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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4 Rainy Season Dangers You Might Not Know Of

Each year, certain parts of North America are bombarded with rain. While this may be good for the garden, high rainfall can potentially pose some real threats to your dog.

1. Mushrooms

During the rainy season, mushrooms may pop up in your yard with more frequency. There are thousands of species of mushrooms, but thankfully only about 100 are poisonous. That said, mushroom identification is very difficult, so it's hard to tell which are poisonous versus which are benign. As a result, whenever you see mushrooms growing in your yard, make sure to remove them immediately and throw them away to prevent accidental ingestion by your dog. If your dog does get into a mushroom, contact your veterinarian immediately about inducing vomiting to get any potential toxin out.

Certain types of mushrooms may cause organ injury including:

• Gastrointestinal injury (signs include drooling, not eating, vomiting, diarrhea)

• Liver linjury (signs include vomiting, black tarry stool, yellow skin)

• Kidney injury (signs include abnormal urination and thirst)

• Cardiovascular injury (signs include a very slow or rapid heart rate)

• Neurologic injury (signs include hallucinations, tremors, seizures)

When in doubt, get to your veterinarian immediately as it's easier - and less expensive - to treat early on versus once clinical signs have developed.

2. Leptospirosis

Leptospirosis, a bacteria-like spirochete, is carried naturally by wildlife, like rodents and raccoons. In high rainfall situations, it’s prevalent in the environment. In dogs that have exposure to water sources, contaminated by wildlife urine (puddles, streams, ponds, etc.), transmission can occur. Canine leptospirosis can result in liver injury and acute kidney injury.

Signs of leptospirosis include:

• Vomiting

• Not eating

• Malaise

• Yellow skin

• Excessive thirst

• Urination

As leptospirosis can accidentally be transmitted to humans, it's important to talk to your veterinarian about prevention, including vaccines.

3. Mosquitoes

While mosquitoes may seem like just a pesky insect to you, they can be life-threatening to your dog. That's because mosquitoes can carry Dirofilaria, which transmits heartworm infection to your dog. Thankfully, there is a very effective preventative in either a topical or oral form. When in doubt, use year-round control to prevent problems from mosquitoes. If your dog has thin fur or skin and is more predisposed to getting bitten, use Skin So Soft or a topical insect repellent that repels mosquitoes. Talk to your veterinarian to be safe before applying anything.

Click here to learn more about heartworm disease in dogs.

4. Toads and frogs

Depending on where you live in the United States, certain types of toads - specifically the Bufo marinus or Bufo alvarius - can be poisonous to dogs. In fact, a dog drinking water from an outside dog bowl, that had a poisonous toad sitting in it, can result in clinical signs of:

• drooling

• panting

• walking drunk

• a racing heart rate

• a very slow heart rate

• even seizures

Frogs are not toxic, but can cause gastrointestinal upset when ingested.

To be safe, supervise your dog outside to prevent accidental ingestion of dangers like toads and frogs. When in doubt, contact your veterinarian or ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435 if you think your dog is ill or could have ingested something poisonous.

If you have any questions or concerns, you should always visit or call your veterinarian -- they are your best resource to ensure the health and well-being of your pets.

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Fungal Disease in Amphibians (Chytridiomycosis)

Chytridiomycosis

Chytridiomycosis is a serious infectious disease caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, a zoosporic fungus related to water molds. The fungus feeds on keratin, a protein found in the outermost layers of the skin, and survives in most environments, even without a host. It is believed that the decrease in the population of frogs in many areas is due to chytridiomycosis.

A common way to recognize chytridiomycosis is to check your amphibian's skin for sloughing or shedding. The disease can be fatal for amphibians left untreated. Therefore, owners suspecting chytridiomycosis in their amphibian must seek immediate veterinary care.

Symptoms and Types

An amphibian suffering from chytridiomycosis may shed excessively, develop thickened or pale skin and, in the cases of tadpoles, disfigured beaks. Other common symptoms or signs include:

• Lethargy

• Loss of appetite (anorexia)

• Constriction of the eye's pupil

• Abnormal posture of the hind legs

• Abnormal behavior and disposition

• Hyperemia (an increase in blood flow to different body tissues)

Some amphibians present no clinical symptoms of the disease, but are still infected with the Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis fungus. These animals are carriers of the disease.

Causes

Chytridiomycosis is due to an infection with the B. dendrobatidis fungus. Generally, amphibians contract the fungus through their skin while in contaminated water.

Diagnosis

Veterinarians diagnose the disease by examining skin scrapings or toe clips that are stained and put under a light microscope. Placing an infected animal in a shallow dish of water will often confirm the sloughing of skin, a common symptom for chytridiomycosis.

Treatment

To treat chytridiomycosis, your veterinarian will prescribe antifungal medication, such as itraconazol, which is usually diluted and administered as a bath. Supplemental treatment may include ultraviolet light therapy.

Living and Management

For unknown reasons, chytrid infections have a high mortality rate. Therefore, it is important you follow your veterinarian's instructions and provide a clean aquatic environment and an appropriate temperature range for your amphibian.

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Dealing With a Shedding Dog & Shedding Season

Dog shedding can be frustrating for all of us, no matter how much we love our dogs. The mess of dog hair can be enough to drive dog owners crazy. All dogs shed to some degree, with the exception of completely hairless dogs. Certain breeds (“hypoallergenic dogs”) shed very little, while others (namely heavily double-coated breeds like the lovable German Shepherd) shed large amounts.

Year-Round Shedding

All animals with hair shed on a regular basis. This is part of the natural life cycle of hair shafts within the follicles. All hair shafts go through phases of growth and shedding. The phases affect the rate of hair growth and will vary by breed, age, hormones, environment, and overall health of the dog. These factors also contribute to the length and texture of the hair, though genetics is the predominant factor.

Dogs with continuously growing hair, like poodles and Yorkshire terriers, have hair shafts with longer life spans and shed very little. On the other hand, dogs like labradors and huskies have a shorter hair shaft lifespan and more abundant undercoats, resulting in greater shedding.

Shedding Season

In general, most dogs will shed extra during spring and fall. Most dogs are double-coated; they have undercoats and top coats. The top coat is what you see and feel on the outside. The undercoat is made up of secondary hairs that grow around the primary hairs and tend to be shorter and softer. Seasonal shedding occurs as a result of temperature change. This process is sometimes called "blowing coat." When the weather warms, dogs shed their old winter undercoats to make way for a lighter summer coat. Then, when it begins to get cool again, dogs shed their lighter undercoats and grow thicker, warmer coats for winter.

Not all coat types are affected the same way by temperature changes. For example, dogs like Bichon Frise and Shih Tzus have less undercoat, so they shed less when seasons change. The old coat must still be removed by grooming the dogs. However, dogs like Newfoundlands and Malamutes have heavy, thick undercoats that make shedding much more obvious. Basic brushing is important for both coat types.

Other Reasons for Shedding

Your dog's health can affect the shedding rate, so it is important to take note of unexplained excessive shedding. Skin problems, endocrine diseases, nutritional or vitamin deficiencies, and other metabolic disorders can cause hair loss or change the rate of hair growth. It is important to contact your veterinarian if the rate of shedding seems unusual for your dog. Keep your dog healthy with routine vet visits and proper nutrition. Contact your pet’s vet immediately if you notice any signs of illness.

Get Control Over Shedding

There's no way to completely stop shedding. It's a healthy and natural process that is necessary for dogs. Shaving your dog down is not a good idea, as it can interfere with your dog's natural self-cooling and self-warming mechanism. In the long run, it will not make shedding occur any less. In rare cases, the hair in shaved areas will grow back abnormally or not at all. The key to preventing excessive shedding is to keep up with it through brushing.

Routine grooming is absolutely essential for all dogs. Brushing or combing your dog helps to remove dead hairs before they can fall on your carpet, bedding, and upholstery. It will also prevent those dead hairs from forming mats on your dog's coat that can eventually harm the skin. Brushing also distributes the natural, healthy oils produced by the skin throughout the hair coat. Using the right grooming tools can make a great difference. For heavy shedders, a special shedding tool like the FURminator can work wonders but be mindful of not pushing down too hard when using it. For some coat types, the dead hairs don't shed as much, but they cause the dog's coat to appear ragged and can eventually become matted. Some owners prefer to take these dogs to a professional groomer periodically for coat care. For some coat types, hand-stripping is a technique that is often preferred over trimming the dog's hair.

Managing the Aftermath of Shedding in Your Home

Shedding makes a mess, no doubt about it. As a dog owner, you have probably come to terms with the fact that regular house cleaning is the norm, especially during shedding season. The key is to remove hair before it has a chance to embed itself into your carpet and upholstery. Keeping a pet hair tape roller around for touch-ups throughout the day is an excellent idea. For deeper cleaning of upholstery and small areas, consider using a handheld vacuum designed to pick up pet hair.

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Reverse Sneezing in Cats

Reverse sneezing is a way for cats to clear irritants from the back part of their throat or nasopharynx. This type of sneezing is not done by humans, so witnessing it can be scary for pet parents. The back of the throat is where the nasal cavity opens into the oral cavity. When there are irritants or foreign materials in that area, animals will use reverse sneezing to try and get rid of the material.

What does reverse sneezing in cats look like?

When reverse sneezing, cats will often close their eyes, extend their necks, and make a snorting noise. If your pet is exhibiting these signs, it is vital that you ensure they are not coughing, choking, or having trouble breathing. These can all look similar and it may be difficult to distinguish the difference. Reverse sneezing is not a medical emergency as long as it resolves after a few seconds and the animal acts normal otherwise.

Why does a cat reverse sneeze?

This phenomenon is triggered by irritants to the naso- and oropharynx. These can be inhaled allergens (like pollen) or foreign material (like grass or weeds) that is inhaled or ingested. Occasionally, reverse sneezing can accompany excitement. The first line of treatment for recurrence is an antihistamine in case allergies are the irritating culprit. If the condition persists, a sedated oral exam will need to be conducted to look for foreign material. Finally, if clinical signs are persistent, general anesthesia with an endoscopic exam of the caudal nasal cavity and possible CT scan will be recommended.

The good news about reverse sneezing is that it is commonly self limited in animals. If it is persistent or affecting your cat’s quality of life, then further diagnostics and treatment measures should be explored.

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