To be able to make a decision whether or not your hamster is well, you need to know what is normal for them. Like children, behavior in hamsters can be inherited or learned. Some behavior is instinctive, such as suckling their mother as soon as they are born. The rest of a hamsters behavior is learned from parents and by observation, and then becomes instinctive. Animals continually learn throughout their lives. They rely heavily on sight, sound and smell. Verbal signals are avoided as they could result in detection by a predator. The functions of behavior are to eat, to avoid being eaten, and to reproduce.

NORMAL BEHAVIOR
In hamsters, alertness is their first line of defence; they will spend the majority of the night looking out for predators and dangers. Hamsters rely heavily on smell and constantly sniff the air looking for an indication of who or what is around them and whether they are friend or foe.

High pitched squeals
Syrian Hamsters sometimes squeal if frightened. Once your hamster becomes used to you and more confident in his environment, this will normally stop. Squealing in groups of Russian Hamsters can occur when two are fighting to be dominant. The submissive hamster will squeal and turn on his back to let the dominant hamster know he has given up fighting.

Teeth chattering
A sign of annoyance and you should leave him alone. Sometimes your hamster will do this if he has just been woken up. Dont try to handle your hamster whilse he is doing this or you may get bitten.

Fighting
Syrian hamsters should be housed alone. If introduced to another hamster they will fight, sometimes to the death. Mating Syrian hamster has to be done very carefully to avoid injury. Dwarf hamsters are more sociable animals, but will have occasional fights. Often these are play fights and dont result in injury and are nothing to worry about. Separation should only be considered if there is a likelihood of injury. However, once separated, it is not always easy to re-introduce them to each other.

Side Rubbing
Hamsters will often rub their sides against places in their cage. This is normal as hamsters have scent glands on each hip and use these for marking their territory.

Hibernation
Sudden drops in temperature may cause your hamster to go into hibernation. Hamsters may appear to be dead but, on closer inspection, their whiskers may twitch, but often vital signs are undetectable. They must be woken up so they do not get dehydrated or starve.

Place the hamster in a warm place. You can warm them up in your hands or pockets or simply bring them in to a warm room. Do NOT put the hamster next to a radiator or fire. If your hamster has gone in to hibernation they the cage is being kept in a room that maintains an unsuitable temperature and should be relocated.

The hamster may shiver as it wakes up, but it will stop as it becomes fully awake. They should be fully conscious in 2-3 hours. Food and water should be freely available.

HEALTH CARE
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 due to pain. Take your hamster to the vet immediately if you suspect Wet Tail. It can be fatal. Wet tail is often brought on by environmental stress, such as weaning or separation from siblings. Stress can cause the bacteria in the gut to multiply and affect the good bacteria, resulting in diarrhea.

Hamsters with Wet Tail should be isolated from other hamsters because 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 as 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.

Prevention is best but if their teeth do become overgrown you will need to take him to a vet. Indications the teeth are overgorwn are salivating, grinding the teeth and a lack of interest in food.

Overgrown Nails
Nails can also become overgrown and should be trimmed by a vet to ensure your hamster is comfortable.

As always, please consult a Vet if you have any concerns.