Expert: Heather S - 10/10/2009

Question
I'm suspecting that my hamster is coming down with wet tail disease. A previous housemate of his just died today, and that one (in hindsight) consistently had a wet tail and when I was inspecting it today I saw a prolapsed rectum or something like that.

I bought both of them from a pet store, and they told me both were 8 weeks old. It's been almost a month since then.

I checked the remaining hamster's rear just now, and although the tail itself is not wet, a small region around it is. I bought a bottle of Dritail today, and I was thinking about administering it to him just in case. It says on the package to avoid fresh greens and roughage. What should I feed him then while he's on the medication? Does the medication even work? If not, about how much does it cost (US I suppose) to treat him at the vet? Thanks!

Answer
If one had wet tail, there's a good chance that the other may have it as well. Hamsters are not supposed to be kept together, as they age they fight, so I'd keep this one alone for the rest of his life. Fresh greens are usually the cause of wet tail in healthy hamsters in the first place. Too much of it causes diarrhea. I'd keep him on whatever dry blend you've been using. As for dritail I've never used it so I can't say. Some vets say it's ok to use and others don't recommend it. If you have a vet in the area that treats small animals I'd go to them. You'll probably only need to pay for the medication. I'm sure you can call them and explain the situation and ask for a price quote on some antibiotics.