Helping Seniors Live Healthier Lives

Tips For Treating A Sick Hamster

If you have a hamster, you likely want him or her to be as comfortable as possible. This is helpful because it allows you to feel good about your pet-owning abilities as well as makes it easier to play with your hamster because he or she will be livelier. If you notice any symptoms that point to your hamster getting sick, you likely will want to resolve them as quickly as possible. This will make it easier for you to play with your hamster and will improve your hamster's overall quality of life. Here are some tips for making sure that you treat your hamster's illness correctly.

1. Isolate the Hamster

The first thing that you want to do is isolate the sick hamster. The reason for this is that you want to make sure that the illness your hamster has does not spread to the rest of the hamsters in the cage. You also want to make sure that your hamster is not stressed out by excessive activity in the cage because stress can lower a hamster's immune system and make it much harder for him or her to get better.

Take your hamster and put him or her in a separate, smaller cage with clean bedding.

2. Heat the Area

Bring the temperature of the cage where you isolated the sick hamster warmer than room temperature. You can do this by using a heating lamp or a heating pad. Heat helps hamsters relax, which can increase their overall immune system and help them get better more quickly. Make sure that you provide some sort of shelter for your hamster, especially if you are using a heating light, to make sure that your hamster has somewhere to hide and feel safe. This could be an old tube from a toilet paper roll or a small hamster hut from a pet shop. 

3. Clean the Original Cage

Finally, be sure that you clean the original cage thoroughly and replace all of the bedding. You don't want to accidentally reinfect your hamster when you reintroduce him or her back to his or her original environment. By doing this, you can get your hamster healthy and make sure that he or she stays healthy.

If your hamster's symptoms do not improve, make sure that you take him or her to an animal clinic, such as Belaire Animal Hospital, that specializes in small animals.


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