Bo Is Ill, Please Help!

[x-Twinkle-x]

Bo is my female syrian hamster, who is 2years old this month. Over the past 3 days she has become quite ill. She cant open her eyes, she has lost loads of weight, and her bottom is a bit messy. Its not diarrohea (sp), it looks as though she has gone to the toilet and it has dried around her bottom.

Me and Mum have been really gently bathing her eyes and bottom every morning and night, and we are going to take her to the vets tomorrow at the earliest appointment we can make.

Mum thinks it may be wettail, but its my understanding that wettail is caused by dirty cages and/stress. She does not have a dirty cage, I clean her out every week, and clean her litter area every day, & she is certainly not stressed.

Usually she is very plump and healthy, and always very active. She comes out of her cage every day and she has lots of toys and chews etc.

She has 2 food bowls and 2 water bottles, all of which are cleaned and re-filled every day.

I dont know what it could be. Until we get her to the vets tomorrow, is there anything I can do for her?

 

[black angel]

Sounds like old age to me im afraid. Good luck at the vet

 

[LilMuppet]

Is her behaviour still normal (apart from less activity)? For instance drinking more water than usual.

If she has seemed ill for three days already then it is more likely to be something other than wettail especially as there is no reason for her to have this.

"Gummy eye" is most probably the sign of old age and older hamsters will normally lose weight as they age, but this normally isn't sudden, so she may not be ill.

All you can do is make her as comfortable as possible and ensure she is in a quiet location, which I'm sure you are doing already. I wish you well at the vets tomorrow, keep in mind that two happy years is a brilliant age for a hamster.

 

[x-Twinkle-x]

Thank you for your replies, I'm hoping it's not wettail. The vets appointment is for this evening, but Im not sure if its worth stressing her out further by taking her to the vets if she isnt actually ill.

I'm starting to think that it might just be old age, but it was just so sudden and its really hard to accept that she is getting old. Up until a few days ago she was big and healthy, very active, and eating everything she could; it was just so sudden.

I dont want her to go, but altho obviously it is upsetting me, I have to accept that if she is going to go then she will go, and like LilMuppet said all I can do really is make sure that she is comfortable and has everything that she needs. My other hamster, Dash, is nearly 3 and he is old & frail but he has been like that for quite a few months now, & I realised that just because she is old doesn't mean that she is going to go now.

Thanks for replying

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

It sounds like she's just getting ill in her old age, i hope the vet appointment is a positive experience, but unfortunately 2 years old is the average life expectancy for hamsters- sometimes you get the odd few who live much longer than that, but its down to genetics more than anything else.

 

[bubblesburst80]

i hope the visit to the vets goes well, all my best for bo

xXx

 

[x-Twinkle-x]

Thank you everyone, Bo has now gone. She went peacefully. Rest in peace Bo xxxxxx

 

[LilMuppet]

I'm sorry for your loss, keep close all of your lovely memories through this difficult time. Be comforted by the fact she left peacefully and did not seem ill for long.

Sounds like she was a lucky girl and had a brilliant life. RIP.

 

[sunpirate2u]

Rest in peace My gerbils died when I was in 4th grade. It was very sad for me. I know how you feel.