The dwarf hamster has swollen nose and wet tail - Part 1.
Channel: Dr David Sing
Date: 2013-12-29

MVI 0624. 

Lethargy, swollen nose, eyes closed, wet tail, rapid breathing.Why?


On Saturday, Dec 28, 2013, a gentleman from downtown Singapore, in his 30s brought in a lethargic and rapidly panting 14-month-old female dwarf hamster. He had two pretty big-eyed daughters, around 4 years and 7 years old both interested in what's wrong with the swollen-nose hamster. "I surfed the internet and found some of your hamster cases with large noses," he mentioned that the Roborovski hamster had "wet tail" too. "The hamster is in very poor health," I said. "Wet tail is not a good sign. I will need to hospitalise her for treatment to prevent dehydration. As for the nose lump, if what your maid said is sudden onset, it is likely to be an abscess."

"This hamster sleeps in her urine and poop unlike the other sibling whose toilet area is far from his sleeping area." 
"How does she do that?" I asked as she had this behaviour for the past 14 months..
"She has a house in which she pees and poops and sleeps inside. She has lost her sense of cleanliness!"
I saw the "house". It is one of those upright porcelain containers with two "cat's ears", the equivalent of wooden houses for some other hamsters. This hamster could curl inside this house and sleep with security on 3 sides. Hamsters try to burrow for safety.
"Remove this house," I said. Give a cylindrical house like a toilet rool instead for the hamster to sleep in.
I tried this method later in the afternoon. The hamster got stuck in her back area as she is quite plump at 49 g. She is not a Roborovski but is still a dwarf hamster.       


As not all of the over 60 vet practices in Singapore treat and operate on hamsters, many Singaporean hamster owners used the internet to find info and vet.