1. Long teeth- Like beavers, long teeth grow because of a lack of frequent grinding on cork blocks, pumice stones, etc., affecting chewing and causing food refusal, weakness, and even starvation. Cut off the excessive part in time with bone pliers or flower pruning shears, and wipe the swollen lips clean with antiseptic solution for 3 consecutive days.
2. Throat obstruction- Eating large pieces of feed or other foreign bodies can cause difficulty in swallowing. Hamsters have difficulty spitting out food that has entered the oral cavity, so it is easy to cause throat obstruction. After a small piece of food is obstructed, the hamster exhibits restless jumping, often makes swallowing movements, and is accompanied by coughing. The main symptoms are increased or difficult breathing, often suffocating quickly, congested eyes, inability to stand with all four limbs, and even death. Therefore, do not give hamsters hard or shell-bearing feeds such as pine seeds and large grains. For mild obstruction, use plant oil to drip-feed immediately to lubricate the esophagus, allowing the food to swallow into the stomach. Severe obstruction often suffocates to death before measures can be taken.
3. Gastritis- Inflammation of the surface layer of the gastric mucosa, mainly due to excessive proportion of grain feed in the feed, lack of roughage; feeding indigestible food; sudden change of feed variety; overfeeding delicious feed causes overeating; or gastric dilatation caused by bloating causing diffuse inflammation. Eating mud, drinking unclean water, or eating moldy and deteriorated feed contaminated by pesticides can also cause gastric dilation. This disease often has acute onset, sudden onset, mental fatigue, severe pain, loss of appetite or refusal to eat. The chronic manifestation is decreased appetite, moderate constipation, gradual emaciation, weight loss, drooling, wetting of the lower lip and the corners of the mouth, and tangled fur. Acute gastric dilation should be fed for 1-2 days, replace pellet feed with soft feed, feed tender green feed, and use grape fresh milk as a drink, orally take 2-3 ml of aluminum hydroxide gel. The main treatment for chronic gastritis is to improve feeding management and drug treatment, with limited effects.
4. Constipation- Constipation is mainly caused by improper feed, which causes weakened gastrointestinal movement and malnutrition of intestinal muscles. Unstable feeding environment can cause neurological disturbances and abnormal gastrointestinal movements resulting in constipation. When hamsters have constipation, mild symptoms are not obvious, with only slight changes in fecal particle size, fecal particles are mostly without pores, and the color is darker. In severe cases, defecation is significantly reduced or stopped, fecal particles are small and dry and hard. Affected hamsters do not eat or drink water, squat in one place, and are too lazy to move, arch their backs and show signs of pain, fatigue, and closed eyes. Long-term constipation gradually leads to weight loss and significant loss of body weight. In treatment, in addition to adjusting the ingredients, the following medications can be used for treatment: 2% liquid paraffin or soft soapy water oral administration or rectal infusion, 5-15 ml each time; 10%-15% hot vegetable oil and water mixed solution oral administration or enema, 5-15 ml each time; rectal injection with enema can also promote defecation.
5. Intestinal obstruction- Constipation can cause intestinal obstruction. Some hamsters suffer from pica. Because these hamsters eat hair, hairballs are formed in the digestive tract and cause obstruction. In addition, a lot of crude fiber is contained in the feed, or a large amount of antibiotics is used to treat diseases, which reduces the ability of intestinal microorganisms to digest crude fiber, which can also cause constipation and secondary intestinal obstruction. Therefore, broad-spectrum antibiotics should be used as little as possible or not at all, and sulfonamide drugs are relatively safe for inflammation. The initial symptom of this disease is constipation, and acute symptoms of intestinal obstruction occur less frequently, so all symptoms manifest as constipation. Diseased hamsters quickly dehydrate and their eyeballs sink. The abdomen is slightly bloated, and hard feces can often be felt in the abdomen. Diseased hamsters show abdominal pain, extend their forelimbs forward, lie down with their abdomen on the ground, and severe cases lie supine with their limbs curled up. Duodenal obstruction is the most obvious. Prevention and control measures: When constipation occurs, be highly vigilant, make every effort to eliminate constipation, and prevent secondary intestinal obstruction. When intestinal obstruction has occurred, treatment should focus on relieving constipation. If the use of oil for constipation is ineffective, 10%-20% sodium sulfate can be tried or deep intracolonic lavage with a soft soapy water, combined with laxatives, is effective for mild intestinal obstruction. For severe intestinal obstruction, if the intestine is already inflamed or necrotic, the use of laxatives is not only ineffective, but also there is a risk of intestinal rupture and perforation. When necessary, surgical treatment can be performed.
6. Intestinal torsion and intussusception- This disease occurs suddenly during the mating process when chasing or fighting, or during vigorous exercise. Once this disease occurs, it can cause severe pain, shaking of limbs and the whole body, inability to stand, and sometimes "squeaking" sounds. During autopsy, twisted or telescoped intestines can be directly observed, and the mucosa is acutely hemorrhagic with bleeding. This disease often occurs suddenly and causes rapid death, so it is often too late to take measures and the diseased hamster has already died. In the rescue, manually straighten the intestinal tube, which may be effective for some diseased hamsters.
7. Vitamin deficiency- Various nutritional deficiencies are caused by the deficiencies in feed configuration, and prevention should be the main focus, with treatment as an aid. The most common vitamin deficiencies are vitamin A and B1 deficiencies. When there is a deficiency of vitamin A, hamsters often suffer from keratinized dermatitis, are prone to respiratory infections, have reduced reproductive performance or infertility, and have obvious dry eye disease or night blindness. Affected hamsters often show unspirited eyes, cloudy appearance, dull and non-elastic fur, and weight loss. The breeding rate of male hamsters is significantly reduced, and sexual behavior disappears. Female hamsters have extended or no estrus period, interrupted pregnancy, fetal absorption, or miscarriage. When baby hamsters lack vitamin A, they are weak and difficult to survive or become blind. Administer 100 international units of vitamin A to the affected hamster every day, and properly supplement it through feed after 1 week. In case of vitamin B1 deficiency, the coordination of hamsters' movements is impaired, they are nervous, easily excited, and typical symptoms are convulsions, sudden spasms of the limbs and body. After a spasm, they can move normally, but if it continues to develop, it can cause death. Treatment should be given a high dose of vitamin B1, taken continuously for 2-4 weeks, at a dose of 10 mg per hamster per day.
8. Calcium and phosphorus metabolism disorders- The lack of calcium and phosphorus in feed, or the inappropriate ratio of calcium and phosphorus, or the lack of vitamin D in feed can cause calcium and phosphorus metabolism disorders. The typical symptom of this disease is sudden muscle cramps throughout the body, which is similar to the spasms caused by thiamine deficiency, but the cramps caused by this disease often occur before and after feeding, and the important difference is that the cramps caused by this disease do not cause dizziness. The affected hamster's abdomen is attached to the bottom of the cage, the four limbs are stiff, the forelimbs extend forward, and the head leans back. Treatment measures: Increase the content of calcium and phosphorus in feed, adjust the ratio of calcium and phosphorus and the content of vitamin D. Inject glucose calcium intramuscularly, 1-1.5 ml per hamster per day, for 3-5 consecutive days.
9. Hair loss- Hamster fur is precious, and hair loss is a big loss, and hair loss is a common occurrence. There are two reasons for hair loss in hamsters: one is the lack of unsaturated fatty acids in the feed, and the other is the easy excitement and neurotic hair loss of hamsters. After hair loss, the skin will lose its value as a fur. The symptoms of hair loss are often mixed with each other, and neurotic hair loss is often dominant. Whether in the cage or in activities such as artificial feeding and drinking, diseased hamsters randomly lose their hair, or they lose hair in clusters. There are remnants of hair everywhere in the cage, the skin is severely exposed, and it becomes keratinized and scaly. Such hamsters cannot participate in breeding. Administer unsaturated fatty acids orally or add them to the feed, and feed them immediately after preparing. Give each hamster 2 capsules of linoleic acid per day for 3-5 days, which can achieve certain results.
1. Basic Feed
Feeding them is not difficult at all. Just feed them with about a tablespoon of "hamster feed" and a small bundle of alfalfa grass when they wake up in the evening. Alfalfa grass is their favorite dry grass, so don't pick wild grasses from the roadside.
In addition, there is a pressed alfalfa brick, which can be used for them to grind their teeth besides being cost-effective.
2. Drinking water
Of course, fresh water is indispensable. You can use a gel water bottle designed for small animals. Because the quality of tap water in Hong Kong is not good, I suggest you use filtered or distilled water, which is safer.
Remember to change fresh water every day and wash the water bottle with hot water every week.
3. Snacks
Many snacks such as raisins, sunflower seeds, and even a small piece of apple are also popular among them. There are also some snacks specially designed for them that can be bought on the market. Although they like this kind of food very much, remember not to feed them too much. Because they may become picky eaters and may cause gastrointestinal discomfort, diarrhea and other problems, which is not good for their health.
4. Vitamins and minerals
In the hamster feed, there are already enough vitamins, but if your hamster is weak, you can add some liquid vitamins in the water for it to drink.
In addition, put a piece of mineral stone or wood block for small animals, which can help them grind their teeth and absorb minerals.
5. Feeding rules:
1) Feed them once in the evening when they just wake up. But if your hamster refuses to return to the cage after being let out because it is full, you can feed it after letting it play.
2) During the day, they only need enough dry grass for their bedding.
3) When they are three months old, reduce the amount by half, and gradually increase it until they are eight months old and become adults.
4) If there is uneaten food, it means the amount is too much and should be reduced.
5) If there is no food left, it means the amount may be too small.
6) Discard uneaten hay to prevent them from getting moldy.
7) Snacks should only be fed when the hamster is let out to play, but remember not to give them too much.
8) Do not give them stimulating food intentionally to tease them, because even if they fall for it, they may not accept the food you give for a long time.
6. Harmful food:
1) They may like bird food or hamster food, but feeding hamsters with other feeds for a long time may be harmful to them, and it may not be immediately noticeable. The most common problem for hamsters is gastrointestinal diseases. As long as you don't give them snacks randomly, there are usually not many problems.
2) Green plants such as lettuce, if given in small amounts, are fine, but if given in large amounts, it may cause diarrhea.
3) Cedar wood is harmful to them.
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