If you provide the correct care, diet, environment, exercise and attention to your hamster it will normally stay fit and healthy, and will be bright, alert and eating and drinking normally. Younger and older pets are often more susceptible to illness due to lowered resistance. Handling your pet every day gives you the opportunity to examine him for signs that may indicate illness.

Any change in normal behavior may indicate an underlying problem. Watch out for:

• eating or drinking more or less than normal
• restless or lethargic or a crouched, huddled appearance
• coat that looks dull or is soiled or itchy
• discharge from the eyes, ears or nose
• soiling around the vent with urine or feces
• feces abnormal in color or texture
• more or less urine being produced or unusual in color
• offensive odor from the ears, mouth or vent
• loud teeth grinding
• difficulty in eating, drinking or moving
• difficulty in breathing or raspy noises from the chest

Common illnesses
Hamsters do not often become ill but, because of their size, they can deteriorate very slowly if they do become ill. Hamsters should be bright and alert. Monitor their food intake as if they change the way they are eating or drinking this may indicate an underlying problem.

Diarrhea
Overfeeding with green food is the most common cause of diarrhea. You should stop feeding green food immediately if your hamster has diarrhea and allow it only to eat its hamster mix. If the diarrhoea persists, your hamster should be taken to the vet.

Constipation
Conversely, if there is a lack of droppings in the cage and your hamster is walking with a hunched appearance, it may have constipation. Feeding with a small amount of green vegetables may relieve your hamster, but if there is no improvement it should be taken to the vet.

Wet Tail
Wet Tail is often confused with diarrhea, but is a bacterial infection that can cause extreme diarrhea, with a distinctive smell. The anus and tail area of the hamster appears wet and sticky. The hamster may walk hunched up as it is in pain. Take your hamster to the vet immediately if you suspect Wet Tail, as it can be fatal. It is often brought on by stress, such as weaning or separation from siblings, as stress can cause the bacteria in the gut to multiply and affect the good bacteria, resulting in this condition.

Hamsters with Wet Tail should be isolated from other hamsters as it is highly infectious. You must wash your hands thoroughly before you handle any other hamster.

Colds
Hamsters can catch colds from humans, so if you have a cold you should keep the handling of your hamster to a minimum. If he has a cold, your hamster will have a runny nose and sneeze and should be kept in a warm room. If you have any concerns, take your hamster to the vet.

Overgrown Teeth Like all rodents, hamsters teeth continue to grow throughout their life. They need to be provided with hard material to gnaw. Special wood gnaws can be purchased form pet shops to encourage gnawing. Also apple wood, seed sticks such as Apply n Cranberry Stickle Treats, crunchy biscuits, dog biscuits or Harry Hamster Yippee Treats all encourage gnawing.

If there is a chipped tooth, or their teeth do not meet properly, this may cause overgrowth and pain, and your hamster will find it difficult to eat.

Preventing this is best but if their teeth do become overgrown it will be necessary to see the vet to have them trimmed. Do not be tempted to do this on your own. Although trimming the teeth is not painful, it can be frightening for your pet and he will wiggle a lot!. It is very easy to break or split the tooth which can lead to more serious health concerns.

Indications that teeth may be over grown are salivating, grinding or gnashing the teeth.

See your vet if you have any concerns!