Pet Emergency 911!

 

Maddog has had Hammy the Hamster for over 2 years.  He is a good hamster, even if he doesn't care for me that much (which I will never understand since I take him out in the exercise ball and don't run around with him in my fist yelling "HAMMY!!!!" like the kids do.) 

Well, Hammy is getting old--he is over 70 years old in human years.  The average lifespan of a hamster is between 2-4 years.  So basically, he could go in the next 2 minutes or the next 2 years.

Lately, he hasn't been his usual self.  Maddog noticed he had a scratch on his belly.  Her mom contemplated giving him some ground up antibiotics or putting some Neosporin on it.  I suggested she Google that first so as not to kill him with her medical care.  Calculating a dose of Cipro for a hamster can't be that simple.

Today he went to the vet, and it turns out ($245 later) he had multiple open sores on his belly--possibly from mites (and subsequent scratching).  So now poor little Hammy needs to take antibiotic drops, painkiller drops, get his sores cleaned daily, and have ointment put on them twice a day. 

Hopefully this will take care of everything and he will be back to his good old self soon enough.  In the meantime, Maddog has been giving him extra treats because she "wants to make sure he lives a good life" and is happy.

I'll keep you posted on Hammy's well-being!