Disorders and Diseases of Hamsters

Proliferative ileitis, inflammation of the small intestine, is the most significant cause of diarrhea in hamster pups. The culprit is the bacteria Lawsonia intracellularis, which is most likely to infect hamsters that are stressed because of being transported, living in an overcrowded cage, surgery or illness, or changes in diet. The condition is more common in young hamsters than adults. Proliferative ileitis progresses rapidly, and many hamsters with this infection die. Common signs of this disease are wet or matted fur around the tail and belly, low energy levels, loss of appetite, and weight loss.

Your veterinarian will likely make the diagnosis from the signs, history, and the animal’s response to treatment. Treatment includes fluid administration (either by mouth or by injection) to correct dehydration and possibly antibiotics. Sick hamsters should be kept separate from other hamsters to prevent spreading the illness, and the cages of both the sick and healthy animals should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.

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Tyzzer disease, caused by the bacterium Clostridium piliforme, can have many of the same signs as proliferative ileitis. These include loss of appetite, dehydration, watery diarrhea, and sudden death. Hamsters contract this illness by eating feces that contain the bacteria. This illness is more common in hamsters that are young or stressed. Your veterinarian can diagnose this illness by examination or by doing laboratory tests. Blood tests are only sometimes accurate. Your veterinarian may treat your hamster with fluids and antibiotics. Hamsters that have this illness or that have been in close contact with sick hamsters should be kept separate from other hamsters to prevent spreading the disease. The bacteria can form spores and spread through the environment, so the cage, food containers, and water sources used by both sick and healthy animals must be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.

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Inflammation of the small intestines may be related to antibiotic use. Certain antibiotics with activity against a group of bacteria (called gram-positive bacteria based on the way they appear under the microscope when stained) can be fatal for hamsters. Examples of these antibiotics are lincomycin, clindamycin, ampicillin, vancomycin, erythromycin, penicillin, and cephalosporins. These medicines can cause inflammation of the small intestine, resulting in diarrhea and death within 2 to 10 days. These antibiotics kill gram-positive bacteria that naturally occur in the intestines, allowing gram-negative bacteria (that do not take up stain when examined under the microscope) to overgrow. Some types of gram-negative bacteria produce toxins that can cause serious illness. The cecum, a pouch at the end of the small intestines, becomes swollen with fluid, and the hamster develops diarrhea. Your veterinarian can diagnose this problem by finding out what medications your pet has taken recently and by performing laboratory tests. The bacterial overgrowth sometimes happens in hamsters that have not taken antibiotics. Once a hamster has this condition, the outlook is not good. All that can be tried is supportive care with fluids to combat dehydration and syringe feeding if the hamster isn’t eating.

Salmonellosis, an inflammation of the intestines caused by Salmonella bacteria, is not common in hamsters. Signs of infection can include diarrhea, dehydration, weight loss, rough hair coat, and a swollen or bloated abdomen. Transmission of the bacteria occurs when the hamster’s food or bedding is contaminated by insects or wild rodents. Once a hamster is infected with Salmonella, treatment is not recommended, because treated hamsters can still carry Salmonella bacteria in their intestines even after treatment that they shed into their feces and that can infect other animals and people. Salmonella infections can be transmitted to humans, even if the infected hamster does not seem sick.

The signs of illness when a hamster has an Escherichia coli infection are similar to other illnesses that cause diarrhea in hamsters. You veterinarian can identify this illness with a laboratory test. Treatment and prevention are similar to those of proliferative ileitis (see Diarrhea, above).

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Protozoa are single-celled organisms that can cause illness. Healthy hamsters often carry protozoa in their digestive tracts without being sick, but hamsters that are young or stressed may develop diarrhea as a result of protozoal infections. Your veterinarian can identify protozoa by testing your hamster’s feces and can prescribe anti-protozoal medication.

Pinworms, a type of internal parasite, are a rare cause of disease of the digestive tract in hamsters. A veterinarian can diagnose pinworms by examining your hamster or testing its feces. Several types of medication, which often must be mixed with the feed or water, may be prescribed for treatment. The infected hamster’s cage should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected because the worm’s eggs may still be present.

Tapeworms are relatively common in hamsters as compared to mice and rats. Infected hamsters typically have no signs. When a hamster has a serious case, the tapeworms can cause inflammation and blockage of the intestines and infection of the lymph nodes. A veterinarian can diagnose tapeworm infection with tests of your hamster or its feces and can prescribe appropriate treatment. The cage of the infected hamster should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized, and whatever the hamster ate (such as a cockroach or other insect that could have been carrying tapeworm eggs on it and that transmitted the infection to the hamster) should be eliminated. Rodent tapeworms can infect humans, so it is a good idea to wash your hands thoroughly after handling your hamster or cleaning the cage.

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