Skip to content

Common Health Issues

Hamster  Common Health Issues

A hamster is a small, mammal-like creature often referred to as a dwarf hamster. He or she usually lives for around one year, though some survive longer than that.

Hamsters are typically divided into two major groups: the short-hair hamster and the long-hair hamster. Both have similar health issues, so it is difficult to say which issue you have more of.

Short-hairhamsters are typically healthy and can be trained. Long-hairedhamsters may have some health issues such as obesity and diabetes and/or obesity only. These problems can be treated with diet and training alone!

The most common health issue for both short-hairhamsters and long-hairedhamsters is obesity.

Diabetes

Hamster  Common Health Issues

Diabetes is not a common health issue in hamsters. However, if you have a hamster with diabetes, then you should be aware of the health issues that can occur.

When an animal has diabetes, they suffer from high blood sugar levels. The body cannot use the glucose in the blood to function.

This can result in poor eating habits, painful chewing sessions, and sometimes even unconsciousness due to lack of regulating breaths. It is essential to watch for signs of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) when looking for signs of health in an animal.

To prevent ketoacidemia (overproduction of acid due to overconsumption of glucose), it is recommended that animals get regular exercise and eat a balanced diet.

Habit formation

Hamster  Common Health Issues

In order for a habit to form, both you and the habit need to be in the same place. You have to decide whether or not you want to keep the habit of shopping in shopping malls or stores.

If you already shopped at a certain store, it would be hard for you to say no to going back to that store. You trust the shop staff, they’re familiar with your needs, and they’ve satisfied your needs before.

You also have a feeling of security when going into a store, especially if there’s been some recent positive news about the store or the brand.

The feeling of security makes it hard for you to say no when shops offer things that make you feel uncomfortable, or when shops push certain products because they’re more efficient than others.

Tooth issues

Hamster  Common Health Issues

Hamster teeth can be a problem! Luckily, there are ways to fix this issue.

When hamsters are young, they have little pointy teeth that don’t fully close. These can be treated with resin medication or by having them sealed with a diet consisting of plain food only.

Sequel to this is when the hamster loses its teeth as an adult. Then, you have two options: find new teeth or take care of the gum disease that caused the teeth to fall out in the first place. Neither of these is pleasant, I know!

Finding proper food and shelter are two ways to keep your hamster healthy. Keeping a regular schedule is also important to help maintain healthy health and body function.

Constipation

Hamster  Common Health Issues

Constipation is something that many people struggle with, even though they aren’t sure why it happens to some people and not to other.

The way constipation happens is that your body doesn’t have enough liquid in it to fully wash away the smaller things that are inside of you.

This liquid gets stuck inside of you and cannot be removed without help. Luckily, there are a few medical ways to remove this liquid, like voiding therapy or tubal ligation surgery.

However, if this doesn’t help, there are some ways that you can fight it on your own. Here are some tips to help you do so.

1.

Obstructions

Hamster  Common Health Issues

A hamster may have a lot of things, but he or she might not have enough space. Most hamsters live in a housing unit with other hamsters.

If you have a lot of hamsters, you will need to provide enough space to visit them regularly. They need to be able to get up and move around as well as spread out across the floor.

Make sure you do not overcrowd your home since your hamster will eventually feel trapped.

Heart disease

Hamster  Common Health Issues

Hamster health is critical as they can have heart disease THEIR own heart health is critical as they can have heart disease, either by eating too much meat or drinking too much water.

Pet hamsters are typically high in sodium and fat, and are also recommended to be active. Both of these things are important for your health as you would be forced to exercise your hamster if you wanted to keep it.

When keeping a hamster, you must make sure it gets enough water. Some people use tank tops or shirts that has been dried off before giving it to the pet trade. You can also buy a hamster drinker which helps you keep tabs on how much water your animal is drinking.

Behavioral issues

Hamster  Common Health Issues

When this issue is major, it can lead to health issues. Common health issues that happen when a hamster has a behavioral issue is malnutrition.

Hamsters are normally hungry twice a day (morning and night) with their daily water bottle. When this does not happen, they suffer from food deficiency and weight loss.

Nutritionally deprived hamsters may have poor immune systems and more easily get sick. They also tend to be more prone to infections and stress-related illnesses.

This is a serious issue to deal with as they can die of starvation easily.

Parasites

Hamster  Common Health Issues

A parasite is a living thing that lives and dies on the outside of another as a host. There are thousands of parasite species, making it hard to determine which one is for you.

However, not all parasites are harmful. Some even benefit your health. For instance, the bloodworm may help maintain your skin strength and promote skin integrity.

There are several ways to know if your hamster has a parasite. The most common way is to use a thumbprint-sized piece ofcarcase material that has been soaked in water for at least twelve hours.

If the thumbprint-sized piece of case material is black, then your hamster has anemia or sickle cell disease. If it is white, then there is no specific problem with my hamster having an infection.