|
Post by pinky on Jul 25, 2012 19:55:11 GMT -4
What with the Pingster having two tumors now, I have been spoiling him lots and taking many photos. Here are a few from the past and some recent shots. The photo that caused one friend to dub him "The Marlon Brando of Hamsters." So handsome! My personal fave, complete with battle scars. As Ping's tumors have grown he has taken to resting/sleeping like this more and more. Here it's as though he's resting his chin on his foot. He began to chew tubes after Frasier died and continues to demolish the ends of them. He's still running pretty quickly on the wheel. However, he's eating for three these days, and he's become such a tiny boy. He adopts some interesting poses when it's time to take a drink. Here you can clearly see one tumor (right) and the outline of the other (left, under his "arm"). Love you, fuzzy one!
|
|
|
Post by Die Fledermaus on Jul 25, 2012 22:56:22 GMT -4
I know, I know. Oh, do I know. Best to Pingster. Happy to say everyone here is fine, after Bernie died three weeks ago.
|
|
|
Post by Hamsters82 on Jul 26, 2012 18:13:56 GMT -4
Ping is very cute. Yes, I can see one tumor on him, poor guy. The third picture, Chewie used to sleep like that too; I don't know how hamsters find that comfortable. I'd be careful the way he drinks, Theo did that and sadly we think he drowned because he drank like that.
|
|
|
Post by Die Fledermaus on Jul 27, 2012 0:11:41 GMT -4
Interesting point about the water bottle. You could get spouts that are at angle and that don't hang straight down.
I have have never heard anyone raise this issue before, nor have I had problems, but I always thought angled spouts made more sense.
|
|
|
Post by pinky on Jul 30, 2012 23:00:30 GMT -4
Mable has an angled-spout bottle, yes.
Speaking of her, she is now a true diabetic. We will medicate once I get back from California (conference there from Thursday to Monday).
|
|
|
Post by Hamsters82 on Aug 3, 2012 16:17:37 GMT -4
How do you medicate a diabetic hamster? That's good that her water bottle has an angle to it. All of them should.
Conferences aren't fun, but I bet it was neat to be in a different state. Have you've been to CA before Robin?
|
|
|
Post by pinky on Aug 7, 2012 1:47:20 GMT -4
Hmmm, sorry that your conference experiences haven't been positive, Katie. The ones I go to are great fun. I've never been to CA, so this was an experience. Santa Clara was beautiful, both in terms of the campus and the weather. More eventually--need sleep!
|
|
|
Post by Die Fledermaus on Aug 8, 2012 23:43:39 GMT -4
>>How do you medicate a diabetic hamster? << Eye dropper??
|
|
|
Post by pinky on Aug 11, 2012 10:01:11 GMT -4
How to medicate? Oral med via syringe with no needle.
Complication: Mable's urine glucose has been zero for the last 24 hours or so. Could be because I'm changing her diet from Hazel Hamster to Oxbow Healthy Handfuls (a diet based on timothy, barley, oats, and flax rather than on wheat). I'm not about to administer a hypoglycemic under these conditions, so we watch, wait, and test to see if the change is consistent. Because the med had to be compounded I am out some serious money if I never use it, but better that she be well.
|
|
|
Post by Die Fledermaus on Aug 11, 2012 22:34:05 GMT -4
You are SUCH a great caregiver.
|
|
|
Post by pinky on Aug 13, 2012 20:37:38 GMT -4
Thanks, Tom, but I just make use of the tools available, and when it comes to diabetes we CAN test urine, we CAN test blood (though not regularly), and we CAN medicate. But presumably if the glucose isn't in her urine it's not elevated in her blood, and so we do nothing.
I have tested several more times, with there being one very positive result and the rest negative. Go figure.
I did figure out, though, that the reason Mable became unusually aggressive in a short time was because I wasn't making up for the nutritional density of the old food with enough of the new food. She was hungry, and every hand in her cage got attacked because she was hungry and it might bear food. She has been more agreeable in the last 24 hours or so, but prior to that I was going to bed every night with a bandaid on, where she had ripped into me. She is nippy by nature, but not like she was a few days ago!
|
|
|
Post by Die Fledermaus on Aug 16, 2012 17:05:31 GMT -4
Interesting info.
One day as time permits you should add something to the Health Sticky, or start a new thread I can make a Sticky, that gives a primer on basic dwarf care and what to do, all in neat clear order. One day, as per availability, I may get another dwarf.
|
|
|
Post by pinky on Aug 24, 2012 23:10:54 GMT -4
|
|
|
Post by Die Fledermaus on Aug 25, 2012 0:49:24 GMT -4
Can diet slow down cancer; to wit, minimal starch/carbos if any??
Know of any cause for an eye changing color??
|
|
|
Post by Hamsters82 on Aug 29, 2012 15:08:54 GMT -4
Aw, poor Mable, maybe she got something caught in her eye. I don't know if that would change eye color, but maybe something is in there that's a bit irritating?
And poor Ping. I hope he's doing well despite those tumors on him. He still looks happy, which is good!
|
|