Hamster - chest infection

Eeyore2009

Hi

My hamster has a chest infection and is on Baytril twice a day. the doseage the vet told me to give is 3 units in an insulin syringe. She is on Baytril for a week. the treatment ends nexxt Wednesday 23rd October.

I suppose im asking what else can i do to make her comfortable? I have separated her from Duck (another hamster), I have placed a water bottle in a towel under her cage for a little while as she felt cold.
She is slowly going back to herself such as going in her wheel for a few mins, bearing in mind she is now over 2 years old.
She is eating and drinking fine, toilet is normal colour and urine is normal.

How long shall i give it for the antibiotics to kick in?

coinxoperated

I would just make sure she wasn't in any drafts and had maybe quite breathable material to sleep in rather than stuffy wool, although I would think warmth is the most important thing for a good recovery.

Can I also add how nice it is to see that you've been such a responsible pet owner, regardless of size / type of animal!

Eeyore2009

I have removed her from anywhere i think could be drafty, she has toilet roll to use as bedding, and i do wrap a hot water bottle and place it under the cage as i really want her to get better.

And thank you for saying im such a responsible pet owner, I wouldnt want her to suffer,
People have said "she only cost £10" "you have spent over £30" on medication and my answer is she is still a animal who needs the care and attention

krlyr

I probably wouldn't have separated her from her cagemate - you may now struggle to reintroduce them again, and a nice warm buddy to snuggle would have kept her body temperature up. What's done is done though, I would just give the antibiotics time to work. If they don't seem to be doing the trick, push your vet for alternatives - Baytril is the only one licensed for small animals I believe, but once they've tried it they're allowed to give other meds. I know with rats, Baytril and Doxycycline combined are quite effective against respiratory infections.

You could try something like echinacae to boost the immune system, and some easily digested foods like a little bit of scrambled egg, chicken, etc. to boost the calories, but it does sound like she's on the mend

Eeyore2009

krlyr - she is a syrian hamster so is a solitary animal. The other 2 hamsters are in seperate cages as all are syrian.

Thank you for the very helpful information

krlyr

Ah, wasn't sure, as you mentioned separating her from Duck.

Hillbilly2

krlyr wrote: »

I probably wouldn't have separated her from her cagemate - you may now struggle to reintroduce them again, and a nice warm buddy to snuggle would have kept her body temperature up. What's done is done though, I would just give the antibiotics time to work. If they don't seem to be doing the trick, push your vet for alternatives - Baytril is the only one licensed for small animals I believe, but once they've tried it they're allowed to give other meds. I know with rats, Baytril and Doxycycline combined are quite effective against respiratory infections.

You could try something like echinacae to boost the immune system, and some easily digested foods like a little bit of scrambled egg, chicken, etc. to boost the calories, but it does sound like she's on the mend

Hamsters are herbivores, so avoid the proteins in meat form. Some vets do say to offer protein in cottage cheese or egg, but if she isn't used to these I would avoid during antibiotic treatment as it can upset the gut.
Fresh fruit and veg mashed up and warmed might tempt her to eat more as she can lick it, easier than chewing if resp issues!

All other advice good on here.

Are there any wood shavings in the cage?

krlyr

Hillbilly2 wrote: »

Hamsters are herbivores, so avoid the proteins in meat form. Some vets do say to offer protein in cottage cheese or egg, but if she isn't used to these I would avoid during antibiotic treatment as it can upset the gut.
Fresh fruit and veg mashed up and warmed might tempt her to eat more as she can lick it, easier than chewing if resp issues!

All other advice good on here.

Are there any wood shavings in the cage?

Would the insects in their wild diet not make them omnivorous?

Hillbilly2

Rarely part of the diet - mainly seed eaters. Pretty much everything can be omnivorous as when eating vegetation insects get consumed!
Small amounts of insect protein rarely cause issues - however egg is quite rich if not used to it, and any meat should be totally avoided.

Lots of conflicting info out there - and as they are coprophagic and have cloudy pee it can be hard to tell if your diet is causing issues!

Eeyore2009

Hillbilly2 wrote: »

Hamsters are herbivores, so avoid the proteins in meat form. Some vets do say to offer protein in cottage cheese or egg, but if she isn't used to these I would avoid during antibiotic treatment as it can upset the gut.
Fresh fruit and veg mashed up and warmed might tempt her to eat more as she can lick it, easier than chewing if resp issues!

All other advice good on here.

Are there any wood shavings in the cage?

No i use ecobedding

Hillbilly2

That's good - hopefully respiratory irritants there.