Help with my baby hamster, please!

Question
Hello,
Firstly, I'm sorry about the health problems you have at the moment, I wish you a speedy recovery!
I bought a syrian hamster whom is 7 weeks old, she is female. I notcied some problems with her, she wasn't drinking from her bottle - so I bought her another one and she still wasn't. She wasn't eating, unless you hand fed her. She wasn't active etc.
I am a "worry wart", and very protective. So I arranged an appointment with my local vet. Me and hamster wen't along, she didn't do any tests or anything. But she felt her little tummy, and there was a sort of mucas/pus coming out of her vagina, so she thought it was either a womb problem or a urine infection type thing. Since she hasn't been breed, it can't be the womb thing she says, so she went with the UTI. Obviouusly, she can't be sure as we didn't do any tests. But what do you think with the things I descirbed? I was presrcibed antibiotics for her, which she gets twice daily. Hopefully they will work! I was told it could be fatal, although I have never heard of a UTI that is fatal. Please let me know your thoughts, opinion, and suggestions. Thankyou!

Answer
Vaginal discharge such as mucous is an indication for UTI. It is something that untreated can cause serious problems and even death(at a sever state) in hamsters due to it being an infection that can spread. Antibiotics is the treatment for this condition. Many factors play a roll in rodents getting UTI'S like age, dehydration( she wasnt drinking), and bladder problems like back up urine in the bladder. Just continue with the treatment and watch to make sure that she is eating, drinking, and behaving as her normal self. Always keep the cage clean and disinfected and try to stay away from cedar bedding because it has been known to cause health issue with rodents including allergies, inhibit the growth of micro-organisms, and can cause breathing problems. I included a website about hamster eliminates for me reading.


http://www.hamsterhideout.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=10605