Hamster with womb infection not clearing, getting worse. What to do for the best?

blue_monkey_2

Our hamster, Dora, is quite poorly with a womb infection, she cannot seem to fight it off and is back on antibiotics. She is very old (2 1/4, maybe more). All she does is sleep, when she gets out of her bed she wanders around but does not seem to have much co-ordination and wobbles around. She is not chewing her tubes anymore, no scratching, her claws have got very long (we took her to have them cut a few weeks ago but they have grown again) and she has lost a lot of weight but still seems to be eating (or moving the food around!!)

I can get the vet to keep on pumping stronger anti-biotics into her but as she is very old would it be kinder to have her put to sleep?

My son never left her alone so we got some rats so he could focus his attention on those, she has been left alone now but is not getting any better really. I've moved her from her big Rotastak into a single tier cage as I felt she was not getting around to get to her toilet, food or water properly. But now I am not sure what to do.

If I have her put to sleep should I tell the kids why, or should I lie, or should I just take her and not say anything. I am not sure what to do but I do feel it unfair to pump her full of more drugs as she - this is her 2nd lot of anti-biotics now. The vet said to take her back if she did not get any better but thought I would give it a few more days. There was a lot of pus last night when I checked on her, more than I have seen before and I've seen her cleaning herself, but it seems a bit selfish to let her suffer if she is very old and not getting quality of life.

I know she is only a hamster but she should still be interested in doing what hamsters do but she is just getting old and more ill. What do you think I should do for the best? I wondered if anyone elses hamster had this at all and could tell me what happened to theirs. Do you think she is in pain with this? I know they cannot do much and there will be only so much they can do but just when would that be. I'd rather be kind than allow her to suffer. Poor thing.

Thanks.

foreign_correspondent

bless. With her age I would not expect her to last a lot longer if she is not getting any better. I would ring the vet for advice and I would be open with your kids about what is happening.

Having pets is great for teaching children about life and death, and if you do decide to have her pts it is probably better for children to be kept informed rather than given alternative stories which are often confusing.

Whatever you do for this animal will be from kindness and humanity and I think tose are good qualities to share with your children.

blue_monkey_2

Thanks, I said I'd give it til Monday to see if this medicine starts working again and clears it up and then it will have run out. And then I'll call the vet up. I've been reading online and it seems that death is the next thing when it is like this but at the same time I would not like her to be in pain. Some other websites have indicated that it can be painful for a hamster to have. But how would you know? Thank you for your advice on telling the children yes, that is the right thing to do.

merlinormartin

given alternative stories which are often confusing

Like replacing the old hamster with a new one, and expecting the child not to realise :rolleyes: ..... i did!

border_collie

I am sorry to read about ickle hammy, yes I think it would be kinder to put her to sleep.
I was a bit concerned at reading that your son never left her alone so you bought some rats?

How old is he? Does he have unsupervised access?

blue_monkey_2

He is 4 and no, he does not have unsupervised access, the hamster is in the room with us all the time (the main living room) but he has ASD and so we get him down, he gets up again, we get hime down he gets up again.... and repeat for the whole day. The thing is hamsters do not like being woken up, he does not feel pain really and so the and goes in the cage again and again and we noticed his hand was covered in cuts. If we put her high then he climbs up to get her - we have tried that already.

Anyway, since we got the rats someone gave us a new hamster cage and he cannot open the door - don't knwo why I did not think of that earlier - but the rats are much easier to handle and do not really bite. They like the company, the door being open and being around the kids. They are more child friendly.

My son does not get left alone for more than a minute unless I am cooking tea or have to go to the loo because of his condition but the minute I left the room he would get her out the cage again. Now we have the rats the hamster is left in peace - and as she is getting really old it is what she needs.

On a good note she seems to be getting better again so I'll finish these antibiotics but if it comes back after they have finished I think I am going to go to the vet and have her put to sleep else she is going to spent the rest of her days on antibiotics and poorly and that does not seem fair on her really, especially if she is in pain. I have enough to last until Monday/Tuesday so will go from there and see what happens.


Thanks for your help.