Matt,

This happened with a few of my hamsters.  It's as if they suddenly aged overnight.  (They were also anywhere from 2-3 years old.)  My vet said that they were not sick, and that this can happen.  However, I would still advise you to consult a vet.  I didn't like to doubt my vet, but the fact is, he's familiar with horses, cows, cats, and dogs, not hamsters.  Perhaps your vet is more familiar with small animals.

Until you can take Grace to your vet, try to make her as comfortable as possible.  Place food near her, give her plenty of bedding, and try to get her to drink water.  You may have to hold the water bottle up to her mouth.

I hope your hamster will be all right.

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

Kelly