What to do if a hamster dies and how to survive the death of a pet

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15.04.2018

Anyone who has ever kept animals at home knows how difficult it is to bear their death. If you decide to get a hamster, be prepared for the fact that the life of a small rodent is short. With ideal care, he will live 2-3 years. The life of a fluffy will be even shorter if you do not provide him with the necessary conditions and attention from people. Children especially suffer from such loss. Before giving in to your child's requests to buy an animal, explain the prospects for the purchase. The child will be more careful about the pet, care for it, and will be able to cope more easily with the death of the hamster. This article explains how to prolong the life of a pet and what to do in the event of death.

Causes of hamster death

Let's look at the most common causes of death in a hamster.

1. Age. Due to natural reasons, rare individuals live more than three years. Even if an animal is kept in ideal conditions and receives normal food, its organs are capable of functioning for no more than a period determined by nature.
2. Poor nutrition. Hamsters eat any food, but not all food is good for them. Spicy, sour and salty foods should not be given. Smoked meats and foods with spices are contraindicated. It is unacceptable to feed your pet stale or rotten foods, exotic fruits and sweets. All kinds of chips, crackers and other products containing food additives and stabilizers can be deadly for a small animal.
3. Colds. Hamsters are sensitive to hypothermia and drafts. The optimal air temperature for keeping an animal is 20–22 °C, away from direct sunlight and heating devices. You should not bathe your rodent often. He may catch a cold after taking water treatments if his fur coat is not thoroughly wiped and dried. At the first signs of illness (lethargy, apathy, refusal to eat), do not self-medicate, take the animal to a veterinarian. The life of a hamster is fleeting, and diseases occur at lightning speed. Don't miss the time when you can still save your baby.

4. Other diseases. Rodents are susceptible to tumor formation. An abundance of sweets causes diabetes. Infectious diseases can also cause premature death of a hamster.
5. Stress. Stressful situations have a negative impact on rodent health. Fright from a sharp sound, bright light, or the appearance of other pets, cats and dogs, can trigger a heart attack or stroke.
6. Poor care. Regular cleaning of the cage, removal of excrement, and replacement of bedding will make your pet’s life more comfortable and reduce the spread of infections. In addition, the hamster constantly stores food supplies. In a warm room they quickly deteriorate. Throwing away everything a homa has collected will cause stress in the animal. It is better to gradually replace spoiled foods with fresh ones.
7. Injuries. The hamster is a rather fragile creature. You can injure him by carelessly squeezing him in your hands. First of all, explain this to the children. Do not let your hamster “walk” on a table or other high object, from which it could fall and injure itself.
8. Childbirth. A hamster may die during childbirth if she is less than 4 months old or has too many babies.
9. Other reasons. A hamster can run away and suffocate somewhere under the floor in a cramped hole, or it can chew through an electrical wire and receive an electric shock. A heavy object may accidentally fall on it. All these troubles will not happen if you properly monitor and care for your small pet.

Metabolic disorders

Metabolism is the proper functioning of all body systems. Food processing, energy production, removal of unnecessary and harmful products. The central nervous system is responsible for all this, but the glands that secrete hormones have a huge influence on metabolic processes. These include the thyroid and pancreas, adrenal glands, pituitary gland, and gonads. Poor nutrition, poor environment, and hereditary factors affect the functioning of these organs. Violation of their normal functioning leads to a malfunction of the body as a whole. Diseases of Djungarian hamsters are often associated with metabolic disorders.

Death from old age

If the pet has been living for about three years, be prepared for the inevitable death of the pet from old age. A small heart, which in a calm state beats at a frequency of 180-200 beats per minute, wears out very quickly. With frequent stress, the likelihood of rupture of the heart muscle, i.e., a heart attack, increases many times over. Tiny vessels cannot withstand such a frantic rhythm. Hence strokes and paralysis of limbs. The baby is still alive, but cannot move. It’s up to you whether to prolong his torment or contact a veterinary clinic with a request to euthanize the dying man.

Correct content

First, let's look at how to properly keep a hamster, because poor living conditions can cause death.

If you want to create ideal living conditions for your pet, you should not seek advice from sellers and consultants at pet stores. Often these people do not have specialized training and are interested in getting as much money as possible for goods, even if in the end they may cost your pet's life.

To keep your hamster healthy, it is important to choose the right cage. A high cage is dangerous, as hamsters like to climb up the bars under the roof and fall from there, seriously injuring themselves.

The cage should be spacious. Minimum bottom dimensions:

The minimum size means that it is advisable to take a larger cage along the bottom, but not smaller.

Equally important is a running wheel of the correct size:

• for a dwarf hamster, the wheel diameter is from 16 cm;
• for a Syrian hamster – from 18 cm.

You shouldn’t take two hamsters with the motivation “so that one doesn’t get bored.” Hamsters are territorial animals. There is a high probability that one day, instead of two pets getting along, you will see a bloody battle with a fatal outcome. This applies to both different-sex and same-sex hamsters.

Do not engage in uncontrolled breeding of hamsters. Pregnancy seriously shortens the life of the female, and in some cases can lead to the death of her and her babies. Hamsters are famous for the fact that they can easily eat their offspring.

Hamsters should not be bathed in water. They need special sand for bathing.

How do hamsters die?

How can you tell if your hamster is dying? The death of a rodent can be predictable or unexpected. If the coat has become sparse and has lost its healthy shine, the eyes have become dull, and movements are slow and sluggish, these are signs of imminent death from old age or an incurable disease. Weight loss and refusal to eat are also symptoms of impending death. Behavior before death changes. The hamster stops making supplies, as if he has a presentiment that he will no longer need them.

The symptoms of sudden death depend on what the baby is dying from. If the poor guy fell from a height and broke his spine, his body would go limp, he would be immobilized and die within a few hours or even minutes. If the disease is accompanied by severe pain, the unfortunate animal will cry in a plaintive voice. Then the crying will turn into a death rattle. Symptoms of death from indigestion are bloating and diarrhea.

Proper nutrition

There is a wide variety of food for rodents on display at pet stores. However, despite what the labels say, not all of them are created equal. Cheap food is not suitable for feeding hamsters - they are usually of poor quality, incorrectly balanced, and do not contain all the necessary substances and vitamins. There have been cases where rodent poison was found in food, which caused the death of pets.

For normal functioning, hamsters need balanced dry food. It should include cereals, plant seeds, herbs and flowers, as well as protein supplements in the form of dried insects.

It is important to give hamsters allowed vegetables and fruits. You can feed hamsters cucumber, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, turnips, radish. Types of hamsters that are not predisposed to diabetes can be given pumpkin, carrots, fruits and dried fruits.

It is forbidden to give onions, white cabbage, sorrel.

Is it possible to save a pet?

How to help a hamster if it is dying? If your pet dies of old age or an incurable disease, there is nothing you can do to help. You can only ease the poor fellow's torment. But if trouble happens to a young healthy animal, don’t waste your time, contact a veterinarian. Describe your symptoms to help your doctor make a diagnosis, and follow his instructions. You may still be able to save your pet. The sooner you seek qualified help, the greater the chances of extending the life of the rodent.

What to tell your child

The death of a pet is always a big blow for the whole family, and children are especially sensitive to this. Parents may feel confused about what to do if their hamster dies.

In what words to convey the news of the death of a pet to a child depends on the age of the child and on whether the parents explained to him what death is. However, you should not hide the fact of the animal’s death from the child, because in any case he will have to face death in the future. It must be remembered that at such a difficult moment the child needs special attention from the parents. You should not leave your child alone with his grief - you need to talk to him a lot and provide moral support. You should not scold if your child’s grades at school temporarily deteriorate. It takes time to get over grief. There is no need to immediately get another animal to replace the old one. All the same, the new pet will be completely different in character and habits, which is why it is important to completely mentally say goodbye to the deceased hamster.

Preventing premature death

To ensure that there is no other cause of death other than old age, provide the hamster with proper living conditions. Following a few simple rules will extend the life of your pet.

1. Healthy eating. Study the nutritional guidelines for rodents. Avoid spicy, sour, salty, smoked and sweet foods. Feed only fresh foods. There should always be fresh water in the cage.
2. Provide your hamster with exercise equipment and toys.
3. Clean the cage on time, this will help avoid the development of infections. Keep food and water utensils clean.
4. Place the cage in a quiet place where the hamster will not be afraid of running electrical appliances and will not be disturbed by other pets.
5. Bathe your hamster only in exceptional cases. At the same time, dry thoroughly so that he does not catch a cold.
6. Do not allow the female to have cubs prematurely. It could kill her. The appropriate age for motherhood is after 4 months.
7. Talk and play with your baby. Be extremely careful when doing this.

But the inevitable happened and the hamster died. Clean and disinfect the cage thoroughly before introducing a new animal. Perhaps there is an infection left in the cage from which the previous occupant died.

Heart diseases

• Congestive heart failure in hamsters is a likely cause of death for hamsters that die suddenly. This occurs when old or genetically predisposed hamsters have weakened heart muscles that cannot pump blood effectively. Respiratory distress, erratic movements, edema (fluid retention in the abdomen), and bluish discoloration of the skin are possible symptoms.
• Atrial thrombosis is extremely common in older hamsters and occurs in up to 70%. Thrombosis usually occurs secondary to heart failure. Some symptoms include cyanosis (legs appear blue), hyperpnea (rapid breathing), and death after a week of these symptoms.
• Some diseases, such as polymyopathy, can be hereditary. Transmitted by a recessive gene, the disease affects the heart and weakens the muscles, eventually leading to early death due to heart failure in some hamsters.
• One study observing changes in "healthy" and cardiomyopathic (CM) hamsters found that CM hamsters had a shorter lifespan and had previously undergone damaging pathological changes in their hearts. Some of these hamsters died as early as 11-13 months naturally. It is therefore possible that heart failure will occur well below the hamster's life expectancy.

What to do after

After the death of a hamster, it is important to thoroughly disinfect all the accessories that were in its cage, and the cage itself too. If you are considering getting another hamster, it is important to completely kill the scent of the previous owner. It is necessary to determine the cause of the pet’s death in order to avoid fatal mistakes in the future.

If you take responsibility and get a hamster, you must provide him with comfortable living conditions. Don’t forget: your pet is just a page in your life, but you are his whole life. Take care and love your pet so that you don’t regret anything when the time comes to part ways.

Steps

How to tell if your hamster is hibernating

Think about how unexpected this happened.
Has your hamster been feeling unwell lately? Maybe he has lost his appetite or started drinking more than usual? Have you noticed that your hamster's stool has changed? What weight did he lose? That he became less mobile and stopped running in a wheel? If you've noticed these signs frequently lately, the cause of immobility is most likely death.

But if recently the hamster was completely healthy, but suddenly became completely motionless, most likely the hamster is simply hibernating.

The age of the hamster plays an important role. How old is your pet? The average lifespan of rodents is 18-24 months, very few hamsters live to 36 months

If the hamster is already old, the risk of it dying increases. Pay attention to the ambient temperature. Hamster hibernation largely depends on temperature. If the air temperature in the room is above 20 degrees Celsius, then hibernation is unlikely to be the cause of immobility

If the room is hot, pay attention to whether the hamster's cage is located near the air conditioner. Air conditioners make the room very cold, which can cause the hamster to hibernate. Therefore, even in a stuffy room, there is a chance that your hamster is simply fast asleep. Think about whether the hamster has enough food and whether he has enough light. Hamsters hibernate during difficult times when there are not enough resources to survive. This is usually due to harsh winters, low temperatures, short days and lack of food.

If possible, get close to it and look at it for a few minutes. Remember that the hamster's entire body has gone into hibernation and slowed down, so breathing may be almost unnoticeable.

Observe the hamster for more than two minutes. In 2 minutes you may not notice signs of life and not see if the hamster is breathing. Then you may mistakenly think that the hamster is dead.

Feel if your hamster's heart is beating.

If you can't see if your hamster is breathing, try feeling its heartbeat. It may slow down significantly, but will still be present. A hibernating hamster can feel as few as four beats per minute, or one beat every 15 seconds.

It will be difficult for you to feel the heart of a hamster due to the small size of the animal. To do this, place the thumb and index finger of one hand on either side of the hamster's chest (behind the elbows). Apply a little pressure, but not too much. Wait a little. After some time, you may feel a slight tremor at your fingertips.

A hamster's body temperature is not an indicator of its life/death.

Don't worry if your hamster suddenly seems cold to you. This doesn't mean he's dead. During hibernation, all processes in the body slow down and body temperature decreases.

How to wake a hamster from hibernation

1. To awaken your hamster from hibernation, take him to a room where the air temperature is about 20 degrees Celsius. After 2-3 days the hamster should wake up on its own.
2. Fill your hamster's feeder and water bowl with food and water in advance.

Hamster diseases and their treatment. If your hamster is breathing heavily through his mouth

Due to excitement, it is difficult to figure out what to do if the hamster lies and does not move, but is breathing. After all, the presence of breathing means that the animal is still alive.

Before you run to the vet, you need to try to figure out why your pet is lying motionless

Pay attention to other signs: whether the eyes are closed, how often the rodent breathes. If the eyelids are closed and breathing is calm, the hamster may just

If a previously healthy animal suddenly falls into a coma, it is possible that it is hibernating. Breathing will be very rare, and the pet will be cold to the touch. In nature, dwarfs hibernate in winter, waiting out cold, hunger and short daylight hours.

Basic rules for life extension

We humans, the owners of our pets, cannot understand what feelings our charges experience before death, but we have the power to provide proper care and thereby delay the unpleasant and saddest outcome for everyone - the death of the hamster. Make sure that you have created not only the necessary comfortable conditions for your pet, but also surrounded him with care and love, namely:

• Provide your ward with healthy and at the same time proper nutrition, which is very necessary to maintain and strengthen his immunity. A rodent's diet must include not only grains and nuts, but also fresh vegetables and fruits. In addition, the rodent should always have fresh water, both for drinking and for washing.
• Create an opportunity for the animal to lead an active lifestyle - place in its cage not only a running wheel, but also other toys necessary to maintain excellent physical shape and strengthen the rodent's cardiovascular system.
• The cage should be placed in a well-ventilated area, but away from drafts and direct sunlight.
• Do not forget that hamsters do not react well to the noise of electrical appliances. Animals around them become restless, their sleep is disturbed, and there are times when they fall into a state of depression.

The owner's love, warm care and joint games between pet and owner work wonders, and proper care of a hamster will help extend its life for months, or even years.

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Other diseases

If your hamster is breathing frequently "out of the blue" without being scared or tired, this indicates respiratory or heart failure.

Pneumonia

You need to listen to the breathing of a tiny animal - wheezing, gurgling, snuffling indicate problems with the lungs. If you've recently had a runny nose and your hamster has become lethargic and reluctant to eat, it could be pneumonia (pneumonia). The animal simply cannot breathe, so it tries not to move and freezes in one place.

Treatment consists of antibiotic therapy - for small rodents, Baytril 2.5% is traditionally used at a dose of 0.4 ml per 1 kg of weight (for a dzhungarik weighing 50 grams, this is 0.01 ml). Injections are given subcutaneously 1 time a day for 10-14 days.

Agony

If a hamster lies motionless with his eyes open and breathes heavily, and before that he was sick for several days, then he dies. There is no way to help a rodent in agony; even an experienced veterinarian can only end the suffering by euthanizing the animal.

Consider whether your hamster has wet tail fur (a sign of diarrhea), a sudden increase in abdominal contour, or sudden weight loss. Hamsters have a very fast metabolism, so they cannot be sick for a long time: without proper treatment or in case of severe problems, they “burn out” in a few days.

Decorative hamsters have fragile health, and yet the animal can live its entire short life without getting sick. To do this, you just need to follow simple feeding and maintenance rules. In case of unforeseen circumstances, you need to find out in advance where to go for an appointment with a rodent - general practitioners will not be able to provide qualified assistance. And do not despair if the hamster lies and does not move, but breathes: perhaps all is not lost.

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