# Scary experience with hibernation.



## ShutUpAndSmile (Mar 7, 2011)

Let me start off with that I have an AC in my room and that I've had my hamster for about 10months. Well the other day my mom called me telling me my hamster had passed away and to come home. When I picked her up I noticed that she was hardly breathing it was very slow. Her eyes were closed and she was limp. I eventually decided to bring her to the 24 hour vet nearest to me in hopes that if anything that could relive her pain. The dr. said that her chances were slim but they tried orally giving her glucose and had her surrounded by gloves filled up with warm water. When they said it really didn't do much we had decided that maybe it was best to relive her pain. We signed the papers and asked to see her once more. When holding her I saw her move like she was trying to drink water. She just looked like she wasn't ready..she's a fighter.. I told them never mind and to give her more glucose and see how she reacted.. When the vet came out again she said that the glucose had taken some affect and my hamster had tried to escape her grip. We winded up taking her home, on the way home she had 2 seizures and the shakes. I gave her glucose about every 15mins for the whole night. But now a few days later she's running on her wheel. She's now out of my air conditioned room in my moms room. 
I would of never thought that hamster could go into hibernation. I've looked up information on them and never saw anything on it. 
It was so scary.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

I've never heard of a hamster having a hibernation attempt either and I would think that as long as your a/c was comfortable for you a hamster would be fine. I am in no way experienced with hamsters so this is only a guess. 

Does she have a wheel? Many years ago when my girls were young we had a rather similar episode with my daughters gerbil. As my 5 year old was getting ready for school, I looked in Pandy's cage and she was laying at the bottom and looked dead. Not wanting to upset Jess before school I kept her occupied so she wouldn't look at Pandy and we headed out early to wait for the school bus. Once back inside, I went to get Pandy and noticed a tiny bit of blood around her nostrils and there was something about her that she didn't really look dead. She was cool but not stiff and she did have a very faint heartbeat. My 3 year old and I sat with her on the heating pad and after a while, she came around and by late afternoon when Jess came home from school, Pandy was completely normal. I suspect she wiped out on her wheel and knocked herself unconscious. Is it possible something like that happened your hammie? 

Glad she's back to normal.


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## leaveittoweaver (Sep 25, 2010)

Hamster hibernation is definitely possible:
http://www.hamsterific.com/HamsterUnive ... ation.html

I've had hamsters for years and never had it happen personally but I have heard of other people's hamsters attempting it.


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## shortnerdy (Jul 3, 2011)

When I had Stewie, Dobby, Joey and Yoshi I was on the hamsterific community and hibernation was a hot topic on there. Never happened to my lil hammys thank god.

Glad your baby is ok


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Learn something new every day. :lol: I've never heard of hamster hibernation but then when my daughter had hamsters, they were always in her room which was always warmer than the rest of the house. It's a good thing to know about.


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## ShutUpAndSmile (Mar 7, 2011)

Nancy: Yeah she has a wheel, but she was in her sleeping corner and wasn't bleeding at all. But what you went though sounds scary too o.o I'm glad to here Pandy is okay <3

Well what I think it was is that I moved her cage from inside a cabinet (it's not as cruel as it sounds o.o but I can't think of another word for it) which didn't get much of a draft from the ac. To out on my floor by Opals cage which I guess did. She was there for about a week or so before it happened. Well now I've joined a hamster forum called Hamster Hideout in hopes of learning more about my little girly and ways to better her living conditions. :3 But I'll also check out the other forum you guys recommend  Thanks <3


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

HO-LY CRAP!! :shock: 

I have never heard of this before. Just think of all the poor little hamsters out there with owners who just don't know!! :shock:


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## ShutUpAndSmile (Mar 7, 2011)

MissC said:


> HO-LY CRAP!! :shock:
> 
> I have never heard of this before. Just think of all the poor little hamsters out there with owners who just don't know!! :shock:


Exactly! And pet stores don't say a thing. 
It also makes me think how many people accedently bury their poor little guys when really they're just hibernating. ;-;
**** the emergency vet didn't even know. When we brought her to my exotics vet he was like "Yeah I saw this once when I was in college" o.o


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## TeddysMommy (Apr 24, 2011)

Wow! That must have been so scary  I have my hamster in her play pen right next to me while im typing this, If it was her that was trying to hibernate you probably would of found me sobbing in the corner of the vets office ( :shock: ) 

Im happy to hear shes better (by the way, what cage do you have? I used to have one that was draft free, the Hagen Ovo but i dropped it, now i have the superpet 2 story home )


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## ShutUpAndSmile (Mar 7, 2011)

TeddysMommy said:


> Wow! That must have been so scary  I have my hamster in her play pen right next to me while im typing this, If it was her that was trying to hibernate you probably would of found me sobbing in the corner of the vets office ( :shock: )
> 
> Im happy to hear shes better (by the way, what cage do you have? I used to have one that was draft free, the Hagen Ovo but i dropped it, now i have the superpet 2 story home )


I was sobbing in the corner of the vets office. 
Give your hamster a little hug for me <3

I'm using a 10 gallon tank for her at the moment. When she's fully recovered I'd like to either change it or add a tank topper for her to give her the extra room. :3 -googles both those cages- 
My only conserin with changing her tank is that she cant chew through glass. If I get anything with plastic she'll escape. This girl crewed the holes in the mesh on the top of her tank. She's a beast.


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## TeddysMommy (Apr 24, 2011)

ShutUpAndSmile said:


> TeddysMommy said:
> 
> 
> > Wow! That must have been so scary  I have my hamster in her play pen right next to me while im typing this, If it was her that was trying to hibernate you probably would of found me sobbing in the corner of the vets office ( :shock: )
> ...


I had that concern too (She HAD a super pet crittertrail X before she completly ate the entire spiral staircase) But when I had the Hagen OVO *suite* (sorry not the studio, forgot to add that) I noticed it was made out of basically indestrucatable HARD plastic! Except if you drop it down the stairs like i accedentally did (I cleaned it on my patio when it was all put together then when i was taking it upstairs I accedentally dropped it) I think it would be fine with your girl  Then again im probably not fully aware how destructive she is :roll:



> Give your hamster a little hug for me <3


Thank you! Give yours one big little hug too


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## hedgiebuddy (Jun 27, 2011)

Woah! That's really scary! I had no idea that they would hibernate! I used to own a hamster a few years ago, and she never tried to do that! Give her hugs from me!


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## ShutUpAndSmile (Mar 7, 2011)

TeddysMommy said:


> I had that concern too (She HAD a super pet crittertrail X before she completly ate the entire spiral staircase) But when I had the Hagen OVO *suite* (sorry not the studio, forgot to add that) I noticed it was made out of basically indestrucatable HARD plastic! Except if you drop it down the stairs like i accedentally did (I cleaned it on my patio when it was all put together then when i was taking it upstairs I accedentally dropped it) I think it would be fine with your girl  Then again im probably not fully aware how destructive she is :roll:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I made a video of her destruction just to show you lol 




I'm giving her lots of hugs now <3 Thanks everyone ^-^


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## TeddysMommy (Apr 24, 2011)

ShutUpAndSmile said:


> TeddysMommy said:
> 
> 
> > I had that concern too (She HAD a super pet crittertrail X before she completly ate the entire spiral staircase) But when I had the Hagen OVO *suite* (sorry not the studio, forgot to add that) I noticed it was made out of basically indestrucatable HARD plastic! Except if you drop it down the stairs like i accedentally did (I cleaned it on my patio when it was all put together then when i was taking it upstairs I accedentally dropped it) I think it would be fine with your girl  Then again im probably not fully aware how destructive she is :roll:
> ...


The little baby can do that? I think I would keep her in the tank with the expander with another level


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I'm very glad you posted this...And also very glad your hamster's okay! I do work at a pet store and I've never heard of hamsters hibernating. I'll have to keep this in mind though, and make sure I mention it to customers from now on!


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## leaveittoweaver (Sep 25, 2010)

ShutUpAndSmile said:


> TeddysMommy said:
> 
> 
> > Wow! That must have been so scary  I have my hamster in her play pen right next to me while im typing this, If it was her that was trying to hibernate you probably would of found me sobbing in the corner of the vets office ( :shock: )
> ...


I wouldn't recommend a tank topper for two reasons. One is that the tank toppers I've seen and tried to put together have been awful. Especially the Ware brand one, that was the worst! The wire levels weren't even long enough to reach to both sides of the cage.

The other reason is I that I have heard of and seen firsthand with one of the first hamster's I had fall from the upper level and die. Hamsters have very poor depth perception and like hedgehogs shouldn't be in multi level cages. I'd recommend perhaps a twenty gallon long tank or a bin style set up like this: http://hockeyheretic35.livejournal.com/ ... tml#cutid4

of course this is just been my experience. Some hamsters never fall in multi level cages but I just personally don't like to take the risk


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## TeddysMommy (Apr 24, 2011)

I have a 2 story level cage from super pet that she just loves! Makes me hAppy that she's happy! The levels came with sidings so no worries, no falls for her :lol: 

But I would like to say that hamsters can get glaucoma just like my baby she has it in both eyes an her eyes can actually fall out of her head if too much pressure is on her (gross I know but I had to tell ). She isn't in any pain but some can be, there isn't a cure but she seems to be a trooper! I just give her mineral wheels to chew on so her eye sight doesn't get any worse. 


Sincerely,
The cage dropper :lol:


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## ShutUpAndSmile (Mar 7, 2011)

Lilysmommy: Please do mention it to all future hammy owners. 

Everyone: sadly Apple relapsed yesterday evening and the vet had to put her down. She slipped in to a comma. We don't know exactly what happened could of been anything from her pancreas over producing insulin or maybe something else...


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## TeddysMommy (Apr 24, 2011)

ShutUpAndSmile said:


> Lilysmommy: Please do mention it to all future hammy owners.
> 
> Everyone: sadly Apple relapsed yesterday evening and the vet had to put her down. She slipped in to a comma. We don't know exactly what happened could of been anything from her pancreas over producing insulin or maybe something else...


Aw, ShutUpAndSmile. I am so sorry, She had a great life with you and you loved her very much! She is now over the bridge and with her friends now 

HUGS,
TeddysMommy


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## ShutUpAndSmile (Mar 7, 2011)

TeddysMommy said:


> Aw, ShutUpAndSmile. I am so sorry, She had a great life with you and you loved her very much! She is now over the bridge and with her friends now
> 
> HUGS,
> TeddysMommy


Thanks <3 
Just thinking that she's not in pain and she's running around on a giant wheel makes me happy


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