Keeping Your Hamster Healthy
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Find Out What Kind of Hamster You Have
This seems basic, but knowing the type and gender of your hamster is important in determining if they have a health concern you need to be aware of. For instance, if you have have a pair of dwarf hamsters, it’s important to know that they are both the same sex (or you will have an accidental litter). In this same situation, it’s important to know how to recognize aggression in your pair and know when or if to separate them.
Knowing the gender and species of hamster you have empowers you to do more research and understand them better.
Including videos below about types of hamsters and hamster genders.
Find a Vet and Start Saving!
Find a vet in your area that takes hamsters. Search for Exotic Vet or Small Animal Vet and check their website or call to see if they take hamsters and are currently taking new patients. You might not need them now, but when you need them, you’ll need them urgently. Sometimes vets do not accept new patients, so it’s best to find one who is and start that relationship now.
If you live in California, the California Hamster Association has a list of exotic vets who see hamsters here. They also have a link at the bottom of the page where you can search for exotic vets in your area (if you find a vet who sees birds, they often also will see hamsters, but it’s good to inquire and make sure).
Dr. Sydney (SoCal based exotic vet) now offers online visits for those of you who cannot get to an exotic vet. You can schedule an apt by clicking here: https://doctorsydneydvm.com/
If you live in Portland, Oregon area, Rose City Hamster Club has this list and review of the exotic vets seeing hamsters in the area.
If you have rescued a hamster it might be a good idea to bring it to a vet to get a wellness exam since you don’t know what their previous care was like. A wellness exam may cost anywhere between $50 and $100. I paid $80 last time I brought my hamster in for a wellness visit. A wellness exam might save you money in the end. For example, if your rescued hamster was not given chew toys in their past life and has overgrown teeth, they may develop an infection that will be panful for them and expensive & stressful for you.
If you are tight on money, start saving now. Some hamsters need nail trims (usually dwarf hamsters) at $20-$30 per visit, and some more urgent medical trips may cost $100 to $300. If you can save $30/month you’ll have $360 by the end of the year! This should be enough to cover most emergency expenses for a hamster, although I would recommend having $500 in a hamster emergency fund if you are worried about budgeting and having enough money.
If you can’t afford to take care of your hamster’s medical bills then please contact a rescue or shelter near you to surrender the hamster so it can live a happy & healthy life with someone who can. Watching a hamster in pain will be heartbreaking for you and not the right decision for the hamster. You can always get a hamster further down the road when you are more financially able to provide the care they need.
If you live in the US - Nationwide Insurance now has pet insurance available for exotics & small mammals like hamsters! to find out more, click here.
Purchase a Small Hamster Carrier
If your hamster needs to go to the vet, you will need a way to get them there! You can use a small hamster carrier for this purpose. I personally own the one linked to below from Living World (I use the purple, size small version for my dwarf hamsters) in addition to the small critter keeper. Both work great. I like that the Kritter Keeper is clear so I can check in on my hamster while I’m waiting for the vet, while the Living World variety gives them privacy and a sense of safety .
Including a video from Munchie’s Place for Homeless Pets to tell you about other travel carrier options.
Prepare For Emergencies by Creating a Travel Cage & Hamster Care Sheet
While travelling is generally not recommended for hamsters, it is a good idea to have a small, travel cage on hand in case of emergencies (for instance, evacuations due to wildfire if you live in Western US! or a house fire or medical emergency). For more on this, please see my Emergency Travel Cage Page!
Many people also like to create “Hamster Care Sheets” to place near their hamster’s cage in case something happens to them (or if you just have someone watchin your hamster while you’re out of town). Cosmic Hamsters has a great post on this!
Hamster Health Checks & Weigh-ins
Many experienced hamster owners practice regular health checks on their hamsters. Because hamsters are prey animals they will hide any injuries or health issues as long as possible as sick or injured prey animals are often targeted by predators. This means that if your hamster is showing signs of illness, you need to take action very quickly.
Health checks can be done in a number of ways, but mostly involve checking their teeth and underbellies, in addition to making sure their breathing looks normal and their coat looks healthy.
It is easiest to do health checks on hamsters who are tamed and comfortable with being held. For this reason, I highly suggest you invest time in getting to know your hamster and gaining their trust. To learn more about how to bond with your hamster and earn their trust, please see the Hamster Behavior and Taming page.
Until you are able to hold your hamster, you can do health checks by having your hamster crawl into a glass jar or a clear container like the Kritter Keeper.
Once you are able to hold your hamster, you can practice health checks with them in your hands. This will help you immensely if you need to give them antibiotics or clean a wound in the future.
If you would like to wear gloves in case your hamster bites, this might be a good idea! Leather works best, avoid materials your hamster could bite and swallow like rubber dish gloves.
Dangerous Products or Situations to be Avoided
As weird as it may sound, many products sold for hamsters are not safe for hamsters. Since hamsters are small and relatively new to being kept as pets (compared to say, cats or dogs), there isn’t as much research around what hamsters need to be happy and healthy. Some advocates have been working to change legislation around how hamsters can be kept (for example- no more small cages!) and what products are sold for them.
The founders of HamsterWelfare.com are some of these advocates. HamsterWelfare.com works to have studies published on the safety of hamster products to improve hamster health & well being around the world. The website is a great wealth of information!
Other sources I like to reference for safe or unsafe products: Hamster Education and Adventures, the Ontario Hamster Club’s website, the California Hamster Association’s website (& more to come!)
Decorative Ceramics with Small Holes at the Bottom
Many hamster owners like to use decorative ceramics in their hamster’s enclosure to add visual interest and give their hamster more things to hide behind (hamster like a crowded enclosure with lots of hiding spots!). Hamsters like to go in small holes and are known to get stuck after entering these types of ceramics.
Check any ceramics for small holes at the bottom (most will have these) and then fill the holes with silicone aquarium sealant to ensure your hamsters cannot go in the holes and get their heads or whole bodies stuck.
See this post on Instagram from Wild Rose Hamsters for more info or this post from Pudgey the Ham explaining how her Robo hamster fell victim to a small hole 🕳 at the bottom of a ceramic cactus 🌵
Cotton Fluff
for more information on this, please see Hamster Welfare’s Website.
Kapuk
Hotly debated in the hamster community, a few reputable sources have found it to be unsafe. For more info, read this article from Strong Brew Hamsters and then see, Hamster Welfare’s Website (scroll down) about the dangers of fluffy bedding - they specifically call out kapuk and show an autopsy from a hamster who consumed it and passed away from intestinal blockage.
Hamster Balls
For more info please see Hamster Welfare’s Website.
Edible Hides
Edible hides are generally not recommended since hamsters should chew on wooden items but not ingest them. “Edible” style hides are usually made of wood but are flavored so that hamsters enticed to eat them. Eating wood shavings can cause blockages in the hamster’s intestinal system, so this is not recommended.
Small Cages
Hamsters are active little animals who need a lot of space to be happy. Can you imagine being confined to studio apartment for your entire life? You’d go crazy! So do hamsters who are kept in small cages. For more on how to find or create a good cage for your hamster, please see my enclosure page. For more info on cage sizes, please see the California Hamster Association’s Cage Page.
Small, barred cages can also pose a threat if your hamster climbs on the bars - it is not uncommon for a hamster to get their food stuck in a barred cage and then chew off their foot if you’re not around to free them. See this story from Home Sweet Hammy Home about a hamster who got her foot stuck.
Small Wheels
Hamsters should have wheels that allow them to run freely without any curve in their spine. If your hamster has to look up at all while running, their wheel is causing damage to their spine and they will likely live a life in pain later in life. Many people assume that small hamsters need small wheels- this is not correct! In fact, larger wheels are easier for hamsters to use and they have fewer accidents on them. I recommend 8” to 12” for dwarf or robo hamsters, 10-12” for Chinese and 12”-14” for Syrian hamsters. For more about hamster wheels and links to appropriately sized hamster wheels, please see my wheel page.
Mesh or Barred Wheels
Hamsters have very delicate, little feet that can be quickly injured or broken on a mesh or barred wheel. A broken limb for a hamster can be hard to repair and often ends in amputation. Please do not subject your hamster to such unnecessary suffering when there are so many other hamster wheel options. For more reading on safe & unsafe hamster wheels, please see the California Hamster Association’s Wheel Page. For links to safe & appropriately sized wheels, please see my Wheel Page.
Popsicle Sticks
(okay to use, but use caution) Hamsters can get their little feet stuck in the small spaces between the popsicle sticks, particularly at the rounded edge.
Bendy Bridges with Large Gaps:
hamsters can get their tiny feet stuck in the gaps of bendy bridges resulting in a broken foot or leg. Unfortunately hamsters cannot always survive a broken leg (surgery is risky) and if they do, amputation might be the only option. They can still run on three legs, but best to avoid this happening all together. Fill large gaps in bendy bridges with moss (you can use non-toxic hot glue to glue the moss) or purchase bendy bridges without gaps.
I recently found this great Hamster Care blog (the Five Little Hams) that outlines how to improve the safety of bendy bridges, you can check it out here.
Bringing Your Hamster Outside (don’t do it!)
You may see some adorable photos of hamster running in grass, it is highly recommended that you keep your hamsters indoors. There are many reasons your hamster shouldn’t go outside including: hamster could get lost, eaten by a predator, pick up a parasite or fleas , get overheated or cold. For more on this, please see this post from Dogs Hamsters.
Letting Hamsters Free Roam with a Dog or Cat (please don’t do this!)
there are countless stories of this going horribly wrong. Please make sure your hamster lives in a room closed off from predator animals. Your hamster could die, or worse, be in a lot of pain and suffer.
For more on this, please see this very sad story from Cheeky.Amigo. (They are amazing hamster parents but having a cat in the same house as a hamster is a risk that even the best hamster parents can’t always control)
Putting your Hamster in Direct Sunlight
(they are Vampires! JK, but they can get Heat Stroke). Please see more below.
Not Monitoring the Temperature of Their Room
Please see this great post from Hubba Hubba Hamstery about monitoring the temperature in your hamster’s area. Hamsters are animals who live in a very small part of the world in a very particular climate. They are not well suited for very hot or cold temperatures. It’s advised that you keep your hamster’s room from 65 F to 75 F. If you lose power in a snow storm or heat wave, it is advised that you act quickly to ensure your hamster can survive. You may need to prepare your hamster to go stay with a friend who does have a working AC or Heat, or provide your hamster with warming or cooling resources like cooling tiles.
I recently discovered this great device from Grovee Home products- it’s a wireless, wifi enabled room thermometer that you can connect to from a phone app. I love that while I’m out of the home I can still ensure that the AC or heat is working properly and my hamsters are not in danger. I can even set a temperature range (mine is set from 65 F to 75 F) so that the device will alert me if the temp is extending outside of that range! The device is very affordable and easy to install!
Common Hamster Ailments
There are some common ailments to keep and eye out for in your hamster. Getting to know your hamster and then noting when their behavior changes will help you address any health issue quickly before it is too late. Hamsters, like many prey animals, will try to hide illness for as long as possible, so when you start to see a change in their behavior, you know it’s time to take action. Here are some things to look out for. Please reach out to your vet as soon as you see something that worries you.
I love this post from HamsterEducationAndAdventures about Some symptoms to look out for in your hamster . Also including a great video from Victoria Raechel.
Another great resource is this Disorders & Diseases of Hamsters from Merck.
Lastly, I recently discovered this website called PetMd that goes into more detail around specific hamster illnesses. While you should always see a vet if you think your hamster is ill, knowledge is power and may allow you to be a better advocate for the care your hamster needs.
Aging Hamster
Hamsters, like humans, will show their age at some point and may need modifications to their cage and food. Many great Instagrammers and YouTubers have done videos about this, sharing some of my favs!
You may need to make some “hamster mush” - a soft food good for hamsters who are having trouble eating hard foods. Here is a recipe from Cheeks and Squeaks
It’s also a good idea to have some baby food on hand for your aging hamsters. Some hamsters will have dental issues as they age, or baby food might be a treat they’ll be likely to eat (rather than pouch) if they are in a weakened state. I love the baby food from Serenity Kids! I get the variety pack of savory vegetable flavors and the chicken & turkey flavors for protein. Stick to simple flavors and stay away from anything with spices or onions- these can upset your hamster’s tummy.
Oxbow now makes a “Critical Care” mix for omnivores (like hamsters!). I recently got this for my aging dwarf hamsters who both have dental/chewing issues. It’s probably a good thing to have around (you never know when a hamster will need some TLC!) It’s a little tricky to find, but I’m purchasing it from this webiste: https://www.vetito.com/en/petmeds/1164/Oxbow-Critical-Care-Omnivore
Eye Infection
Ringworm In Hamsters
Respiratory Infection
Shirley, one of my dwarf hamsters, had pneumonia, so I learned first hand about caring for a hamster with a respiratory infection! Shirley, after getting better from her pneumonia, eventually passed away a few weeks later. It’s likely that she had cancer or congestive heart failure that contributed to her initial pneumonia. Including a video about Shirley as well, so you can see how I cared for her during this time.
Also including a video from Cosmic Hamsters about how she created a nebulizer for at-home treatment. My vets did not allow me to do at-home nebulizer treatments (she did get them in-office a few times), but I did use a humidifier with Shirley to help improve her breathing and clear her lungs.
Parasites, Mites or Fleas
Hamsters, just like any animal, can get parasites. It is, however, treatable, but takes some dedication to getting them the help they need. For more info on hamsters with parasites, please see this post & this post from a rescue in Texas, Small Pets Safe House.
Torpor
Torpor is a state your hamster goes into when they become too cold. It is not hibernation- hamsters do not have the ability to hibernate, and if your hamster is in torpor it is a very dangerous situation for them!
For more information, please see this article on the Hamster Forum!
Heat Stroke
Bumble Foot
Bumble foot 🦶describes inflamed and infected hamster feet.
Bumblefoot can happen to any hamster at any time (although it is often associated with poor care / inadequate wheel). It’s a great thing to check for when you do your weekly health checks.
I was surprised to find two little pink scabs on the bottom of my robo’s feet 🦶 when he was about 1 1/2 years old!
The treatment is fairly simple, but you do need to take action so the infection doesn’t get out or control.
To prevent bumblefoot, make sure your hamster uses a solid surface wheel (NO mesh!), keep the wheel clean by washing frequently, and if it’s a reoccurring issue you could consider switching to a cork lined wheel to help reduce impact on your hamsters feet as they run (this has helped with my Steven).
Tumors & Cysts
Tumors and cysts are common in hamsters and it’s always a good idea to check for any bumps or lumps during health checks or while handling your hamster. Caring for a hamster who has had their tumor or cyst removed does require special care. Hamsters who have had surgery will need simplified cages (so they can’t injure themselves or over-exert themselves) and will most likely need to take medication.
I learn so much from the hamster community, including some of my favorite videos and posts from their experience with this type of malady.
Abscesses & Infections
Hamsters can also get abscesses containing an infection. My little hybrid dwarf hamster, Laverne has had an abscess for several months and has ongoing treatments and surgeries to contain the infection. It looks as though the infection is coming from somewhere around her ear.
For any infection I recommend doing a culture of the infection so your vet can prescribe targeted antibiotics to that infection (of course I also recommend doing what your vet suggests! But some vets will leave the option up to you as they are conscious about many pet owners being price-sensitive). Doing a culture of the bacteria is an extra expense but it let my vet know that the bacteria Laverne was fighting a fairly antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria and was able to prescribe her something more effective.
Diabetes
Allergies
Cheek Pouch injuries or infections
Overgrown or Misaligned teeth (also called Maloccluded teeth)
Frequent health checks are a great time to check your hamster’s teeth and make sure they look normal. maloccluded teeth can happen at any time in a hamster’s life but if it goes unchecked can lead to gum or cheek infections which can be very painful for your hamster (and expensive for you!) Including a video from HammyTime, she does a great job of explaining what it is and how it is she had to deal with it.
I also dealt with my own hamster’s dental issues, including a video telling this story below.
Long Nails
Long nails seem to be an issue more commonly found in dwarf hamsters, although some hamsters seem to have this issue more than others.
In general it’s helpful to provide your hamster with textures that might help file down their nails naturally, like large, smooth rocks, wooden items they can climb on or sand baths they can dig in (I find digging in a sand bath to be most effective in keeping nails short). However, even with all these things you may find your little ham with nails that are a bit too long.
If you are new to hamsters I would recommend taking your hamster to an exotic vet for a nail trim. Call ahead as you may need to book time with a particular vet tech who is great with hamster nails. Yes, going to the vet can be stressful for your hamster, but it’s better to get their nails trimmed so they can walk comfortably!
It’s best if you can place your hamster in a small carrier with a paper cup and some bedding from their enclosure for a familiar smell. You can also leave some dry food for them to enjoy while they wait. The cup will help your vet scoop them out and trim their nails quickly. Prices vary, I pay $22/per hamster currently. Some hamsters seem to need to go more frequently than others, but I find I need to do it about once a month or so.
Trimming hamster nails is difficult to do and I would recommend leaving that to professionals unless you are very comfortable handling your hamster (and please let your vet show you how to do it properly).
For more information, please see this post from Astronamy Hammies Care, and this post from Hamster Education & Adventures, also including some videos below.
Unexpected Pregnancies
Hamsters are sexually mature at 4 weeks old and it is not uncommon for a hamster to be incorrectly identified and placed with the opposite sex at a pet store. Any contact at all with the opposite sex is reason enough to put your hamster on pregnancy watch.
If suspect your hamster is pregnant I suggest checking out this incredible post from Strong Brew Hamsters all about accidental pregnancies & litters.
I strongly advise moving your pregnant or possibly pregnant hamster to a quiet place in your house and not disturbing her. Stressed out hamsters will cull (eat) their young, which can be a very heartbreaking and disturbing thing to witness.
Please do not purposely breed your hamsters. Hamsters who come from pet stores often have genetic issues that may be compounded when they breed. You will likely end up with hamsters with heartbreaking and expensive to care for health conditions.
Hamster First Aid Kit
While a vet trip is always the way to go with a sick hamster, sometimes you may find yourself with a sick or injured hamster on a Sunday afternoon and your vet isn’t open until Monday morning.
In this instance, it is a good idea to create a hamster first aid kit so that you can provide the critical care your hamster needs.
Here is a post from Hamster Education & Adventures (Instagram) with suggestions for what to keep in your hamster first aid kit.
Also including a great video from Hopping Hammy and Taxonomist all about hamster first aid.
Here are some of my favorite Hamster Emergency Kit items!
Oxbow Critical Care Omnivore - this is a liquid diet made for hamsters who are struggling getting their nutritional needs met. I find it helpful with sick hamsters or aging hamsters. The latest edition of Critical Care, it has just hit the market. It’s a bit hard to find right now, but I was able to purchase from here: https://www.vetito.com/en/petmeds/1164/Oxbow-Critical-Care-Omnivore
Pedialyte Mix - if your hamster is sick and not drinking a lot of water, mixing a bit of Pedialyte into their water will help them stay hydrated. A sick hamster may need you to bring water to them as they may not have the energy or motivation to stay hydrated on their own. From Amazon :https://amzn.to/3J8r9LU
Needle-less Syringes - these are handy for so many things! You can use syringes to feed, hydrate or give medicine to your hamster (tip- hold the syringe to the side of your hamster’s mouth to keep them from choking, although some hamsters will grab the syringe and willingly drink up). I have also used these syringes to flush or rinse wounds with sterile saline water. I suggest buying a variety pack as various sizes will come in handy. If you are given medicine from your vet they will usually give you an appropriately sized syringe, but it’s always good to have a back up! https://amzn.to/3yTnOLW
Heating Pad - if your hamster is ill or recovering from surgery you’ll need to make sure they stay warm. Using a heating pad, set to low and placed up against one side of their enclosure (on the OUTSIDE so they don’t chew on the wires) can help your hamster stay warm. Never heat the whole enclosure, you’ll want to give them an option o move to the other side of the enclosure if they get overheated. Hamsters have a low threshold for being too hot or too cold, so using a heating pad takes a lot of monitoring to make sure you get it just right. I suggest only using a heating pad as directed by your vet (but they will likely suggest it if your hamster has had surgery or a severe illness, better to have this on hand for when those times come) https://amzn.to/3eocYEi
Baby Food - keeping a variety of baby food around never hurts. Most baby food should be safe for your hamsters, it’s recommended that hamsters don’t eat onions 🧅 , garlic 🧄 or acidic items like tomatoes 🍅 or oranges 🍊. They aren’t specifically poisonous to your hamster but they can cause upset tummies.
Human babies are similar, so you won’t find too many of these items in baby food anyway, but you can always read the ingredients and check before you purchase. I find that my hamsters like the vegetable baby foods like 🥕 carrot, sweet potato 🍠, green beans, broccoli 🥦, and so on. I also like to give one with protein, like chicken 🐓 , Turkey 🦃 or beef 🥩. There are many fruit options as well, I find my hamsters don’t prefer these and it’s probably best to keep sugary items to a minimum, but for a sick hamster, sometimes you just need them to eat, and a banana-mango 🍌 fruit packet never hurts to have around 😊!
Wash cloths & small towels - always handy! Good to use while handling your hamster, for cleaning soiled areas or as padding at the bottom of a small plastic tub. The baby wash cloths work particularly well with hamsters.
A small, plastic bin & a medium plastic bin - small and medium bins are good to use with sick hamsters. When your hamster is sick it is probably most effective to move them into a smaller, “hospital bin”. 100 qt size should be good for this, although smaller could be okay too, it depends how active your hamster is. This 100 qt, bin cage is handy so you can find your hamster easily for medicine, to ensure everything is very accessible to them in their weakened state and so you can place a heating pad under it if needed.
The small plastic bin will come in handy for administering medicine or cleaning wounds. I put a few towels or blankets down (so if they accidentally slip through your hands they have a soft landing). Smaller size makes it so there’s less run around & chase which will reduce the overall stress for your hamster. This small bin can also be used for nail trims! Make sure the walls are tall enough your hamster can’t climb out!
Q-tips - good for cleaning sounds or applying ointment
Cotton swabs - to be used with sterile saline to clean wounds
Tweezers & nail clippers - You never know what kind of trouble your hamster will get into, it doesn’t hurt to have a pair of both of these around.
Sterile Saline - good for cleaning wounds or crusty eyes https://amzn.to/3FshjCv .
Mazuri Lab Block crumbs - don’t throw this bottom portion of the bag away! Save it for when your hamster needs some soft foods. I like to mix it with oatmilk, some fruit 🍌, chia seeds & instant oatmeal. I mix up the recipe for my hamsters frequently using different fruits or more or less oatmeal etc, I find my hamsters eat more willingly when they get variety in their diet.
Instant Oatmeal Packets - to be used with the Mazuri lab block mush!
Chia Seeds - for the hamster mush!
Oatmilk - I like using non dairy milk so there is less of a chance of spoilage overnight (since I’ll feed my hamsters their mush when I go to bed but they might not eat it all at once). If you buy the shelf stable kind you’ll always have some around :)
Eggs - eggs are a little harder to keep in your hamster emergency kit but I do find they make great hamster soft food! All of my hamsters love eggs. I often use eggs and a conduit for medications, particularly those which must be taken with foods. My hamsters just gobble the eggs down without a second thought!