One of the most popular, but short-lived pets is the hamster. Cute little ones who are always running somewhere seem to be in a hurry to live. And this is not without reason, because on average hamsters live about two years, and with good care they can live up to three. Any owner who chooses to keep this cute animal will almost inevitably face its death. So what standards should you follow to ensure your pet lives a long and happy life? And what to do if the hamster died?
Correct content
First, let's look at how to properly keep a hamster, because poor living conditions can cause death.
If you want to create ideal living conditions for your pet, you should not seek advice from sellers and consultants at pet stores. Often these people do not have specialized training and are interested in getting as much money as possible for goods, even if in the end they may cost your pet's life.
To keep your hamster healthy, it is important to choose the right cage. A high cage is dangerous, as hamsters like to climb up the bars under the roof and fall from there, seriously injuring themselves.
The cage should be spacious. Minimum bottom dimensions:
- for dwarf species – 50*30 cm;
- for Syrian hamsters – 60*40 cm.
The minimum size means that it is advisable to take a larger cage along the bottom, but not smaller.
Equally important is a running wheel of the correct size:
- for a dwarf hamster, the wheel diameter is from 16 cm;
- for a Syrian hamster – from 18 cm.
You shouldn’t take two hamsters with the motivation “so that one doesn’t get bored.” Hamsters are territorial animals. There is a high probability that one day, instead of two pets getting along, you will see a bloody battle with a fatal outcome. This applies to both different-sex and same-sex hamsters.
Do not engage in uncontrolled breeding of hamsters. Pregnancy seriously shortens the life of the female, and in some cases can lead to the death of her and her babies. Hamsters are famous for the fact that they can easily eat their offspring.
Hamsters should not be bathed in water. They need special sand for bathing.
Proper nutrition
There is a wide variety of food for rodents on display at pet stores. However, despite what the labels say, not all of them are created equal. Cheap food is not suitable for feeding hamsters - they are usually of poor quality, incorrectly balanced, and do not contain all the necessary substances and vitamins. There have been cases where rodent poison was found in food, which caused the death of pets.
For normal functioning, hamsters need balanced dry food. It should include cereals, plant seeds, herbs and flowers, as well as protein supplements in the form of dried insects.
It is important to give hamsters allowed vegetables and fruits. You can feed hamsters cucumber, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, turnips, radish. Types of hamsters that are not predisposed to diabetes can be given pumpkin, carrots, fruits and dried fruits.
It is forbidden to give onions, white cabbage, sorrel.
Hamster injuries
Hamsters are fragile animals, and therefore there is a high risk of receiving all kinds of injuries in the process of life.
Hamsters often suffer injuries and broken limbs. This is due to high cages with floors made of rods. Also, the cause of broken limbs can be running wheels with a large mesh - a hamster's paw can get stuck in the wheel while running, and the result will be a fracture or amputation of a limb. Cotton wool or fabrics in a cage are very dangerous. The small paw may become entangled in the fibers and dry out, causing the hamster to chew it off.
Walking balls pose a great danger. They are strictly contraindicated for hamsters. Running in a ball, a hamster can suffocate, overheat, or get injured.
Serious injuries have been caused by fights between hamsters kept together.
Eye injuries from sharp objects or splinters are common.
Another danger for a hamster are other pets: cats and dogs. It is important to place the cage where other animals cannot reach it. Often cats and dogs drop cages or reach hamsters with their claws through the bars.
Hamsters do not feel heights, and therefore are not afraid of them. There are frequent cases when a hamster jumps from one's hand onto the floor, resulting in serious injuries.
Is it worth waking up
If you notice that your hamster has fallen into hibernation, do not rush to wake him up immediately. First try to identify the causes of the numbness.
If the hamster sleeps due to a decrease in temperature (below +15º) or in late autumn, then you need to evaluate its fat layer. A well-fed animal can be allowed to sleep. He will wake up on his own when he wants to eat or drink. If the pet has not had time to accumulate fat, then you should wake it up, otherwise it may die due to exhaustion and dehydration.
If your hamster sleeps after stress, try waking him up 24 hours after the event. This time will be enough to normalize the animal’s psychological state.
If you decide not to interfere with hibernation, then you need to take care of the animal’s comfortable awakening. The owner can make a bed for the hamster out of cotton wool or wrap it in a small blanket.
Hamster diseases
In order to avoid the irreparable in time and contact a veterinarian, it is worth knowing what illnesses pet hamsters suffer from.
As a result of constant running in a small running wheel, the hamster's spine becomes bent and its internal organs are displaced. The animal gets sick and dies.
It has been recorded that living in a small cage can cause a hamster to fail in its hind legs. Small cages have a detrimental effect on the hamster's mental state and can cause inappropriate behavior and more serious illnesses.
When using pine litter in a cage, a hamster may develop an allergy. To keep a hamster, you should use corn flakes, fruit tree sawdust and cellulose filler. Needles are poison. It can cause respiratory diseases.
Hamsters are very afraid of drafts and cold; they are susceptible to colds. It is highly not recommended to take your hamster outside or let him play in the grass. In addition, “in the wild” a hamster may well pick up parasites.
Benign and malignant tumors are common in hamsters, especially in older ones. The reason for their appearance may well be poor quality food. Any tumor that forms in a hamster will not resolve on its own, and your pet must be shown to a veterinarian.
Campbell's hamsters are prone to diabetes, and therefore they must be kept on a special diet - do not give sweet vegetables and fruits, and exclude corn from the diet. As a result of crossing Campbell and Djungarian hamsters, it is now difficult to find pure line Djungarian hamsters in pet stores, which means that many of them are also prone to diabetes. Therefore, if you are not absolutely sure of the purity of your dwarf’s blood, it is advisable to feed it in accordance with a special diet.
Any changes in your hamster's health should not go unnoticed. If your hamster has any discharge, tumors, damaged limbs or hair loss, this is a direct indication to take the animal to the veterinarian. Don’t delay, because every minute can count.
How to care for an old hamster
Due to its short lifespan, already at the age of two, a hamster can be considered old. You need to be prepared that old age in hamsters is accompanied by many diseases, and an elderly hamster needs special care. It is important to know how hamsters die of old age.
Older hamsters usually have deteriorating eyesight and go blind. The hair falls off, teeth fall out, and the hamster can no longer chew dry food. Failure of limbs and the appearance of tumors are possible. The hamster becomes less active and sleeps more often.
Elderly hamsters should be fed cooked porridge and given baby food. You should not carry an old hamster in your arms - you need to provide him with maximum comfort and peace.
How to understand that a hamster is dying:
- The hamster has become less active and constantly sleeps in the house.
- Doesn't eat anything.
- The fur felt matted and the eyes became sour.
- Discharge from the mouth or nose is visible.
- Hamster peeing under himself.
- Loose stools.
Kidney diseases
Degenerative kidney disease affects older hamsters and has a higher prevalence in females, with the formation of amyloid deposits being an associated event.
Some evidence suggests that hamsters eating a diet higher in protein may increase the chances of nephritis. One study found that hamsters fed diets containing 12% protein had both comparable body size to hamsters fed diets containing 18% and 24% protein, but a lower incidence of nephritis.
Hibernation. How to identify it and not bury the hamster alive?
This moment may come unexpectedly. If your hamster suddenly dies, do not rush to bury it. Often on social networks you can come across stories about how a dead hamster came back to life. This is not mysticism, and the reason is understandable: hamsters have the ability to hibernate, which can be mistaken for the death of the animal.
If the living conditions are inappropriate, the room temperature is low, or there is no food, the hamster can temporarily slow down the vital processes in its body. His breathing and heartbeat slow down until they become almost unnoticeable.
What to do if your hamster died? If the hamster lies motionless and shows no signs of life, you need to carefully observe it. A hibernating hamster breathes, albeit very slowly, and this can be seen with the naked eye. It is worth touching the hamster - if it is already numb, the conclusion is disappointing. If your hamster is soft to the touch, you should try to feel its heartbeat. It is worth keeping in mind that a hamster’s hibernation does not last long, and if after a couple of days your pet has not woken up, then, unfortunately, it is worth considering it dead. In any case, if you have any doubts about the death of your hamster, you should take it to the veterinarian so that the doctor can make a final conclusion.
Temperature-related disorders
If the hamster did not show the slightest signs of illness and suddenly fell into an unconscious state, it may be hibernating. In the natural environment, Djunga hamsters retire in winter, experiencing cold weather, periods of lack of food and insufficient lighting. The other extreme is overheating of the hamster, and this is much more dangerous than cooling, since the small animal is absolutely defenseless against high thermometer readings. It is overheating that most often becomes the cause of death for a rodent.
Low room temperature
Turning off the heating or leaving a window open for a long time on a frosty day can cause the hamster to fall into torpor. In this case, the body will be very cold, and the heartbeat will slow down significantly - to one beat every fifteen seconds. A sleeping hamster barely breathes and due to its small size it is quite difficult to determine how intense the breathing is and whether it exists at all. But if the body is soft to the touch, this means that the rodent is alive.
To awaken it, you need to move the cage to a room with a temperature above +20 degrees. The hamster will wake up in 2-3 days and care should be taken that the feeder and drinker are full when he wakes up.
This is especially important, since during hibernation a rodent wastes a very large amount of energy and its health will depend on how quickly it replenishes it with food. A hamster left hungry after hibernation may develop serious liver problems.
This method of awakening is optimal, since it is close to how a hamster wakes up from hibernation in its natural environment, but the process can be accelerated:
- Wrap the hamster in a warm cloth or down mitten, place it in a cage and move it to a room with a high temperature.
- Fill several bottles with hot water, place them in a row and place the cage on them. Heat will be transferred through the bottom, warming the hamster
Heat
Exposure to high temperatures has an extremely negative effect on hamsters. These animals have very dense fur and completely lack protection from overheating - they do not sweat and cannot breathe through their mouths.
You can tell that a hamster is overheated by the fact that it does not move and is breathing heavily, or its coordination of movements is impaired and it is generally weakened.
Heatstroke can be caused by the following situations:
- Transport by car
- A cage placed on a windowsill or balcony so that the hamster is exposed to direct sunlight
- The animal's house is located next to the heating devices
- There is not enough air in the room where the hamster is located and it is very humid
Has your hamster traveled in a car? To reduce the temperature of the rodent, you can lay it on a cool tile.
Treatment for heat or sunstroke
In case of heatstroke, you should not take your hamster to the veterinarian, as you may miss time to provide first aid. You can try to help your pet yourself.
Reduce temperature
It is necessary to delicately cool the animal’s body, avoiding a sharp change in temperature. The rodent can be placed on a cool tile, in any ceramic dish, or on a towel soaked in water and wrung out. Gently wipe ears and paws with cool water.
Fighting dehydration
Very often, the cause of heat stroke can be a lack of fresh drinking water. When a rodent is immobilized, it can no longer drink on its own. However, giving your pet water using aids such as a syringe is also dangerous, since it will not be able to swallow water and there is a risk that it will get into the lungs.
There is only one way out - to inject subcutaneously a sterile solution of ringer or sodium chloride. For a Syrian hamster, the dose is 4-8 ml, for a Djungarian hamster – 2 ml.
Antishock therapy
Of course, it is better to administer all pharmaceutical compounds after consulting a specialist, but in case of heatstroke, the hamster may simply not live to see this consultation. Therefore, if the situation is critical, you can give an intramuscular injection in the hind leg with an insulin syringe, injecting the drug prednisolone 30 mg/ml. For dzhungarik, the dose is 0.05 ml. For a Syrian hamster – 0.1 ml.
In what cases can a pet die?
It is almost impossible to help a pet when the temperature has become so critical that protein coagulation has occurred in the blood and organs. This can happen at temperatures from +44 degrees.
If the animal has been exposed to high temperature for a long enough time, then the chances of a favorable outcome are almost zero.
Severe paralysis of a pet can also be a consequence of “advanced age.” The average lifespan of hamsters is 18-24 months. Few hamsters live to be three years old.
The rodent may be suffering from pneumonia
Where and how to bury a hamster
Even when kept in the best conditions, it is still impossible to avoid the death of a pet. What to do if the hamster died?
The first and most common option is a funeral. You need to wrap the hamster in cloth and then put it in a small box. It would be good if your city has a specialized cemetery for pets, but in today’s realities this is rare. It is worth choosing a place with soft soil, where people do not walk, and digging a deep hole. After the box is buried, you need to compact the earth and it is advisable to put some stones on top so that the grave is not dug up by animals.
If the hamster died in winter, digging a grave will be more difficult due to the frozen ground. In this case, an ax or crowbar will help. You can bury the hamster not far from the heating main - the ground there does not freeze even in winter.
The second option is cremation. It is worth contacting veterinary clinics in your city and finding out if they provide this service. Of course, this option is preferable, but not all veterinary clinics have the necessary equipment.
Death from old age
If the pet has been living for about three years, be prepared for the inevitable death of the pet from old age. A small heart, which in a calm state beats at a frequency of 180-200 beats per minute, wears out very quickly. With frequent stress, the likelihood of rupture of the heart muscle, i.e., a heart attack, increases many times over. Tiny vessels cannot withstand such a frantic rhythm. Hence strokes and paralysis of limbs. The baby is still alive, but cannot move. It’s up to you whether to prolong his torment or contact a veterinary clinic with a request to euthanize the dying man.
What to tell your child
The death of a pet is always a big blow for the whole family, and children are especially sensitive to this. Parents may feel confused about what to do if their hamster dies.
In what words to convey the news of the death of a pet to a child depends on the age of the child and on whether the parents explained to him what death is. However, you should not hide the fact of the animal’s death from the child, because in any case he will have to face death in the future. It must be remembered that at such a difficult moment the child needs special attention from the parents. You should not leave your child alone with his grief - you need to talk to him a lot and provide moral support. You should not scold if your child’s grades at school temporarily deteriorate. It takes time to get over grief. There is no need to immediately get another animal to replace the old one. All the same, the new pet will be completely different in character and habits, which is why it is important to completely mentally say goodbye to the deceased hamster.
Increased ambient temperature
Small rodents, despite the fact that in the wild they can live in steppes, deserts and semi-deserts, do not tolerate heat well.
Prolonged exposure to high temperatures can lead to heat stroke.
Signs of this condition will be:
- Trembling when touched
- Convulsions
- Weakness and indifference
- Coordination of movements is impaired
- The hamster lies on its side and breathes heavily
Sudden overheating can lead to heart failure, which can be fatal. Such rodents do not have the body's natural protective functions in the form of sweat or mouth breathing.
If the animal is lethargic, but the exposure to high temperatures has not been for a long time, then the first aid will be to move it to a cooler room and spray cold water over it from a spray bottle.
A quick way to cool the body is to place the animal under a stream of cold water, holding the muzzle so that the hamster does not choke.
What to do after
After the death of a hamster, it is important to thoroughly disinfect all the accessories that were in its cage, and the cage itself too. If you are considering getting another hamster, it is important to completely kill the scent of the previous owner. It is necessary to determine the cause of the pet’s death in order to avoid fatal mistakes in the future.
If you take responsibility and get a hamster, you must provide him with comfortable living conditions. Don’t forget: your pet is just a page in your life, but you are his whole life. Take care and love your pet so that you don’t regret anything when the time comes to part ways.
Basic rules for life extension
We humans, the owners of our pets, cannot understand what feelings our charges experience before death, but we have the power to provide proper care and thereby delay the unpleasant and saddest outcome for everyone - the death of the hamster. Make sure that you have created not only the necessary comfortable conditions for your pet, but also surrounded him with care and love, namely:
- Provide your ward with healthy and at the same time proper nutrition, which is very necessary to maintain and strengthen his immunity. A rodent's diet must include not only grains and nuts, but also fresh vegetables and fruits. In addition, the rodent should always have fresh water, both for drinking and for washing.
- Create an opportunity for the animal to lead an active lifestyle - place in its cage not only a running wheel, but also other toys necessary to maintain excellent physical shape and strengthen the rodent's cardiovascular system.
- The cage should be placed in a well-ventilated area, but away from drafts and direct sunlight.
- Do not forget that hamsters do not react well to the noise of electrical appliances. Animals around them become restless, their sleep is disturbed, and there are times when they fall into a state of depression.
The owner's love, warm care and joint games between pet and owner work wonders, and proper care of a hamster will help extend its life for months, or even years.
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