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Hamster Wet Tail
“Wet tail” This is a term used to describe a hamster that has diarrhea. The term "Wet-Tail" does not refer to a specific diagnosis or a disease, this is just a descriptive term for the clinical signs. The clinical signs of wet-tail are wetness and matting of the fur around the tail and perineum of the hamster’s rear end. Any feces may be soft or wet. The causes of wet tail (Diarrhea) are numerous, and sometimes the cause can prove to be very elusive. Diarrhea regardless of the cause can lead to serious Dehydration that requires immediate attention. Dehydration can lead to changes in the body's chemistry. It is this that becomes more life threatening than the diarrhea itself. In most cases of diarrhea replacing the lost body fluids, salts and minerals is the only treatment that is needed (Rehydration).
Proliferative Ileitis: This is an inflammation of the intestines, a disease that causes serious bouts of diarrhea that can result in the death of the animal within days if left untreated. This disease is associated mainly with the Syrian hamster, and is currently becoming one of the most commonly encountered bacterial infections seen in this species to-day, and sadly a disease that has a very high mortality rate. Once a hamster develops wet tail the animal will very rarely survive, but of the few that do survive the initial attack of the disease usually go on to lead a relatively short, and in some cases a very painful existence, as the disease attacks the immune system this can leave the hamster very susceptible to other infections such as UTI's, Tumors, Inner ear infections, Diabetes, and other organ failure later in life. Wettail is a genetic disorder (Recessive) recessive disorders are inherited disorders caused by a mutation in a gene.
A hamster with this condition will need urgent veterinary attention. In this case the hamster may have dull sunken eyes and unkempt fur. Because of abdominal pain and discomfort the hamster may have a hunched appearance, and will be reluctant to move around refusing to eat or drink. In the most serious cases blood may be seen in the lose stools or around the anus, and or the rectum may protrude out of the anus (Rectal Prolapse) because of the constant straining.
This can affect older hamsters with a compromised immune system, as the hamster ages other health related issues may lead to the onset of wet tail.
There are instances where a newly acquired young hamster may develop diarrhea. The cause in this case may be a dietary issue. A hamster with diarrhea or soft stools is not necessarily showing signs of an intestinal bacterial infection. A lot of owners can confuse this with “Wet Tail” Proliferative Ileitis, although the clinical signs may be very similar. Diarrhea, loose or soft stools in a hamster may be caused by feeding an incorrect diet. All fruit contains Fructose, a naturally occurring sugar that is found in all fruit and some vegetables, feeding too much of these will cause diarrhea. Too many vegetables green, or green leaf vegetables are another cause. Vegetables are high in fibre but some good dietary fibre is needed in their diet. Fibre retains water in the intestines and too much of this can lead to loose stools and or diarrhea depending on how much is eaten. In some cases, hamster owners not familiar with wet tail may misdiagnose this for wet tail. Milk is also another cause as animals loose the ability to metabolize lactose after weaning. If the diarrhea is essentially a direct cause of a dietary issue the hamster will normally show no sign of discomfort and there is usually no decrease in normal activity. An oral rehydration therapy should be given and omitting all wet foods should solve the problem.
With young hamsters that are of weaning age stress can increase the susceptibility of developing wet tail (diarrhea). The signs of stress in a newly acquired hamster may show in different ways. It is important for the pet owner to be able to recognize the causes of stress. Wet tail can not necessarily be prevented, but the risks can be dramatically reduced by limiting or avoiding any exposure to stress. There are many instances in the hamster’s environment that can lead to a hamster stressing. See behaviour
It is very unlikely the average pet hamster owner will ever come across a case of wet-tail if handling, diet, husbandry and hygiene are adhered to. Should you have the unfortunate experience of acquiring a hamster with wet tail seek veterinary advice as soon as possible.
Do not use over the counter remedies in order to treat wet-tail or with the intention of trying to prevent the onset of the disease and in particularly on a hamster that is not showing any sign of it. These products are usually made up of very weak solutions of antibiotics. Often these products complicate the situation further by destroying large amounts of the beneficial flora in the digestive tracts. This can severely impair digestion and assimilation of nutrients at a time when the body needs them most.
Wet tail is almost exclusively a disease of the Syrian hamster, Dwarf hamsters do not usually suffer from it but they may and can develop diarrhea. Meaning the symptoms of the “Wet tail” is signaling a different problem in this case it is usually a dietary issue. You need to think about what you’re feeding him and adjust the diet accordingly, in addition to starting a rehydration therapy. In many cases replacing lost body fluid and salts (Rehydration) is the only treatment that is needed. This can be helped by keeping them on dry food only for a short time until the symptoms subside.
You can assist in aiding recovery of diarrhea by providing food that promotes good intestinal bacteria. Good health depends on having a balanced intestinal flora. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria, these can be found in various foods like yogurt: yogurt is good for this as it has good medicinal uses in particular for a variety of gastrointestinal conditions. Live yogurt is full of good pro biotic bacteria like lactobacilli that are naturally found in fermented foods like yogurt.
Hamster wet tail
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