The Golden Hamster (Syrian Hamster, Golden Hamster) is a type of hamster found in Asia, also known as the Pearl Bear. Due to its high breeding rate and strong adaptability, it can be raised in various places. It can live for 2-3 years under good environment.
The Golden Hamster officially became a pet classification after being introduced to the United States in 1938. It belongs to the rodent family. Its appearance is bear-like, with an adult weight of 0.2 kilograms. In the 1990s, it was introduced and raised in places such as Jiande, Zhejiang, China. It has a gentle personality and was one of the earliest hamsters to become human pets.
The Golden Hamster originated from semi-desert areas in Syria. It was first reported in the 18th century when George Robert Waterhouse, a British man, discovered it in the Syrian desert in 1839. The fur and skull of this Golden Hamster are still preserved in alcohol at the Natural History Museum in the UK. The Syrian Hamster, also known as the Golden Hamster, may now be extinct in the wild, but it is a popular pet worldwide and is also used for scientific experiments.
Suitable for pet lovers to raise
1. Skin Allergy
The Syrian Hamster may have symptoms such as sneezing, tearing, hair loss, and skin problems.
When the pet shows symptoms such as sneezing, watery eyes, red spots on its feet, flakes and hair loss, it has developed skin allergies.
Suggested treatment:
First, you can check the possible allergens in the breeding environment, the common ones being food and bedding materials. You can start by changing to some simple hamster food and cleaning up used bedding materials. You can use aspen shavings as bedding material, which has a lower likelihood of causing allergies. After changing the food and bedding materials, observe if the pet's allergic reactions improve. At the same time, consult a professional veterinarian for a proper analysis and guidance, and treat the pet according to its symptoms.
2. Cold and Flu
The pet may have symptoms of a stuffy nose, lethargy, and sneezing.
Suggested treatment:
When the Syrian Hamster shows symptoms of a cold, it should be taken seriously because it may develop pneumonia due to the cold. It should receive prompt diagnosis, treatment, and care. If the hamster shows the above-mentioned cold symptoms, first take measures to keep it warm, such as adding cotton. Actively consult a professional veterinary doctor and treat the hamster with medications based on professional analysis. Avoid being neglectful or blindly administering medication.
3. Diarrhea and Constipation
The pet has loose stools, an increase in bowel movements, or a significant decrease in bowel movements, or even no bowel movements.
Suggested treatment:
The Syrian Hamster has a sensitive gastrointestinal system, and watery fruits and vegetables or changing its diet can cause diarrhea. First, find out the cause of diarrhea and actively improve it. Also, consult a professional veterinarian and use medications to adjust the hamster's diarrhea. After the hamster's diarrhea symptoms improve, gradually increase the amount of vegetables.
If the hamster appears constipated, you can feed it an appropriate amount of edible olive oil and hairball paste, and observe its bowel movements. If the situation does not improve, consult a veterinarian in a timely manner and treat accordingly based on professional analysis.
4. Eye Discharge
The pet's eyes secrete more secretions, resulting in eye discharge. Eye diseases or problems with the pet's body functions can trigger eye discharge.
Suggested treatment:
Consult a professional veterinarian to determine the cause of the pet's eye discharge. If it is simple conjunctivitis, eye drops can cure it. If it is allergic conjunctivitis, in addition to active treatment, the pet's cage should be cleaned and disinfected, and the internal bedding and litter in the toilet should be replaced to reduce the impact of environmental allergens on the pet.
5. Malocclusion
The pet's upper and lower teeth are uneven or misaligned, causing the pet to be unable to eat normally, have a decreased appetite, and have a wide-open mouth resulting in drooling.
Suggested treatment:
If the pet has malocclusion, it is mostly caused by biting the cage, which can cause tooth deformities or root curvature. Add some harder food for the pet to chew on, which can prevent tooth deformity caused by biting the cage. If the pet has malocclusion, take it to a veterinary hospital for treatment and have a professional dentist correct its teeth based on the pet's tooth condition.
Points to Feed Golden Hamsters
As long as it is a rodent, it likes to grind its teeth, and of course, the Golden Hamster is one of them. There are many foods that can be used as grinding teeth for Golden Hamsters, such as sunflower seeds, weed seeds, or grains, etc. It should be reminded not to give too many sunflower seeds or high-calorie foods, as Golden Hamsters are prone to obesity and nutritional imbalance. Overweight rodents are prone to heatstroke in summer, with thick skin fat and hair loss. Do not feed too much fruits and vegetables at once, as it may cause diarrhea and death.
The staple food is various weed seeds and grains, occasionally hunting insects. It has the habit of storing food and does not hibernate in domesticated hamsters, but it prevents false hibernation. They will store food for the winter. In the case of artificial feeding, you can feed hamster food, dried fruits, and a moderate amount of vegetables. When feeding, generally feed special hamster food for Golden Hamsters. When hamster food is the main food, also pay attention to feeding some mealworms and small fish. Golden Hamsters have the habit of storing food in their cheek pouches.
Knowledge of Golden Hamster Feeding
Golden Hamsters are famous for their good temper. When they encounter enemies, they will not behave too ferociously. They will only turn over and resist with their four feet. They like to tidy up their fur when they have nothing to do and like the smell of their bodies. Most Golden Hamsters are very timid, especially when they are sleeping, so don't scare them. They can hear sounds that people can't hear.
When Golden Hamsters feel annoying or scared, or when they just wake up, their ears will droop. When they come out of the cage, their bodies shrink together, lie on the ground, and smell around. This indicates nervousness in a new place and they want to smell the surrounding situation. Golden Hamsters are originally wild animals and live in narrow tunnels. When playing indoors, in order to relax, they will always look for narrow and dark places.
The anus and reproductive organs of male Golden Hamsters are far apart and testes can be seen. The anus of female Golden Hamsters is close to the reproductive organs, and the nipples of adult females are more prominent. The breeding rate of Golden Hamsters is very high.
Golden Hamsters absolutely need one cage and one hamster for feeding because the compatibility of Golden Hamsters is zero.
It is forbidden to feed human food with too high salt content and heavy seasoning, which will increase the burden on the hamsters.
It is forbidden to have direct contact with the sun. Hamsters are very afraid of heat. When summer comes, please use heat sinks or marble to cool them off.
It is forbidden to wash the bodies of hamsters with water because hamsters cannot swim. Once they encounter water, they may die from colds or drowning.
If you are not mentally prepared or have the financial ability, do not keep male and female hamsters together in one cage. The breeding ability of hamsters is very considerable. They need to be separated and fed in different cages in 23 days. Think twice if you want to breed them.
It is forbidden to use feed of unknown origin. Discard feed that is infested with worms or moldy and do not feed it.
It is forbidden to use bamboo chopsticks, ice cream sticks, or other objects for hamsters to grind their teeth. Please use special tooth grinding products and feed available on the market.
It is forbidden to keep hamsters in too small spaces. The space should have at least a wheel, water bottle, and food bowl.
Golden Hamsters do not need bath sand. They will bathe with saliva. Golden Hamsters have larger pores, and using bath sand will block the pores.
The most suitable temperature for the Golden Hamster is 20-28°C. Avoid direct sunlight or exposure to strong winds, but pay attention to ventilation. Keep a distance from TVs, stereos, and computers. Golden Hamsters can hear sounds that humans cannot, so avoid radiation and noise. It is best not to use an air conditioner in the summer, as turning it on and off can cause a large temperature difference indoors. Golden Hamsters are sensitive to temperature and prone to catching colds. Use bedding such as wood shavings and provide wooden or grass houses for warmth. Alternatively, provide some cotton for the hamster to make its own nest. Use non-greasy cotton, preferably natural cotton. The simplest method is to put the entire cage in a cardboard or plastic box, but make sure there is ventilation. Do not give them woven items made of cotton threads as a nest. Hamsters like to burrow, so they will use the woven fabric to make small houses or cotton blankets, and then crawl inside to sleep. However, if there are any untied cotton threads, they can wrap around their feet or other body parts, posing a choking hazard and potentially causing the hamster to suffocate. Therefore, do not leave any woven items in the cage.
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