• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

Hamster cage guide

Best Hamster Cage Reviews & Much More!

  • Hamster Cages
    • Popular Cages Review
    • Cheap Hamster Cage Reviews
    • Cool Hamster Cage Reviews
    • Best Large Hamster Cages
    • Dwarf Hamster Cages
    • Syrian Hamster Cages
    • Hamster Accessories
      • How To Build A Large Hamster’s Popsicle Sticks House
  • Hamster Care
    • Hamster Food and Diet
    • Types Of Bedding
    • Tips On Growing A Healthy Hamster
    • Common Hamster Illnesses
    • How To Tame A Hamster
      • How to train a hamster not to bite?
      • Hamster Safety Tips
      • How to play with a hamster?
    • Preparing for your new pet hamster
    • Are hamsters good pet for children?
    • Keeping Hamsters and Dogs Together
  • Buying Guide
    • Breeds of Pet Hamsters
    • How To Choose A Good Cage
    • Types of Cages
    • Cage Location
You are here: Home / Hamster Care / Common Hamster Illnesses

Common Hamster Illnesses

Hamsters are tough animals, but they are small, so they can be injured or get diseases easily. The main symptoms to look for are a loss of fur, wet areas around a tail, swollen eyes, and sneezing. Loss of appetite and hiding in the corner are also common issues which will require veterinarian assistance. Here we have a few, most common illnesses among hamsters.

hamster illnesses

Wet Tail

This is one of the most common and the most dangerous illnesses a hamster can get. It is also called the proliferative ileitis and it is believed that a certain bacteria, known as Campylobacter jejuni causes the illness. Additionally, this issue may be caused by stress, diet change, and crowding. Infected hamsters will die from this illness. It is extremely contagious, so if one hamster in a cage has it, others will. Diarrhea and wet tail are the obvious causes. Keep in mind that not all hamsters with diarrhea have a wet tail illness.

Swollen eyes

Swollen eyes are another, common illness among our small friends. Obviously, it is presented as swollen, partially or completely closed eyes, even when a hamster is awake. The main causes are Conjunctivitis or respiratory problems. This illness occurs if you use pine or cedar bedding, so start from there. Treatment includes the use of Bausch eye wash solution. Pour two drops of it directly to the hamster’s eyes and let him rub it. Repeat the procedure 2-3 times per day as long as needed.

Fur loss

This issue is usually caused by bedding, like cedar. Make sure you eliminated it from the cage. However, old age, infections, and bacteria can cause the same issue easily. Make sure that your hamster doesn’t have any of these, by taking him to a veterinarian. You can help him recover the lost fur, which is usually damaged due to excessive scratching. Use cod-liver oil and gel which can be obtained from the pharmacy to help get the fur recovered. In most cases, this issue isn’t dangerous and it will disappear after a short period of time.

Diarrhea

Diarrhea is most common when an owner feeds a hamster with fresh fruit and vegetable. But, it may occur due to wet tail infection as well. Not all cases of diarrhea are associated with wet tail. Overfeeding has been known as the main cause of diarrhea at all times. In addition, taking him to a vet may help you resolve the problems as soon as possible. If diarrhea was caused by excess amount of fresh food, stop feeding your hamster with it. Wait until he recovers and slowly introduces the fresh food again. Keep in mind that hamsters must drink plenty of water when they have diarrhea in order to prevent dehydration.

Abscesses

Abscesses occur when a small crack in the skin occurs. However, they are also known to be present in the cheek pouches. These issues will be filled with fluids and can be diagnosed if your hamster looks that his cheek pouches are always full. The solution is to go to a veterinarian and allow him to drain the fluid. Don’t forget that abscesses may occur in other parts of a body as well. In any case, a vet assistance is mandatory. Luckily, this isn’t a severe threat for a hamster.

Summary

All of these illnesses are common among hamsters. The best thing to do is to prevent them, by providing superb cage environment. Hamsters require clean and dry bedding and avoidance of pine and cedar beddings. If you are not certain about an illness your hamster may have, take him to a vet immediately. Due to a fast metabolism, all illnesses spread quickly.

  • Credits
  • Privacy Policy
  • About
  • Contact
  • Write a Guest Post
Copyright © 2021 · HamsterCageGuide.com

Affiliate Disclosure

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

Hamster cage guide
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

You can adjust all of your cookie settings by navigating the tabs on the left hand side.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.