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Post by pinky on Jul 14, 2010 22:54:14 GMT -4
I adopted this guy last night! www.petfinder.com/petdetail/15499894 What is not evident from this photo from six or so months ago is that he is HUGE, because he has been allowed to feed freely all this time. I have never seen a dwarf his size. . . . he is so huge that he can't groom the whole of himself. I noticed that his genital area is slightly soiled, for instance. And now that he has been with me for a bit, I can tell that he has an odor. Of course, one is not supposed to bathe hamsters. But he needs some cleaning-up. I wrote to Mal and Jayde's rescue mommy about this, figuring that as a rescuer she's had to clean up some hams, and she gave me some ideas to try once we are home. (Right now we are at my dad's in PA.) The other thing. . . . not only was he surrendered (by someone with too many hams), but so was another ham, a female. She is there, and she is slightly less tubby. . . . he seemed to be the more needy creature, and I had only the one cage with me, but honestly, I don't think she'd be adopted unless I take her. . . . I have decided that this is my sign that it's time to have more than one critter. I tear up thinking about her. So tomorrow evening I'll go back to the shelter and pick up Ethel: www.petfinder.com/petdetail/15499883She was very sweet as well when I played with her last night. I don't know if they were tame before they came to the shelter and then the shelter folks handled them often, or whether the shelter was where they got tamed, but they are both mellow critters. He won my heart tonight when he gave me the I-wanna-come-out look, and then he wandered all over me for at least 15 minutes. He is sooooo good-natured. So that's the story. My apartment is going to be the site of The Biggest Loser--Hamster Edition! With proper feeding, play time, and nice low-friction wheels at their disposal I'm hoping that they will shed grams quickly. Frasier seems to tire quickly since there is so much of him to move around.
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Jul 14, 2010 23:55:21 GMT -4
I have urged you for a long time to get more than one. They are small! Even him. Relatively speaking. Those are very lucky critters. Nice light coloring in both cases. I assume you have a scale. Keep us posted. --------------------------- As for me, today and tomorrow very warm and sticky. And then another four day HEAT WAVE! A horrendous Summer. Just give me 2 or 3 days of 78 degrees with low humidity and a nice breeze. Anyway, best to the hams. I have my own work to do here. . .
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Post by Andrea on Jul 15, 2010 17:19:36 GMT -4
WOO HOO!!!!! Congratulations! What lucky ham-hams too, and TWO! I've never had to bath a gerbil/hamster. But I woudl think a damn cloth and whiping gently woudl probably work. And baby oil can work out annything really stuck into fur if needed. Hopwfully with a diet, and some good (diet) food he'll be able to groom himself properly and smell a lot better after
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Post by pinky on Jul 15, 2010 22:56:29 GMT -4
Thanks to you both for the congrats. I am very happy! Both are here now. She is quite a bit smaller, but still not small--larger than Jayde/Mal were, and they were chunky. But she went right for the Silent Spinner, so she will work off her weight. By the semester's start she will be looking good, I think. He, on the other hand, may at the outset need to get exercise by being played with till it gets easier for him to run. I can't even see if he's eating something--it gets lost in the flab. Neither seemed to take easily to fresh food--but it could be that they've NEVER had any--certainly not any since they've been in the shelter. She came to the shelter in mid-December, so she's been there 8 months. I'm assuming he came in from the same overloaded owner. Add 2 months for the fact that they look adult-size in the photos, and that means they're a minimum of 10 months old and a maximum of I will give them a birthday in September. I wonder if they are siblings from a surprise litter. They look like they could be.
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Jul 15, 2010 23:03:25 GMT -4
I think I once cleaned a ham (Syrian) ages ago, but I am hard pressed to recall. Might have washed him. He was fine.
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Post by Dezzi on Jul 15, 2010 23:15:18 GMT -4
They're cuties but you're right they're fat! Very lucky to have you and a huge congratulations to your new additions. You're an awesome hamster mommy and they're going to be very spoilt hamsters.
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Post by pinky on Jul 16, 2010 11:48:41 GMT -4
They're cuties but you're right they're fat! Very lucky to have you and a huge congratulations to your new additions. You're an awesome hamster mommy and they're going to be very spoilt hamsters. Thanks, Dezzi! But those photos were presumably taken when they were taken in--8 months ago. They've been free-feeding ever since. She's not so bad, but he is really large. I don't want to exploit him, so I won't take photos and share them all over the place, but I will take a few "before" photos and post them here because you guys won't make fun of him. . . I love 'em both already. We are home now, and soon I will prep the other aquarium for her so she can settle into her real home.
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Jul 16, 2010 12:58:11 GMT -4
Sounds great.
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Post by Hamsters82 on Jul 16, 2010 18:23:17 GMT -4
That's great news Robin!! And two of them too, both are very cute. Are you going to keep their names or change them? Either way, their names are okay too. Ethel's name is funny, in a good way.
And what do you mean by free feeding?
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Post by pinky on Jul 16, 2010 21:32:14 GMT -4
I've never changed the name of a ham, except when "Marcus" needed to become Mallory. I've been told I should change Frasier to Fred (older folks and fans of reruns will understand why), but I really like Frasier, and Ethel is an unusual name for a hamster (or these days, anyone!).
Dwarfs should get one teaspoon of food a day. That's what kept Mal and Jayde trim. But Frasier and Ethel had a half-cup of seed mix available all the time.
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Post by pinky on Jul 17, 2010 11:49:52 GMT -4
Last night I played a long time with Frasier. . . and after observing his physical self more closely and noting the rate at which he was drinking water I decided that he needed an evaluation. I got up at 9 this morning and called. We went in at 9:30, bed-head and all (mine, not his). I love this particular vet, and he spent a long time with us. Frasier got a thorough exam, two fine-needle aspirations with evaluation of cells contained within, and a ringworm culture. Conclusions: -"Fat" is some combination of fat and fluid. Fluid does not appear to indicate cancer or infection. Fluid buildup could be for a number of reasons. -Diabetes: maybe yes, maybe no. Again, a number of possible reasons for the large water intake. Will treat him as though he does have diabetes, though. -Abscess around penis: aspiration indicated infection, but this doesn't appear to be a big deal. Baytril should knock this out. -Skin does not indicate mites; perhaps ringworm, hence the culture (takes 10 days), but likely not. Teeth are good; I need to clip a few nails if I can. Otherwise he was perky and very mellow, all things considered. Having a needle shoved into your genital area--yeah, you're justified in nipping after that! So I minimize the fat in his diet, keep him away from any sugar, give him exercise, wash my hands well after handling him, and see what happens. This cost me a small fortune, but I gotta do right by him. He's my kid now, and I want his however-many-remaining-days to be good ones. Because I generally live like I can't afford stuff, I could afford this. And I trust this practice. The vets know hamsters and they do what makes sense without going over the top, even though I imagine that some of it may cost less elsewhere. And they have enough staff that it's not hard to get an appointment. So Frasier got his first Baytril dose and is resting quietly. I love the little guy. And I finally got to eat breakfast!
Ethel--need to spend some serious time with her tonight to see if she too should go.
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Jul 17, 2010 13:36:31 GMT -4
I have never changed the name of a critter except once: Poopy to Poppyl (Minor, and needed). I wouldn't change the names of ceramic critters! They are what they are. >>two fine-needle aspirations<< Describe and define, please. Man, those hams were luckier than I thought. >>Because I generally live like I can't afford stuff, I could afford this.<< Understood! Finding a vet who really knows such critters is hard indeed. When I took Princess to the emergency vet in March, 2003, the vet (who claimed to know hamsters) could not even sex her! How can anyone not sex an adult Syrian!? But she was caring and nice, and I got my Baytril, and Princess, then two and much loved, a rescue, lived another six months until an apparent stroke - I watched her die in my hands which totally freaked me, and is second only to Leslie's (GP) death in traumatic effect. Isn't fluid buildup just edema? Dante the cat had ringworm as a kitten. Vet, culture, meds, baths in sink with medicated shampoo - lots of fun! Ask your vet why a cat would have one eye that regularly oozes tears and that porphyrin-looking dark stuff. Unsightly, but no other problems. Not an infection, obviously. How did you find this vet? Recommendations? Frasier and Ethel. Sort of like "Kelsey grammar meets Vivian Vance". Best to them.
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Post by pinky on Jul 17, 2010 13:57:15 GMT -4
I forgot to mention: Jayde was 31-35 grams at her normal weight. Ethel is 60 grams. Frasier is 82 grams! Fine-needle aspiration: very thin needle inserted into fluid pocket or abscess to withdraw sample of contents, which is then stained and examined under a microscope for types of cells contained therein. No worrisome cells in the pocket; pus in the abscess. I think edema is used when the tissues swell with fluid--here there seem to be pockets of fluid. This practice is about a half a mile from me. They have two vets on staff who treat exotics. I called way back when when Pinky needed care, because they were close, and I went because they had docs who had hamster experience. I do think I'm a bit of a novelty there--not many hamsters come through, I'll bet. I laughed at your last paragraph! ADDENDUM: Dr. Pinky, DVM evaluated Ethel for general fitness. Conclusion: fat, but otherwise healthy. Good teeth, both of them. Nails need cutting, though, and that's a pain with Phodopus because of their furry feet.
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Jul 17, 2010 19:06:57 GMT -4
Not many people care enough - and in this economy - have the money for such super care.
Vivian Vance was younger than Lucille Ball, but they kept her chubby to make her seem a little older. She never got along with William Frawley who she thought was an old coot, and wondered why Ethel would have married him.
They have better teeth than me, of course. We both need nail cutting - no fur but wire cutters now needed!
There is a female on Facebook named Beavenhouser, last name. Her friends call her "Beave". Wonder if I talked about Wally she'd have any idea what I meant. . .
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Post by Hamsters82 on Jul 19, 2010 17:24:31 GMT -4
Aw, I bet the both of them enjoyed their time with you and so will Ethel when you get to play with her. Both of them are blessed to have you as a mommy. I know I keep going on about this, but I guess I still don't get it. Hamsters are fed whenever and their food is left out all day for them to eat. Isn't that considered free feeding?
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