Andrew Martin Jr. asked:


Watch out for symptoms that may indicate your hamster has an illness. The first key to maintaining proper hamster health is to make sure that her environment is always dry and clean. When cleaning the living area, be sure to clean any spills or other mess.

Humans do not have to worry about most of the diseases found in hamsters. Zoonotic diseases refer to a disease that can be transferred from an animal to a human. Two common examples of a zoonotic disease are salmonella and ringworm. Before and after you handle your hamster, be sure to wash your hands since this is a great way to prevent the transfer of any such disease. Once your hamster is diagnosed with a zoonotic disease, you will be given additional instructions on how to make sure it does not spread.

Hamsters who live alone are less likely to catch a disease than those who are kept with several other hamsters. Also, use care when introducing any new hamster to your existing pets. You may not notice right away that your hamster has a disease, even though they may look healthy to you.

Although your hamster does not require an annual wellness examination, it is still recommended that you find a qualified vet before there is truly an emergency. Ask around to see if anyone know of a vet who specializes in treating exotic animals, like your hamster. For future reference, you should also ask them how much they charge for various services.

Hamster can catch diseases, they can be injured, and catch other illness as a result of poor house cleaning. Be on the lookout for these common things:

Abscesses

Fighting with another hamster can result in a wound that gets infected and causes an abscess. To treat the abscess, you can drain it and then apply treatment, but this is quite painful for your hamster and should be avoided. The best way to deal with an abscess is to just make an appointment with your vet.

Colds/Pneumonia

If you notice any type of wheezing, difficulty breathing, or eyes glues shut, you need to take your hamster to the vet clinic immediately. You may also notice things like weight loss, a discharge from the hamster's nose, and general lethargy.

Tyzzer's Disease in Pet Hamsters

Tyzzer's Disease is a very contagious disease that spreads from hamster to hamster, and usually results in death. Some hamsters will show no obvious signs of the disease before they die. Others will show symptoms like a lack of activity, a scruffy-looking coat, diarrhea and dehydration. The disease is quite common among hamsters who live in an unclean environment, and hamsters who are under plenty of stress. Fortunately, it is rare in animals with clean housing and who are well-cared-for.

Diabetes

This is a disease that has been encountered in Campbell's Russian hamsters. A hamster who has diabetes will use suffer from excessive thirst and frequent urination. Changing the diet is usually the extent of treatment. Diabetic hamsters should not be given fruit. You may also want to limit, or completely remove, peas and corn from their food. An accurate diagnosis can be done by a qualified vet, and they can also give you recommendations on how to take care of your hamster.

Glaucoma

Winter White hamsters have been found to have glaucoma. There is no cure for hamster glaucoma, but your vet can give you some eye drops to relieve the discomfort for your hamster.

Trouble With the Cheek Pouch

The pouches in the cheek that are used in food storage and transportation can become pierced, impacted or damaged. Symptoms include being unable to empty the pouches or having an everted cheek pouch (one that is turned inside out). Take your hamster to the vet as soon as you suspect that she may have a cheek pouch injury.



Gabrielle

diane walker asked:


The key to introducing a cat or a dog to a new baby is to get your pet used to the idea of a new addition to the family as early as possible - before the baby arrives on the scene.

Firstly, allow your cat and dog to investigate the room where your baby will sleep. If you don’t allow your pet into the room, they will think there is something in there that needs their attention! Supervise them while they check out the new smells of the nursery, and start carrying around a ‘pretend baby’ (a doll in a baby blanket).

After the arrival, safely let your pets check out your baby whilst you hold it. Make sure that your pets don’t lick your baby, but as dogs depend on their sense of smell, a few sniffs around a baby, under close supervision, may help them get to know each other.

Try to give your pet the same attention and routine you normally would, and stay as relaxed as possible with all of these exercises so that your pets do not pick up on any anxiety you may be feeling.  This will make them feel that they are not being ousted from the household.

You should never leave your baby unattended with any pet, but especially cats and dogs.  Your pets will not understand that their actions, such as trying to climb into cot, could be harmful. Keep your baby behind closed ‘pet-free’ doors if you are not nearby.

It takes time and effort to introduce toddlers and pets.  Closely supervise any interaction between them, never leave them alone no matter how well behaved your pet is and praise your child when they handle your pet correctly. As children often imitate parents, how you react will show your child what is acceptable behaviour.

All pet owners should ensure their dogs are fully obedience trained before allowing them to interact with children.

Many children are happy to look after and learn about pets, but should only be given responsibility based on their ability, age and interest.  However, many studies have shown that children who are taught to respect pets become more compassionate adults.  Taking time and care to teach children and pets to treat each other with respect will create long-term advantages for both pet and child alike.

Read our weekly Animal health advice articles at http://www.in2town.co.uk and http://www.in2town.co.uk/PDSA-animal-magazine-and-animal-advice.html



Nyah

Cristian Stan asked:


Although it would be great to have a big hamster family, you should first find out if you are ready to face such a responsibility. Yes, baby hamsters are quite adorable but what happens next?

You might want to ask yourself these two questions:

1. What will you do with the babies?

2. Which hamsters will you pick to become the new mom-and-dads to be?

Let us start with the first question. On average, litter size is 4 to 6 but some varieties such as the Campbell Russian can give birth to 14 baby hamsters. Can you imagine taking care of more than a dozen little hamsters? You might say that you can breed them and afterwards sell them to a pet store.

Good idea? Wrong. Many stores do not want to get hamsters sold by just anybody. Since this would not work, you will end up caring for all of them yourself, unless you give them away to family and friends. Now, what if they become sick? Usually, if one hamster is sick, it easily becomes contagious and that means many of your pet hamsters will become sick too.

You will have to spend for their medication, and this will not come in cheap. An even worse scenario is if the mother will die. Who will take care of them, and nurse them? You, of course. You will basically be bottle-feeding them until they become ready to be weaned. Feeding one or two hamsters might not be so daunting, but when you are talking 6 to 12 baby hamsters, it can be a very heavy, not to mention stressful, responsibility.

Moving on to the next question, you will need to know the best parents to breed the hamsters. One consideration is the health of each. To find out, it is advisable to look into their history including that of their lineage. They should be clear of any genetic defect or any life threatening medical conditions.

This is to avoid birth defects and illnesses in the young ones. It is also worth mentioning that the color of the hamster’s fur may contribute to genetic problems and that certain colors cannot be paired off with each other to avoid birth defects. Additionally, you might want to check the temperament of prospective parents.

You do not want to breed those with a bad temperament or personality because these might be carried by their babies and you do not want a dozen grouchy and ‘bratty’ hamsters at home!



Kylie

Alex C Johnson asked:


So what do hamsters eat? This is a very important question you should know when you first get your hamster. Just like any other animal, they have their own types of food they like to eat and drink.

Since your hamster lives with you now and is not in the wild nature, he/she can't go on a search and find the food he/she craves. So you want to know it and give it to your pet hamster to keep him/her happy and healthy.

So let's first get to this interesting question...

How Much Do Hamsters Eat?

One of the most amazing things is you'll see your hamster stuffs literally everything he/she finds in his/her cheeks.

Hamsters are naturally trained to collect all the food they can find, because in the wild nature, you never know what tomorrow brings. To protect themselves from hunger if tomorrow they can't get any food, they always collect every food they find.

But they don't collect it in their stomach, but just take it to a corner and hide it as a stash somewhere for later.

Since there is no way to "convince" your hamster there is nothing to worry about as long as he/she lives with you, you just need to accept their life long habit.

So How Much Do Hamsters Really Need to Eat?

Very little. After all, with their small size, not much food would fit in that little belly of theirs. So hamsters can only eat about two tablespoons of food or less every 24 hours.

Hamsters need a large variety of food to stay healthy and energetic. They like various types of fruits, vegetables, and foods with proteins. If you don't provide them with the foods they need, your hamster will fall sick and become weaker and weaker.

Check out this helpful guide to find out what are the best hamster foods for a healthy, long living hamster.

But there are also certain food they must avoid at all cost, because it will make them sick or even threaten their life. Some examples are almonds, sweets and candies, tomatoes, and more.

It's very important that you know what to feed and what NOT to feed your hamster to have a healthy, happy hamster for a long, long time.



Lillian

WoodCreek Pet Products asked:


First Principles

Teach respect, a dog has to be taught to respect its owner. You have to be his leader and not let him be yours. As you communicate with your dog he learns to understand you, he will forever be willing to please. Once the dog knows you are his leader, he will be a happy follower by teaching your dog the basic training commands and discipline.

It is next to impossible to have a normal, well-behaved, even-tempered dog without discipline and some training. Once a dog is trained he is a better pet and greater companion, and he himself will be happier for knowing that his owner is pleased with him. There are many books devoted to discipline and training and free online resources for dog training than ever imaginable! There are also many great obedience-training classes for low cost to no cost, one for example is PetSmart and I highly recommend this form of training, it helps your dog or puppy learn to socialize as well as get his basic obedience training from a professional source, helping you and your dog learn together. You must be willing to accept the fact that if your dog fails the course and becomes a dropout, it is entirely your fault not the dogs. He is a willing subject, it is your complete responsibility to ensure you and he complete all training classes and continue to adhere to the lessons learned.

Any sincerely interested dog owner can train their dog, and it can be a most rewarding educational experience for both. Patience and consistency is the key to successful training, at times you will have to be firm, but gentle and always, always give praise for each and every one of his positive efforts.Basically dog training is built on reward, repetition, reprimand and again praise. Although it can be too early to begin training, it is never too late. Most puppies form a strong attachment to an individual which may persist or wane, and there is often a phase of disobedience and defiance. Discipline is needed during this crucial period, but it must be with patience and never overbearing or intimidating. Don't listen to the old cliché "You can't teach an old dog new tricks". There is nothing further from the truth, I don't for one moment believe that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, he can be taught new tricks and all the basic commands whatever his age.

 

It is bound to be a more difficult to break old habits like barking, chasing cars, sleeping on furniture etc., and can be resolved with proper training aids, such as no-bark collars, sonic bark control devices, citronella spray collars, indoor radio fences, and scat mats, if all other resources have been exhausted to resolve these and various other undesirable habits develop or exist. You and your dog must be relaxed before you begin any training session. He can and will know when you are tense or uncomfortable, he can't learn while he is tense or timid and if your dog or puppy is showing signs of stubbornness or defiance they may be more resistant to teaching, but don't give in, stay firm, consistent and have a routine, all animals are creatures of habit, so stay with the training. In essence complete relaxation is essential for both dog and trainer, also, make lessons fun for both you and your dog. He will learn much faster, and give you a greater reward for your training efforts, vise-versa.

 

Getting To Know Your Dog or Puppy

 

To train your dog or pup to the best advantage for both, you must get to know their personality, for example there are sensitive or shy dogs who squeal at the slightest noise with disciplinary action and the merest jerk of a training lead, grooming comb or word of discipline, causing you to hurt his feelings and mistrust. Take caution and try to understand this dog or puppy’s personality, this is vital to their mental health and needs to be taken in a very slow, easy manner. If a stronger, more aggressive training method is used with this type of personality it cannot be reversed, and will ultimately result in a very scared, confused pet. Then there is the more assertive type dogs, they may need a stronger form of training and attention spans may need to be focused on, "Fearless" Fun loving, and go for it types of dogs always pushing himself at you for your attention, he jumps on your guests, slobbers on them, forces his "Here I am" on you, your guests, children or the elderly. This personality may or may not need a more aggressive training method, depending on the breed and the owner's training abilities.

Make the Lessons Fun

Dogs get bored with long training sessions. If you work them for over 20 minutes at a time, they will lose interest and stop listening to you. For a younger dog or puppy, 5 to 10 minutes is long enough for one training session. But do it frequently, and again with, praise or training reward treats.

Basic Dog Training Commands

(1) Leash Training: This is the first and foremost of all dog and puppy training. Say you need to take your pet to the Veterinarian for a check up...this cannot be done without a well leash trained dog or puppy. Work with your dog or puppy daily  DO NOT: pull, drag or force your dog to follow the leash, take it easy.....let them walk to you, stop...say "Good Dog" Reward them with a treat, and let them sit, then, pet, praise them. Give them time, always be patient, they will respond soon to your leash training, it is so very important not to scare them while leash training!!!! They will never feel safe with you!!

 

(2) Heel: You teach your dog to walk on you left side without pulling in front of you; he always walks beside you, comfortably, easily and will never pull at the leash. When he tries to walk in front of you, you jerk back on the lead and say the word "Heel". Use this command with easy, gentle commands, do not "Yank" on the lead, be very, very gentle or this will cause your dog to become scared and try to bolt and make the "Heel" command frighten your dog, therefore, reversing your training and all trust established with your dog or puppy. Please always use good sense and respond to your dogs action or "Reaction" to "Leash and Heel" Training.

(3) Sit: Pull the leash straight up and while pushing down on his hindquarters, saying the word "Sit". Most dogs learn this very quickly.

(4) Down: You don't want your dog or puppy to jump on people, especially, elderly guests, children or anyone else that is coming to visit your home. Your dog needs to learn this after he is confident with his leash training. Grasp the leash or collar just under the dog's neck and while gently pulling in the downward motion as you say, "Down"

(5) Stay: This is a very important command, as it can save your dog from a situation were harm or injury may occur, and this can be beneficial to the both of you. This command can save you or your dog from being hit by cars, or any other dangerous situation, this can your dogs life. To teach the "Stay" command put your dog in a sitting position and talk a few steps away, and if he attempts to come to you, firmly say "Stay" and stop walking, ask your dog to sit, and start again, keep repeating this procedure until he stays, this may take some time, remember keep the lessons short, and be consistent.

(6) Come: Be sure to do this with a leash or long lead. First put him on the "Stay" command, use the word "Come" and give the leash a light tug toward you, when he responds a comes to you give him praise and or a reward treat and repeat this lesson until your dog is responsive to the command, then you can remove the leash or lead and repeat the lesson. This is one of the easiest lessons dogs learn very quickly.  With all said and these simple, easy to follow training guidelines, you should have a long and happy relationship with your dog or puppy. Note: Never give up, be patient, consistent and always praise!!!! Love your dog like he loves you.

YOUR DOG

"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog.....You are his life, his love, and his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy ofsuch devotion. "

Author unknown:

 

 

 

 



Joseph

Jim Brown asked:


Hamsters are rodents which have been domesticated and which are common to the Middle East and the western parts of Europe. These types of animals are easy to have in captivity and are usually treated as household pets or as laboratory specimens.

Hamsters as pets can be kept in commercial cages or terrariums. Homemade dwellings are also options for keeping hamsters. If commercial cages are considered as an option the advantages would be that cages are portable enough to be transferred from place to place. Its bars can be used by the hamsters for exercise purposes since these mammals are fond of climbing obstacles and so. An ideal floor space for these active rodents would be at least two square feet and high tops to encourage climbing activities.

The terrariums also have their advantages in a way that the hamsters are prevented to throw their litter out of the cage and it brings them a quieter scenario due to the glass' capacity to buffer sound.

In the case of homemade dwellings, some important aspects are to be considered in terms of choosing the materials of the house. Plywood and products are highly discouraged because these materials would promote the use of glue and/or resin. Glue and/or resin are dangerous for the hamsters if they are exposed to these materials for a long time. A safer alternative to connect dwellings would be by the use of birch or breech with white water soluble wood glue. However, wood is something that hamsters can chew off in a period of time, so the location of the connectors should be placed away as much as possible.

The hamster's cages should be filled with litter consisting of old newspapers or wood chips without dangerous chemicals. Cat litter is a not an option for it may kill the hamster. Softwood based litters containing phenols may damage the hamster's internal organs and may clog respiratory tracts.

The area where the cage will be placed inside the house should not be under direct sunlight because it may harm the pets. An area with temperatures ranging from 16 to 26 degrees Celsius is a proper environment for the hamsters.

Exercise and entertainment is important to any type of pet and this does not exclude the hamsters. Exercise wheels are the most common exercisers for a pet hamster. Other play toys like plastic fixtures and mobiles like balls and figures may be an added feature to the play toys that an owner should consider for the pet. One natural habit of the hamster as a rodent would be to build their own nests in their own areas in their cages. This habit should be taken into consideration. Tissue paper or newspaper layers may be supplied for their nesting activities, grass and hay may also be used considering the fact though that they don't contain pesticides.

It is a major responsibility for every pet owner to know and understand the proper care of the pet that they have chosen. Utmost care and attention should be rendered.



Sariah