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| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
| Syrian Hamster - Growth on corner of mouth | 2/8/2012 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: My four month old Syrian hamster has developed a strange ball-shaped growth on the corner of his ... A: It is difficult to know for sure what this is. Hamsters can get lumps and bumps - they can injure ... | ||
| My hamster, Doodle, is sick :( | 2/8/2012 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: I have 2 hamsters, Doodle and Minnie. About a week ago, I noticed Minnie had a watery eye, a runny ... A: I'm sorry to hear that Doodle is sick. These types of symptoms could point to a cold, or an ... | ||
| gaging | 2/2/2012 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: my dwarf hamster has been gagging for 24 hours now her heart and brething rates are normal but it ... A: I was really sorry to hear about Selly. It is very sad that she died so young. Sometimes it is ... | ||
| milk | 2/2/2012 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: i would like to ask, what milk can i give to my hamster? I heard cow's milk can be dangerous to them ... A: Cows milk is OK for adult hamsters, however, the problem with giving milk is that if it starts to ... | ||
| gaging | 2/1/2012 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: my dwarf hamster has been gagging for 24 hours now her heart and brething rates are normal but it ... A: I'm sorry to hear that your hamster isn't well. How is she today? You haven't said how old she is. ... | ||
| Problems with my new syrian hamster | 1/30/2012 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: Three days ago I bought a female Syrian hamster from a Pets at Home store and I have called her ... A: It is very early days - so please don't give up on her yet. Syrians generally tame well, but ... | ||
| hamsters | 1/30/2012 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: Why does my male dwarf Russian hamster have a lump below it head on its right side i am really ... A: The fact that the male has this and not the female, and also his age would suggest that this is ... | ||
| hamsters | 1/25/2012 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: Why does my male dwarf Russian hamster have a lump below it head on its right side i am really ... A: firstly, how old is your hamster? Regarding this lump - what does it look like? Is it covered in ... | ||
| black bear hamster seems disoriented and has two red toes | 1/24/2012 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: My daughter has a black bear hamster she came to my husband and us with him/her earlier freaking out ... A: You haven't said how old he is. Is he young, or old? His behaviour sounds like an old hamster. ... | ||
| lump under gerbils throat | 1/17/2012 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: My gerbil (superhans) is 3years old give or take and I recently noticed That he has a marble sized ... A: It is difficult to know what is actually wrong, but this may well be a tumor. These are pretty ... | ||
| Malnurished Hamster | 1/16/2012 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: My dwarf hamster escaped at least five days ago. We found it last night alive and being played with ... A: I'm glad you managed to catch your hamster. You could try feeding some baby food - if you buy the ... | ||
| hamsters | 1/12/2012 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: how can i tell if my hamster is a boy or a girl and is it safe to have another hamster my hamster is ... A: The best way of identifying if your hamster is male or female is to have a look on-line - perhaps on ... | ||
| One minute they love each other and the next they don't | 1/11/2012 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: I have two teddy bear (syrian) hamsters that live together in the same cage. They're male and ... A: Firstly, you are correct in that Syrian hamsters shouldn't live together. They are solitary ... | ||
| lump on hamster | 1/6/2012 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: I have a Syrian hamster that I noticed has a lump (it feels like a round marble) on his side sown ... A: Regarding this lump - hamsters are very prone to getting tumors especially when they are around 2 ... | ||
| 2 hamsters | 1/4/2012 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: for Christmas i got 2 hamsters and my brothers told me that the mom and fake dad started fighting ... A: First of all, what type of hamsters are these? Are they dwarf or Syrian. If they are dwarf then in ... | ||
| Bulging cheek pouch | 1/4/2012 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: I have a hamster(mush)she is going to be two in April.her pal died last December due to tumor and ... A: Sorry to hear that Mush isn't well. At around the age of two they can lose weight and are very ... | ||
| is my hamster pregnent. help!! | 1/3/2012 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: i have a male and a female draf . can i keep both together as female one is nesting from 2 weeks ... A: I'm sorry to hear about your baby dying. It is hard to know how many babies a hamster will have, ... | ||
| is my hamster pregnent. help!! | 1/2/2012 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: i have a male and a female draf . can i keep both together as female one is nesting from 2 weeks ... A: It is fine to keep them together - the male should be Ok with any babies. However, you must be ... | ||
| gerbils | 12/21/2011 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: What should i do if 4 out of my 5 gerbils has bald paches on their tail? ANSWER: Hi Sharon Thanks ... A: If you use any medication on a gerbil/hamster who lives with others, it is important to put a tiny ... | ||
| my hamster and his teeth plz help | 12/21/2011 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: sincerely yours Stacey king ANSWER: Hi Stacey Thanks for your question. This is a common problem ... A: Have you checked your hamster's teeth? It would be worth looking at them just to make sure they are ... | ||
| Need to know what kind of hamster I have. | 12/20/2011 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: My 5 year old son just got a hamster for Christmas present & I was reading on Hamsterific.Com about ... A: Are you sure this is a dwarf hamster? The measurement you have given would suggest it could be a ... | ||
| gerbils | 12/20/2011 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: What should i do if 4 out of my 5 gerbils has bald paches on their tail? ANSWER: Hi Sharon Thanks ... A: That's good. I suggest you perhaps just keep an eye on them. If their tails look sore you can ... | ||
| asking about my albino pragnant hamster | 12/20/2011 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: I have ª pragnant hamster, and now arround at three pm after I back from school, I found ª tiny ... A: What type of hamster is this? Syrians usually gestate for 16-18 days, dwarf hamsters usually for ... | ||
| gerbils | 12/19/2011 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: What should i do if 4 out of my 5 gerbils has bald paches on their tail? A: Any idea if your gerbils are fighting? I just wondered if the bald patches were due to fighting one ... | ||
| my hamster's nose tumor burst | 12/19/2011 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: I have a one-and-a-half year old hamster who has a tumor on her nose.the tumor has been for around ... A: If this is a tumor, then a ruptured tumor may not cause a problem providing the area is kept clean. ... | ||
| URGENT 2 year old female syrian bleeding | 12/16/2011 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: my 2 year old female Syrian hamster tigerlilly has had poo around her bottom for a good few months ... A: I'm sorry to hear about your hamster. At the age of two, sadly hamsters are very prone to getting ... | ||
| my hamster tumor | 12/15/2011 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: I would like to ask you if there is an alternative for nose tumors on a hamster.Would surgery or ... A: have you checked her teeth at all? It would be worth checking they aren't overgrown/uneven in case ... | ||
| my hamster and his teeth plz help | 12/15/2011 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: sincerely yours Stacey king A: This is a common problem with hamsters, unfortunately. You should only trim a hamster's teeth if ... | ||
| my hamster tumor | 12/14/2011 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: I would like to ask you if there is an alternative for nose tumors on a hamster.Would surgery or ... A: I'm sorry to hear about your hamster. Tumors are quite common in hamsters, and some are operable, ... | ||
| Eye Infection | 12/13/2011 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: About a month and a half ago, I purchased a Winter White Dwarf hamster. A couple days ago I noticed ... A: Hamsters often get sticky eyes, and it is important that they open their eyes daily. If they don't ... | ||
| Bump on Hamsters Neck | 12/7/2011 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: I purchased my hampster a little less than a week ago and the hampster appeared perfectly healthy. ... A: Sorry to hear that you might have a problem with your hamster. The lump that you have noticed, are ... | ||
| babies | 11/28/2011 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: i have a litter of dwarf hamsters that are one week old. mother has them in upper wheel. two of them ... A: Sorry but I've only just seen your question - I hope I'm not too late. It is a real nuisance when ... | ||
| Hamster sneezing sounds | 11/17/2011 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: I just got a new hamster last night from a pet store. last night and today, she was making little ... A: Sneezing can mean a couple of things. Hamsters can get colds and they sneeze, have runny eyes etc. ... | ||
| my hamster babies | 11/15/2011 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: My hamster born her babies about 3 days ago. the male hamster fight with the female once a day and I ... A: he must be separated so if you don't have a cage you might need to borrow one from someone. ... | ||
| my hamster babies | 11/10/2011 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: My hamster born her babies about 3 days ago. the male hamster fight with the female once a day and I ... A: What type of hamsters are these? If they are Syrian then the male definitely needs to be separated ... | ||
| Naughty naughty hamster:( | 11/8/2011 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: I recently purchased two Russian dwarf hamsters from petsmart one died two weeks later(r.I.p. ... A: Sorry to hear that you are having problems with your hamster, and that her sister died recently. ... | ||
| winter white dwarf | 11/8/2011 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: My hamster is about 1 1/2 yrs old. He had hair loss across his low back with itching and decreased ... A: Hair loss and scratching at this age is fairly common. As they get older their hair can thin out. ... | ||
| Dwarf Hamster Hair Loss | 11/7/2011 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: I have a dwarf hamster, and I have recently (in the past couple of months) noticed he is loosing ... A: You haven't said how old your hamster is. Is he young or old? If he is old (2 years or more) then ... | ||
| New color in the face??? | 11/3/2011 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: I have a Russian hamster and left it at home with someone taking care of it for two months. I just ... A: Dwarf hamsters can sometimes change colour during their life. In the wild, Winter Whites change ... | ||
| pet chinese dwarf hampster | 11/3/2011 | Sheila Adby |
| Q: Tonight I was packing with my mom and she went to look at my pet hampster named Peanut. She couldn't ... A: I'm really sorry to hear about your hamster - this must have been a shock for you. It is very sad ... | ||
Answers by Expert:
Top Expert on this page
Syrian hamsters are my specialty, however, I have kept Campbells,Winter Whites and gerbils in the past. I can advise on most subjects associated with hamsters, including housing, bedding, feeding, handling, new borns and catching escapees. I have had some experience of various health problems with hamsters and can offer my opinion and advice on basic health issues, however I am not a qualified vet and therefore cannot recommend drugs etc. My website is www.thehamstersite.com
I have been keeping hamsters and other small animals for more than 12 years. My favourites are Syrian hamsters and I foster litters and 'difficult' hamsters for a rescue centre. My job is to tame hamsters ready for re-homing, which is extremely rewarding. I also enjoy looking after new litters and raising the pups. I have co-written a book on hamsters with my local vet and have a website: www.thehamstersite.com
Publications
Hamsters in Sickness and in Health - Sheila Adby and Dan O'Neill ISBN186163218-5 (Capall Bann Publishing)
Education/Credentials
Educated to A Level standard in the UK.

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