Circling in Hamsters

Hamsters are very active so it’s normal to see them running around their cages and on their exercise wheels. But if your hamster suddenly begins circling and tilting its head to one side while it is running around then this indicates something more concerning. Veterinary care may be necessary if your hamster is circling, so being able to recognize this issue is important for your hamster’s health.

Causes of Circling in Hamsters

Circling in hamsters occurs when a hamster has a head tilt. Head tilts are usually a result of an inner ear infection due to bacteria but other causes may be present.

With an inner ear infection, bacteria from a dirty environment or a respiratory infection enters the ear canal. The pressure that the infection causes inside the ear canal may result in a hamster feeling off-balance and in pain. This results in circling when it walks and some hamsters may even fall over.

Neurological problems due to trauma or a brain disease like epilepsy can also cause circling in hamsters. These issues are not as common as a bacterial infection in the ear but are still possible reasons for this type of behavior.

Diagnosing the Cause for Circling in Hamsters

While circling in hamsters may be an obvious behavior to observe, in order to know for sure what is causing this some tests may need to be run.

Since an ear infection is the most likely reason for the circling, debris from inside your hamster's ear may be looked at under a microscope. This will check to see if bacteria from an infection is present and, if it is, an ear infection will be diagnosed.

Neurological problems are harder to diagnose. If your hamster was recently injured before the circling began then this may mean it suffered head trauma at some point. Being dropped, grabbed by a dog, or crushed in a door or piece of furniture are all types of injuries that may cause head trauma.

Seizures are a symptom that will coincide with epilepsy, another neurological issue. There is no test for epilepsy. In these instances, continued close observation may be required and videoing any unusual behavior could be helpful for your vet.

Treatment of Circling in Hamsters

Persistent or severe circling in hamsters always merits a visit to your veterinarian.

If the behavior is caused by an ear infection, antibiotics that are safe for a hamster to take will need to be prescribed as treatment. Without them, permanent damage can occur to your hamster's ear and the circling may never stop. Infections can also lead to more serious complications that, in extreme cases, can be life-threatening. Oral antibiotics and sometimes pain medications may be needed to treat the infection. If ear debris is visible a gentle cleaning may also be helpful.

If the circling is not due to an ear infection then it may be more difficult to treat. Brain damage from seizures or head injury can be permanent. Some circling will resolve over time on its own but some hamsters may have permanent circling. If the circling is so bad that it affects your hamster's quality of life and it is unable to eat then euthanasia may be discussed.

How to Prevent Circling in Hamsters

Hamsters are small pets that like to hide. It can be difficult to notice when they are acting a little strange in their cages, but regular observation of your hamster's normal activities can help detect the beginning of a problem. This, along with regular cleaning of the cage and washing of the cage accessories, can help prevent ear infections that cause circling.

In order to prevent head trauma that can result in circling, be sure to only allow children to handle your hamster when they are sitting on the ground. This will decrease the likelihood of your hamster falling and getting hurt. When the child is done holding your hamster, either bring the cage to the floor to put them back in it or gently take your hamster from the child so that you can carefully put it back in its cage yourself.

Keep your hamster safe if you have dogs or cats in the house when they are out of their cage and make sure that their cage is secure and locked over at all times.

Accidents can happen but they are far less likely to occur if you supervise carefully and take extra precautions.

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Hamster Care 101

Hamsters are adorable, and if you had one as a kid, you probably remember them being easy pets to care for. As you can imagine, it isn't as easy to care for a hamster as it looked as a kid, but once you get the hang of it, you may find that it isn't all that hard either.

The Basics of Hamster Care

If you are thinking about getting a hamster for your child, it would be best if your child is in elementary school or older. A hamster is not ideal for very young children. They require a lot of care, can get a little nippy, and are not always great when handled in small hands. However, once your child is old enough to handle a hamster with care and help clean the cage, they make for a fun and educational pets for families.

What to Look For When Preparing to Bring Home a Hamster

What kind of hamster is right for me?

The amount and type of hamster you’d like is all up to your preference. Syrian hamsters, however, should never be put in pairs on account of the fact they will fight violently over their territory once they reach maturity. Dwarf, Russian, or Chinese hamsters are popular as pets but can be territorial in pairs, but do well only if they are littermates or a mother/child pairing.

What kind of cage should my hamster have?

When choosing a cage, it should be at the very least 15 inches long by 12 inches high, but always opt for something larger if you can extend such luxury to your hamster for additional room to exercise and explore.

What kind of bedding should my hamster have?

When looking for what bedding you might line your hamster’s cage with, it is best to avoid wood shavings. Look for bedding made from plant-based paper fibers or cellulose (an organic compound). Avoid using cat litter, corn cobs, newspaper, and any bedding that is scented (these contain chemicals that can cause respiratory issues).

What kind of toys should my hamster have?

When buying toys for your hamster, an exercise wheel is a must to prevent boredom, and you can also purchase a ball for your hamster to explore the house in (under supervision).

What type of foods do hamsters eat?

Premade bags of hamster food includes a mix of fruits, vegetables, seeds, and grains. However, it is important to supplement this diet with small pieces of fresh vegetables and fruit. It is important to also provide access to fresh, clean water.

What type of foods aren’t good for hamsters to eat?

Not all greens are good for hamsters, neither are all fruits and vegetables. Stick to broccoli, parsley, apple, pear, carrot and turnips while avoiding onions, garlic, chives, leeks, lettuce, raw potatoes and oranges. As hamsters can be prone to diabetes, you’ll want to give them fruit sparingly due to their high contents of sugar.

How to Clean a Hamster’s Cage

Hamsters need clean cages to keep them from getting sick with a number of conditions, including diseases that are transmittable to humans.

Move your hamster to a safe area

As long as you can keep your hamster from rolling off somewhere while you aren't looking, an exercise ball would be an ideal spot to keep your hamster while cleaning its cage. A second cage or deep container that your hamster can’t get out of will also work.

Get rid of bedding

Don’t worry about cleaning your hamster’s bedding, just throw it away and start fresh. Hamsters can sometimes hoard their food, so tossing all bedding will prevent hidden food from molding.

Wash the cage

Use regular soap and warm water to thoroughly rinse and clean your hamster’s cage or container. If you use vinegar, bleach or any other type of cleaning product on the container, make sure everything is thoroughly cleaned off and dried before adding new bedding and returning your hamster back to its cage.

How to Care for Baby Hamsters

If your hamsters breed or you take home a pregnant hamster, you’ll need to know how to care for the babies, which will be generally easy to do in the beginning. No matter how hard it is you must leave them alone for at least a week — just feed and water them and that’s all.

Get a sheet

Cover the cage with a sheet to give the mother an opportunity to get used to her new family, and to also keep odd smells off the babies (which will lower the risk of the mother harming them).

Take a break from cleaning

Give your hamsters their own space for the first week, and then begin cleaning the cage again.

Add protein to the mother’s diet while she nurses

This can include small pieces of boiled egg and chicken.

Separate the hamsters

Eventually, the hamsters will need to be separated, which can be done in the form of purchasing new cages for them to live in or rehoming the babies to new pet parents. Dwarf hamsters should be sexed and separated at about four to five weeks old; Syrian hamsters at about six weeks. Not separating your hamsters can encourage fighting amongst them, spread diseases, and encourage even more pregnancies.

Setting Up Your Hamster’s Home

Start by purchasing everything you need for your hamster, like its cage, food, water, bedding and exercise wheel, then bring your hamster home. You’ll want to make the transition as easy as possible as it can be stressful for a hamster to go from a pet store or a shelter or a rescue to your home. While a pet store, shelter or rescues have loud people and unusual smells, your home has its own unusual noises and smells that your hamster will not be automatically adjusted to.

Hamsters are prone to a bacterial disease called wet tail, which can be caused by changes like coming to a new home or suddenly living in an overcrowded cage, and it can be fatal if not treated within 48 hours. Signs of wet tail include lethargy, loss of appetite, failure to groom and diarrhea. If you see any of the above signs, call your veterinarian immediately to have your pet examined and bring a stool sample to the visit for parasite testing.

Do things right, however, and you and your family will probably love having a hamster. Hamsters are very smart and can be trained. Although at times skittish, you can begin gaining trust to hold them by giving them a treat when they are in your hands. If they're getting food as a treat, they smell your hands and see your fingers and anticipate being held & pet, and getting a nice treat.

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Salmonella Infection in Pets & People: Symptoms, Prevention, and Treatment

Salmonella is a group of bacteria that can live in the intestinal tract of many different animals. Salmonellosis (sal-mohn-el-OH-sis) is a bacterial disease caused by Salmonella.

Although Salmonella is most often spread when a person eats contaminated food, the bacteria also can be passed between people and animals. Many different animals and pets can carry these germs. Animals known to commonly spread Salmonella to humans include:

• Reptiles (turtles, lizards, and snakes)

• Amphibians (frogs and toads)

• Poultry (chicks, chickens, ducklings, ducks, geese, and turkeys)

• Other birds (parakeets, parrots, and wild birds)

• Rodents (mice, rats, hamsters, and guinea pigs)

• Other small mammals (hedgehogs)

• Farm animals (goats, calves, cows, sheep, and pigs)

• Dogs

• Cats

• Horses

How do animals and people become infected?

Animals become infected with Salmonella through their environment, by eating contaminated food, or from their mothers before they are even born or hatched. Salmonella is naturally in the intestines of many different animals. Animals with Salmonella shed the bacteria in their stool which can easily contaminate their body parts (fur, feathers, or scales) and anything in areas where these animals live and roam (terrarium or aquarium, chicken coop, pen or fencing, countertops, sinks, etc.). It is important to know that many animals can carry Salmonella and still appear healthy and clean.

People can get a Salmonella infection if they do not wash their hands after contact with animals carrying Salmonella or their environment, such as their bedding, food, or tank water. For example, some pet products, like pet foods and treats, can be contaminated with Salmonella and other germs. Pet food and treats that may be contaminated include dry dog or cat food, dog biscuits, pig ears, beef hooves, and rodents used to feed reptiles (including frozen feeder rodents). Additionally, reptiles and amphibians that live in tanks or aquariums can contaminate the water with Salmonella, which can make people sick even if they don’t touch the animal.

Who is most at risk for serious illness?

Anyone can get sick from Salmonella, but some people are more likely than others to get salmonellosis. People who are more likely to get salmonellosis include:

• infants

• children 5 years of age and younger

• adults aged 65 and older

• people with weakened immune systems, such as people with HIV/AIDS, organ transplant patients, and people receiving chemotherapy.

Prevention

The best way to prevent getting Salmonella from animals is to always wash your hands with soap and running water right after contact with these animals, their environments, or their stool.

DO/

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and waterRight after touching animals.After touching your pet’s food (like dry dog or cat food, frozen feeder rodents) or treats (like rawhide bones, pig ears, biscuits).After touching the areas where they live and roam.

• Use running water and soap, if possible.

• Use hand sanitizer if running water and soap are not available.Be sure to wash your hands with soap and water as soon as a sink is available.Adults should always supervise hand washing for young children.

• Use soap or a disinfectant to thoroughly clean any surfaces that have been in contact with animals. Do not let children 5 years of age and younger do this task. Children 6 years of age and older can help with cleaning and disinfecting but only if they are supervised by an adult.

• Clean your pet’s cage, terrarium, or aquarium and its contents (such as food and water bowls) outdoors, if possible. If you must clean your pet’s habitat indoors, use a bathtub or large sink that can be cleaned and disinfected afterward. Avoid using a kitchen sink if possible.

• Use a bleach solution to clean and disinfect.

DO NOT/

• Do not let children 5 years of age and younger, the elderly, or people with weakened immune systems handle or touch animals that can spread Salmonella (like turtles, water frogs, or poultry). They should also try not to touch the water from the animals’ containers or aquariums.

• Avoid keeping live poultry, amphibians, and reptiles in homes and facilities with children 5 years of age and younger or people with weakened immune systems.

• Never eat or drink around high-risk animals (like turtles, water frogs, chicks, ducklings), or in areas where they live and roam.

• Keep animals away from areas where food and drinks are prepared, served, or stored, such as kitchens or outdoor patios.

• Do not ask children 5 years of age and younger, the elderly, or people with weakened immune systems to clean pets’ habitats and their contents.

• Persons 65 years of age and older and those with weak immune systems should wear disposable gloves if they have to clean their pet’s habitat.

• Once you finish cleaning, throw out the dirty wash water in a toilet or sink that is not used for food preparation or for drinking water.

What are the symptoms of a Salmonella infection?

Salmonella Symptoms in People

People infected with Salmonella might have diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and abdominal cramps. Infants, the elderly, and people with weak immune systems are more likely than others to develop severe illness. Please visit CDC’s Salmonella website for more information.

Salmonella Symptoms in Pets

Many animals with Salmonella have no signs of illness at all and appear healthy. Pets that become sick from Salmonella infection typically have diarrhea that may contain blood or mucus. Sick animals may seem more tired than usual and may vomit or have a fever. If your pet has these signs of illness or you are concerned that your pet may have a Salmonella infection, please contact your pet’s veterinarian.

Since there have been several pet treats recalled due to contamination with Salmonella, you should tell your veterinarian if your pet recently consumed a product that has been recalled. Do not feed your pet any more of the recalled product. Throw the product away immediately.

How can Salmonella infections be diagnosed and treated?

Diagnosing Salmonella in People

Salmonella infections in people usually resolve within 5-7 days, and most do not require treatment other than drinking plenty of fluids. People with severe diarrhea may need to spend time in a hospital getting rehydrated with intravenous fluids. Lab tests are needed to determine if Salmonella is the cause of a person’s illness. For more information about diagnosis and treatment, please visit CDC’s Salmonella website.

Diagnosing Salmonella in Pets

If you suspect that your pet has Salmonella, see your veterinarian. Salmonella infections may require prompt treatment with supportive care and fluids. If your pet is very sick, it may need to be treated with antibiotics or be hospitalized in a veterinary clinic. Your pet’s veterinarian is the best source of advice on your pet’s health.

More Information

Learn more about salmonellosis at CDC’s Salmonella website, which includes answers to frequently asked questions, technical information, and additional resources.

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