Post by PinkGerbil on Aug 17, 2007 10:52:56 GMT -5
Wettail is severe diareah in hamsters that causes them to be dehydrated, w/out treatment a hamster can die from this w/in 2 days or less. When bacteria similar to Ecoli gets into the hamsters intestens wettail results.
There is a few ways a hamster can get wettail. From my experience, most of the time it develops when the hamster is in the petstore. Many times the hamster is taking away from its mother way too young, and the stress of traveling to the petstore is too much for a hamster, and being in a new environment. Sometimes the petstore also has the hamsters over crowded in the tank, or doesn't properly sanatize the tanks the hamsters are in.
Once 1 hamster in the tank gets wettail, all the other hamsters in the tank will get the wettail...it is very contagious. Also, if the petstore don't properly sanatize the area effectively, if there are other tanks in the area of hamsters, they will most likely get it too. for example, if one tank has wettail, and the petstore clerk don't wash his hands then handles the other tanks of hamsters, they will also get it. It takes 7 days for a hamster to get wettail from the time they were exposed to the virus.
Some tips:
1) if you go to a new petstore and are buying a hamster from them. Spend some time in the petstore observing the hamsters, and to check how healthy and active they are. Wettail will appear on the bottom of a hamsters bottom, and will be all brown and runny. If you spot this in any hamster in the petstore, you shouldn't buy a hamster there.
Especially if you have other hamsters at home, because your other hamsters can catch this and die from this. Also, if you did spot a hamster in the petstore with wettail, and you have other hamsters in your home, when you get home wash all your clothes you were wearing immediatly and wash your hands and arms with anti bacterial soap before handling your other hamsters. Also spray down any area with anti bacterial spray that you might of touched before you washed your hands and arms.
2) If all the hamsters in the petstore seem to be healthy and you decide to buy one. Do also buy some of that wettail medicine they sell and keep it on hands just in case.
If you have other hamsters in your home, keep this hamster away from your other hamsters for 1 week.
3) If this hamster should come down with wettail start to give this hamster the wettail medicine right away. Give your hamster 3-4 times the amount of the medicine it says on the package in there water bottle. My reasoning for this, a sick hamster will not drink much water and will not get there full dosage of medicine they need to cure them, by tripling the medicine you are insuring they will get plenty of medicine this way. If you hamster seems dehydrated or lythargic, replace there water with non flavored pedialite, this will restore there lytholights and give your hamsters more energy to fight the illness, but make sure they still have there medine mixed in with the pedialite.
4) If you do what I mentioned in above, the wettail should clear up w/in a day or two, but continue the medicne up to 2 weeks, and sanatize anything in your house that comes into contact with your hamster, or anything you touch after comming into contact with the hamster. Also, you will have to clean your hamsters cage atleast every 3 days. I clean the hamsters cage in the bath tub with scolding hot water, a cup of bleach, and anti bacterial soap.
5) if you follow these steps, your hamster will live and survive from this illness.
*Just a note, many websites mention bringing your hamster to a vet if he/she gets wettail. With my experience by the time you get your hamster to the vet it is usually too late and they are well into the decease and death is right around the corner for them. I have used my method several times and each time it has worked for my hamsters and they did live.
There is a few ways a hamster can get wettail. From my experience, most of the time it develops when the hamster is in the petstore. Many times the hamster is taking away from its mother way too young, and the stress of traveling to the petstore is too much for a hamster, and being in a new environment. Sometimes the petstore also has the hamsters over crowded in the tank, or doesn't properly sanatize the tanks the hamsters are in.
Once 1 hamster in the tank gets wettail, all the other hamsters in the tank will get the wettail...it is very contagious. Also, if the petstore don't properly sanatize the area effectively, if there are other tanks in the area of hamsters, they will most likely get it too. for example, if one tank has wettail, and the petstore clerk don't wash his hands then handles the other tanks of hamsters, they will also get it. It takes 7 days for a hamster to get wettail from the time they were exposed to the virus.
Some tips:
1) if you go to a new petstore and are buying a hamster from them. Spend some time in the petstore observing the hamsters, and to check how healthy and active they are. Wettail will appear on the bottom of a hamsters bottom, and will be all brown and runny. If you spot this in any hamster in the petstore, you shouldn't buy a hamster there.
Especially if you have other hamsters at home, because your other hamsters can catch this and die from this. Also, if you did spot a hamster in the petstore with wettail, and you have other hamsters in your home, when you get home wash all your clothes you were wearing immediatly and wash your hands and arms with anti bacterial soap before handling your other hamsters. Also spray down any area with anti bacterial spray that you might of touched before you washed your hands and arms.
2) If all the hamsters in the petstore seem to be healthy and you decide to buy one. Do also buy some of that wettail medicine they sell and keep it on hands just in case.
If you have other hamsters in your home, keep this hamster away from your other hamsters for 1 week.
3) If this hamster should come down with wettail start to give this hamster the wettail medicine right away. Give your hamster 3-4 times the amount of the medicine it says on the package in there water bottle. My reasoning for this, a sick hamster will not drink much water and will not get there full dosage of medicine they need to cure them, by tripling the medicine you are insuring they will get plenty of medicine this way. If you hamster seems dehydrated or lythargic, replace there water with non flavored pedialite, this will restore there lytholights and give your hamsters more energy to fight the illness, but make sure they still have there medine mixed in with the pedialite.
4) If you do what I mentioned in above, the wettail should clear up w/in a day or two, but continue the medicne up to 2 weeks, and sanatize anything in your house that comes into contact with your hamster, or anything you touch after comming into contact with the hamster. Also, you will have to clean your hamsters cage atleast every 3 days. I clean the hamsters cage in the bath tub with scolding hot water, a cup of bleach, and anti bacterial soap.
5) if you follow these steps, your hamster will live and survive from this illness.
*Just a note, many websites mention bringing your hamster to a vet if he/she gets wettail. With my experience by the time you get your hamster to the vet it is usually too late and they are well into the decease and death is right around the corner for them. I have used my method several times and each time it has worked for my hamsters and they did live.