1 Oct 2021
April Louise Murphy
Job Title
Image © Martin Javorek / Pixabay
As veterinary nurses, our jobs are diverse and each day can be unpredictable. We have a duty of care to our clients, patients, veterinary team, profession, the RCVS and the public, as stated in the 2012 Guide to Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses.
For this reason, a big role we have is to educate clients on nutrition, husbandry and preventive care, and provide basic behavioural advice for their pets. We can do this in many ways, including conducting nurse consultations, handing out leaflets with vital information and having display boards in reception.
Clients are more likely to communicate with VNs than vets as we are their first point of contact when they arrive at the practice. We should be available to be a listening ear and provide support to clients to encourage gold-standard care. In doing this, we will build up a trust with our clients, which will help bond them to the practice.
Small mammals are becoming increasingly popular pets. Educating clients on these types of animals can be difficult, especially where most of our theoretical learning on the veterinary nursing course is cat and dog related.
Our confidence and knowledge in this sector needs to grow if we are to educate clients. We can do this by undertaking CPD to expand our knowledge and give clients the advice they so need. The Association of Zoo and Exotic Veterinary Nurses website has a vast range of valuable information for those wanting to know more about small mammals and exotics.
This article outlines the type of advice we should be giving to owners as a starting point.
Hamsters (myomorphs) are mouse-like rodents. They belong to the Cricetidae family (burrowing rodents; Varga et al, 2012) and have a lifespan of two to three years.
Syrian hamsters are solitary and should be kept on their own. Russian, Chinese and Roborovski hamsters can be kept in groups of their own kind, but only if they have been brought up together as there is a tendency of aggression in both male and females.
Hamsters should be housed indoors in a suitable cage, ideally multilevel (Girling, 2013), with plenty of environmental stimulation in the form of gnawing toys and an exercise wheel. The exercise wheel should be of the solid type to prevent fractures.
Toilet roll tubes are a cost-effective way of providing stimulation; hamsters can run through the tubes and gnaw them, too. Hiding your hamster’s food will provide foraging opportunities. Ensure the cage has a separate area for your hamster to nest and rest.
Hamsters are nocturnal, which means they are most active in the evening and at night. Their cage should be placed in a quiet area, so they are not disturbed during the day. Environmental temperature should be between 18°C to 26°C, and out of draughts and direct sunlight (Girling, 2013). Temperatures of 5°C to 6°C and below will result in hibernation, and a temperature above 29°C to 30°C will result in hyperthermia and death (Girling, 2013).
Shredded paper makes ideal bedding for hamsters. White, soft tissue paper bedding is another choice. Avoid cotton, nylon or cellulose-based material as these may cause cheek pouch impactions or the material can become entangled around their limbs (Varga et al, 2012). Wood shavings and sawdust can be harmful to hamsters as this can irritate their skin and airways.
Be generous with the amount of bedding you add in your hamsters’ home; this will provide them with stimulation, and encourage their natural burrowing and digging behaviour.
A hamster’s diet should be made up of pellet food, a small amount of fruit, vegetables and herbs, and small amounts of Timothy hay.
Hamsters are omnivorous and, therefore, animal protein makes up a part of their diet.
Most adults will eat 5g to 15g of pelleted food and drink 15ml to 20ml of water per day; however, as with any other pet, fresh water should be accessible at all times (Cooper et al, 2011).
As a treat, hamsters can be fed the occasional insects such as mealworms. As previously mentioned, muesli mixes are not advised. Hamsters will fill their cheek pouches with food and empty them in their bedding area. Ensure old food is removed regularly.
Fruit/vegetables suitable for hamsters include apple, pear, carrot and cucumber. Foods to avoid include sugary foods, grapes (toxic) and rhubarb (toxic).
Wet tail (also known as proliferative ileitis) is a common condition seen in Syrian hamsters younger than 12 weeks of age. Causes of this include stress, bacterial issues in the stomach and environmental conditions. Symptoms are varied – watery diarrhoea; foul odour; soiled bottom end; loss of appetite; not drinking; lethargic; ruffled/dirty coat; hunched posture; and discharge from eyes and nose, ears and genitals.
Antibiotics help to treat this, but if left untreated, it can lead to rectal collapse and intussusception, which can be fatal (Girling, 2013). Prevention would be to minimise stress, keep the housing environment clean and ensure other medical issues are dealt with promptly.
Demodex (specifically Demodex criceti and Demodex aurati), are seen in hamsters. Stress, Cushing’s (hyperadrenocorticism), chronic renal disease and weakened immune systems are factors that cause Demodex.
Symptoms are skin lesions, crusting and scaling of the skin, itching and alopecia. It is diagnosed via physical examination, clinical history, tape preparations and skin scrapes. Demodex is treated with ivermectin (under Small Animal Exemption Schemes – see NOAH Compendium). It can be prevented the same way as wet tail.
