Hamster Husbandry and Diseases

Question 1

What order and suborder are hamsters?

Answer 1

order: rodentia
suborder: myomorpha

(note this is the same as mice and rats; their family is criccetinae)

Question 2

what is the most common hamster species you will see as a pet?

Answer 2

syrian / golden hamster

Question 3

what is the lifespan of hamsters?

Answer 3

2-3 years short :(

Question 4

what is the urine volume of hamsters?

Answer 4

5-8 mL (A LOT)

so ensure to provide them with absorbable bedding and clean it regularly.

Question 5

T/F: hamsters do not have a large cecum as rats/mice do

Answer 5

false they do! and thus, are just as sensitive to antibiotics.

Question 6

are hamsters cheek pouches evertable?

Answer 6

yes!
they are used to carry food and nest materials and can become impacted as a result. never evert them unless the animal is sedated.
they also serve as a immunopriveleged site.

Question 7

T/F: flank sebaceous glands in hamsters are functional in both male and female hamsters

Answer 7

false – only males. they are involved in marking territory and mating behavior.

Question 8

why is it so important that hamster owners provide their pets with plenty of cage room and bedding + toilet paper tubes, etc.?

Answer 8

hamsters are burrowers!

Question 9

Why should you tell your client whose 4 year old just got a hamster that it is important NOT to wake the hamster when its sleeping?

Answer 9

they are deep sleepers and can be aggressive if woken up.

Question 10

Hamsters are crepuscular. What does this mean?

Answer 10

They are most active at dawn/dusk

Question 11

what is the hamsters diet?

Answer 11

omnivorous (veggies, seed, fruit, meat) ad libitum with water ad libitum too.

they are also coprophagous (like rabbits) meaning they eat their own droppings as a source of vit B and K.

Question 12

what is the preferred restraint method for hamsters?

Answer 12

cup in hand or towel
or grip scruff of neck/back (tightly because if not, they have too much mobility and will be able to bite you)

Question 13

how do you sex hamsters?

Answer 13

anogenital distance
greater in males than females

Question 14

how long is the estrous cycle of hamsters?

Answer 14

4 days
she will exhibit lordosis when in heat

Question 15

how long is gestation in hamsters?

Answer 15

15-18 days (shortest of lab animals)

Question 16

Why should owners avoid stressing hamster females after parturition?

Answer 16

she will cannibalize her pups is disturbed / stressed.

Question 17

when does weaning occur in hamsters?

Answer 17

~ 3 weeks

Question 18

what is the MAXIMUM blood volume you can collect from a hamster?

Answer 18

0.8-1.0 mL

Question 19

which 2 blood collection sites are preffered in hamsters?

Answer 19

saphenous
mandibular

Question 20

what organism most commonly causes Proliferative Ileitis/enteritis (wet tail) in hamsters?

Answer 20

Clostridium difficile, but still do a c/s because others are campylobacter fetus jejuni and e. coli

Question 21

A hamster presented to your clinic with typhlitis, diarrhea, and dehyrdation. You presumptively diagnose this hamster with Wet Tail. What is the tx?

Answer 21

gentamicin

cagemates likely will get it bc trans is fecal-oral

Question 22

what are the. possible etiologies of pneumonia in hamsters causing respiratory distress and naso-ocular discharge?

Answer 22

1. pasteurella pneumotropica
2. streptococcus pneumoniae
3. Sendai virus (murine parainfluenza virus 1)

Question 23

what is the tx for pneumonia in hamsters?

Answer 23

antibiotics (safe for the cecum)

Question 24

What is a viral induced malignant tumor of hamsters?

Answer 24

lymphosarcoma
can occur in skin, GI, or kidney

Question 25

What is the primary cause of death in OLD hamsters causing anorexia, weight loss, PU/PD, and proteinuria?

Answer 25

amyloidosis (kidney is most common site of deposition)

Question 26

Which of the following is FALSE about Tyzzers Disease in hamsters?
A. caused by clostridium piliforme
B. same clinical signs as wet tail except causes acute mortality
C. is associated with poor hygienic environments, not stress

Answer 26

C. is associated with poor hygienic environments, not stress

Tyzzers looks very similar to Wet Tail but the profuse diarrhea and dehydration causes ACUTE mortality (As in the animal will be fine the night before and then be extremely ill or dead the next morning)

Question 27

what causes lymphocytic choriomeningitis in hamsters and is it zoonotic?

Answer 27

LCM virus (arenaviridae)

potentially zoonotic, so this is one potential reason why hamsters may not be the BEST recommendation for children.

Question 28

T/F: You typically will not see hamsters presenting for parasites because most are bred in captive populations.

Answer 28

true

if you do, pinworms are most common.