Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 2: How to Treat Wet Tails
• Method 2 of 2: Study the risk factors
• Warnings
• What do you need

Wet tail disease, officially called proliferative ileitis or transmissible ileal hyperplasia, is a bacterial infection that hamsters are prone to. This condition causes severe diarrhea and is commonly referred to as "wet tail" due to the softened, watery feces of a sick animal. Hamsters with this infection can suffer from severe dehydration, which is deadly.In this article, we'll walk you through the steps to take to improve your pet's chances of recovery.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: How to Treat Wet Tails

1. 1 Check for symptoms of the disease. The key symptom of this disease is associated with the wet condition of the area around the hamster's tail, which explains the common name of the disease "wet tail". However, this is only one external symptom, but not yet a diagnosis. What might be called a “wet tail” condition can actually be caused by different reasons, but they will have the same result: diarrhea and loss of body fluids. Here are the symptoms that indicate a wet tail in hamsters:
   • wet area around the tail, and sometimes the belly, matted hair in this place;
   • the wet area is stained and smells foul from watery diarrhea;
   • the hamster is not licked, its coat becomes dull and tousled;
   • eyes become dull and sunken;
   • the animal experiences abdominal discomfort, which can be manifested by irritability and aggression;
   • the hamster develops lethargy, the desire to hide and be alone;
   • irritability, discomfort and crooked posture occur;
   • the rectum begins to bulge out due to constant pushing;
   • weight loss;
   • loss of appetite and a drop in activity level.
2. 2 Eliminate fruits and vegetables from your pet's diet. Before going to the veterinarian, do not exclude all food from the pet's diet, but remove fruits and vegetables. Your veterinarian will give you further nutritional advice as he examines the animal. Dry food holds the stool together better than fruits and vegetables, which can have the opposite effect. Foods that are more watery can worsen diarrhea, so eliminating fruits and vegetables from the diet can prevent your pet from getting worse.
3. 3 Isolate the sick hamster. Wet tail can be contagious, so it is best to take precautions. Separate the sick hamster from the rest (in group housing) to prevent the spread of the disease. In any case, sick animals seek solitude, so isolation can reduce the stress levels of your hamster. Consider asking a close friend to look after your healthy hamsters while you are treating a sick hamster. This will allow you to focus all your attention on the sick pet. It also helps reduce stress for yourself and your pet.
4. 4 Take your hamster to the vet. The veterinarian will give him a course of antibiotics and anti-diarrhea medications. Refrain from the idea of ​​adding antibiotics to food and water. It is likely that your hamster does not eat or drink, so this treatment will not be effective enough. And if the pet still drinks water, you cannot discourage him from this by adding substances with a strange taste to it. If your hamster is very ill, your veterinarian can give him an antibiotic injection to ensure that the medication is dosing accurately.
   • Because hamsters are very small, they are difficult to undergo diagnostic procedures (such as taking blood or taking x-rays). Because of their size, it can be difficult to make an accurate diagnosis and identify the root cause of the disease.
5. 5 If necessary, ask your veterinarian to rehydrate your pet. If your hamster is severely dehydrated, ask if he should receive a subcutaneous injection of saline. You can check the degree of dehydration by pinching the skin on the back of your pet's neck. In a healthy hamster with normal water balance, the skin will immediately return to its original position. If it takes more than two seconds to recover, you may suspect severe dehydration.
   • Saline injection is not always effective, since due to the animal's ailments, the absorption of the solution can be greatly slowed down.
6. 6 Allow your veterinarian to hospitalize the animal if they recommend this step. If your veterinarian is concerned about the hamster's condition, rely on his opinion.He may ask you to leave your pet at the clinic so that the staff can give injections of saline and antibiotics in a timely manner.
7. 7 Treat your pet at home. Unless your veterinarian advises hospitalization, you will need to provide your hamster with careful home care. Your veterinarian may give your hamster oral Baytril. It is a very concentrated antibiotic, and the dosage is usually one drop per day. Your veterinarian may also advise you to drip a balanced electrolyte solution (such as Rehydron or Ringer's solution) into your hamster's mouth to help maintain fluid balance. This should be done with the utmost care so that the liquid does not enter the hamster's lungs.
   • It is best to pipette the electrolyte solution. Dispense one drop at the tip of the dropper and touch it to the lips of the hamster.
   • Surface tension will cause the drop to wet the hamster's mouth with the solution, after which he will try to lick dry.
   • If possible, this procedure should be repeated every 30-60 minutes.
8. 8 Keep your hamster warm. Small mammals such as hamsters have a high ratio of body surface to volume. For this reason, they can become dangerously hypothermic during illness. The ideal ambient temperature for a hamster is 21-26.5 degrees Celsius.
9. 9 Reduce stress. According to experts, the "wet tail" is largely associated with stress, so the pet should be protected from stress as much as possible. Eliminate sources of anxiety and stress from the room where your hamster is resting. These include other hamsters, barking dogs, curious cats, bright lighting, and sources of noise.
   • In addition to avoiding wet foods, do not change your hamster's diet unless advised by your veterinarian. This step can create additional stress.
   • Try not to move your hamster any more than necessary, except for visits to the vet and initial isolation. Any transportation is a source of stress.
10. 10 Be sure to maintain good hygiene at all times. This is especially important if you have multiple hamsters, as dirty conditions can spread the infection.
    • Be sure to wash your hands before and after handling your hamster.
    • Keep cages, drinkers, food bowls, and toys clean.
    • Clean the cage every 2-3 days. More frequent brushing can create additional stress, which is not good for your hamster's successful recovery.
11. 11 Be prepared to make a tough decision. Unfortunately, hamsters are often difficult to treat. Therefore, if your pet's symptoms get worse, be prepared for the fact that he will not get better. The success rate for a wet tail is very low, and if your hamster does not recover within 24 to 48 hours, chances are good that he will not survive. Despite your best efforts, your pet may get worse. Perhaps in such a situation it would be more humane to put him to sleep.
    • Pay attention to dehydration (pinch the skin at the withers and watch it regain its position), loss of activity, lack of response to touch and hand contact, ongoing diarrhea, and worsening putrid odor.
    • If you have started treatment, but the condition of your pet has worsened, know that you at least gave him a chance. Perhaps it will be kinder towards the pet to free him from torment and allow him to go into another world.

Method 2 of 2: Study the risk factors

1. 1 Consider the breed of your hamster. Dwarf hamsters can develop severe diarrhea, but they do not suffer from wet tail disease. Long-haired Syrian teddy hamsters, on the other hand, may be most susceptible to wet tails. Ask a breeder or veterinarian about the risk of developing a wet tail in your favorite hamster breed before buying a pet.
2. 2 Keep a close eye on young hamsters. Hamsters that are very young, 3–8 weeks of age, are particularly vulnerable to infection.This is due to the still fragile immune system and the inability of hamsters to fully resist pathogens. Studies show that desulfovibrio bacteria are the most likely cause of wet tail development.
3. 3 Don't pick up hamsters recently weaned too often. The most susceptible to the disease are weaned hamsters before the age of 8 weeks. Be sure to give your newly acquired hamsters time to adapt to their new surroundings before starting to handle them frequently. Otherwise, they may experience unnecessary stress that can provoke the development of a "wet tail".
   • Give young hamsters about a week to adapt before handling them.
   • It is a good idea to isolate new hamsters for this adaptation period, since the incubation period for the development of the "wet tail" is 7 days before the appearance of external symptoms.
4. 4 Be aware of the likelihood of gastrointestinal illness. Adult hamsters can develop wet tail-like symptoms due to imbalance of microorganisms in the intestines. In this case, clostridial bacteria begin to actively develop in the intestine, thereby causing diarrhea and wet tail symptoms. Factors that can lead to intestinal dysbiosis include:
   • stress (for example, it can be created by an overcrowded cage or fear of a predator such as a cat);
   • diet change;
   • taking oral antibiotics to treat other conditions.
5. 5 Consider other health concerns for your hamster. Your pet's gut problems may not be related to stress or nutrition, but are caused by another pet disorder. Conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome or bowel cancer can also lead to a wet tail.

Warnings

• Disinfect all surfaces and objects that the sick hamster has come into contact with before using them on a new hamster. This will prevent the spread of the disease. An animal-safe disinfectant can be purchased at your pet store.
• Throw away anything that cannot be disinfected.
• Hygiene is in your best interest. Contact with the causative agent of the "wet tail" can put a person at risk of developing campylobacteriosis, which causes diarrhea (often with blood), abdominal pain, cramps, fever and vomiting.
• Hamsters often die from the "wet tail"! Show your pet to your veterinarian as soon as possible after symptoms develop. Death can occur within 24 hours of the onset of the first symptoms, if left unaddressed.

What do you need

• Transportation of the pet to the veterinarian and back
• Quiet and clean space for your pet to relax