How to Treat Wet Tail in a Hamster

Wet tail, or proliferative ileitis, is an intestinal infection that sometimes occurs in hamsters, especially when they are young. Symptoms of wet tail include diarrhea, lethargy, loss of appetite and a cessation of normal grooming behaviors. While wet tail is a relatively rare disease among hamsters, it is often deadly and must be identified and treated immediately.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Pedialyte
• Water
• Eyedropper
• Veterinarian
• Antibiotics

1. Recognize the symptoms of wet tail in your pet hamster. In addition to those symptoms already mentioned, your hamster may appear to be crouched over, and may emit occasional squeaks of pain. Remember that diarrhea does not automatically indicate wet tail, since this symptom can also be produced by an improper diet (such as too many raw vegetables).

2. Isolate your hamster from other animals in order to treat wet tail, keeping it in a quiet place that will help to reduce stress. Not only should you keep your sick pet away from other hamsters, but you should also avoid contact with dogs, who can act as carriers for the bacteria. In addition, you should also wash your hands thoroughly after you handle a hamster with wet tail.

3. Treat wet tail by keeping your hamster hydrated. Mix a liquid with electrolytes, such as Pedialyte, with an equal amount of water, and feed it to your hamster with an eyedropper. Remember that dehydration will kill your hamster quicker than the bacterial infection itself.

4. Discontinue feeding your hamster fruits and vegetables when you treat it for wet tail. Raw, fresh fruits and vegetables can aggravate the diarrhea and speed up dehydration.

5. Keep the rear of your hamster clean and free from diarrhea using a soft tissue. Don't allow the animal to try to groom itself, which can spread the infection.

6. Seek the help of a veterinarian as soon as possible. The vet will probably prescribe antibiotics such as neomycin to kill off the bacteria that causes wet tail. Avoid over-the-counter medications that contain neomycin, which can actually lower your hamster's resistance to the disease and cause it to contract wet tail repeatedly.

7. Keep your hamster in a quiet, low-stress environment until it has finished the dosage of antibiotics and the symptoms have disappeared. Remember that stress is one of the biggest causes of wet tail.

Tips & Warnings

• When properly treated, the symptoms of wet tail should go away after about a week. Remember to complete the dosages of antibiotics, however, to ensure that the infection does not return.