Worth knowing about posture, nutrition and diseases

Hamsters are funny, cute-looking little rodents, but in relation to their height make great demands. According to zoological classification, they belong to the group of the mouse-like and the family of the so-called Wühler. Originally, the small mammals with the big button eyes come from the steppe area of ​​Asia Minor. When in the thirties of the last century the first hamster - who had been caught alive in the context of an expedition to Syria - came to Europe, this caused a real hype in England, whereupon in 1945 a separate hamster club was founded. Since hamsters are dusk- and nocturnal and susceptible to stress, they are not suitable as pets for toddlers.

Generous, well-equipped cage desired

The cage (lattice cage or terrarium) of the small nocturnal mammal needs a quiet location and should be as large as possible despite the small body size and have a minimum of 100x50x50 cm. Hamsters are skilled climbers and live in the wild in an underground branched passage system. A cage with several levels, ladders, tubes, branches of unsprayed fruit trees and numerous hiding places will meet the needs of these rodents. A possibility for sand bathing as well as a situation of bark mulch, branches and dry leaves over the commercial litter round off the offer. The use of hamster wadding should be avoided due to the high accident risk: The small feet can quickly become entangled in the cotton wool and lead from severe injuries to constriction of toes or legs. The legendary wheel must be large enough to prevent spinal damage and be locked on one side.

Special dietary requirements

Hamsters are mainly grain eaters with an increased need for animal protein. Commercially available ready-to-eat food mixes with a low content of high-fat sunflower seeds as well as locust beans, pea flakes and dried herbs correspond to an adequate diet. In addition, once daily fresh food should be offered (for example, some salad, herbs, carrots, corn, peppers and cucumber), once a week, the protein needs by yogurt, pots, mealworms, crickets or dry cat food to be covered, hay and water must always be available.

Different hamster species

In addition to the 100 to 250 g body weight relatively large golden hamster, which occurs in different coat variants (smooth hair, satin, angora, teddy and Rex), there are four particularly popular dwarf breeds: the Chinese striped hamster, the Dsungarian and the Campbellhamster and the Roborowsky dwarf hamsters. With its weight of only 20-30 g, it is the smallest of them all.

Hamsters have anatomical features

On the side of the abdomen, hamsters on both sides have a little hairy circular dark color of the skin, the so-called flank glands, which must not be confused with a plant. They can, however, inflame or degenerate tumorous. The cheek pouches are hamster-type baggy protuberances of the oral mucosa, in which food is stored as a supply in a backpack. Often they are inflamed by wrong posture or nutrition and can not be emptied. The owner then notices a large swelling that can reach from the head to the chest of the hamster, and it is noticeable that the hamster is tired and no longer wants to eat.

Common diseases

Postural disorders include clogged cheek pouches, diarrhea and respiratory distress.

Clogged cheek pouches: The cheek pouches usually have to be emptied and rinsed under anesthesia, the nutrition must be changed over.

Diarrhea: stressed, weakened juveniles that are not kept optimally can develop life-threatening diarrhea, the small stub-tail is humid, and the entire region is heavily polluted with feces; the English term for this is wet-tail disease. Rapid veterinary treatment is needed to relieve symptoms.

Shortness of breath: Favored by poor posture - with too much dust development, lack of hygiene and stress - hamsters can often develop a bacterial bronchitis or pneumonia. The germs involved are streptococci, Bordetella, Pasteurella and mycoplasma. An antibiotic treatment must be done as soon as possible.

Non-postural diseases

Diabetes mellitus: Hamsters, especially the Campbell hamster, have a genetic predisposition to develop diabetes mellitus. High-fat seeds and fruit should therefore not be fed to this species.

Zoonoses (diseases transmissible to humans): Hamsters are usually already infected via the mother with the LCM virus, the causative agent of lymphocytic choriomeningitis. LCM therefore occurs preferentially in younger animals at the age of three to six months. The transfer to humans takes place through direct contact. This virus disease is rare, but can lead to severe, not specifically treatable lung and meningitis. Affected people often have severe flu-like symptoms.

Skin lesions: If a hamster is very restless, does not quite like to eat and constantly scratches - often until the skin is bloody - a mite infestation (such as sarcoptic mange) could be behind it. A precise diagnosis by the veterinarian by microscopic examination of a skin sample (Geschabsel) is recommended to initiate a targeted therapy.

As with us humans, the hamster's teeth are supplied with nerves and blood vessels, and illnesses or injuries to the teeth are painful. But hamster teeth grow lifelong and must therefore be abraded by chewing the food accordingly. In order to support tooth wear and to prevent dental disease, hamsters need raw fiber rich feed, with hay being of particular importance.

As much as hamsters like to stuff their cheek pouches with tasty cereal grains, it can be so bad for the animal's health and teeth. This can lead to the development of back pocket inflammations, which are often aggravated by additional fungal infections and subsequently reduce feed intake. The teeth are therefore no longer sanded off properly and this can cause tooth tips develop very quickly, which then lead to painful injuries of the tongue and cheeks inside. In such cases, the veterinarian must file the tips of the teeth under anesthesia and shorten the teeth to the correct length to allow a complaint-free feed intake. In addition, an accompanying therapy with Antibioticum and Antimycoticum is usually recommended for faster recovery. In some cases, it also causes inflammation of the root tips, which make an extraction of the affected tooth mandatory. Broken teeth also cause severe pain to the animal and can lead to purulent abscesses in the root area and require the extraction of these teeth.