Hamster First Aid Kit – What You Need & Why You Should Have One
In times of emergency, it can be helpful to have a first aid kit for your hamster. They can be big or small, just make sure you have the essentials. We have provided you with a list of things you could put in your emergency kit, however, you are not limited to this list.
*Hamster first aid kits do NOT replace vet care. They may be used to help your pet immediately while seeking an appointment for the vet and/or used to keep your hamster alive, stable, and comfortable while waiting.
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Essentials
Hamster Carrier
You should have some way to transport your hamster to the vet when needed. This is something every hamster owner needs to keep in mind in case of emergency.
- Carriers designed to take the risk out of small pet travel
- Well ventilated; Creates an airy and comfortable environment
- Equipped with ridged, non slip floors
Vets Phone Number
When you are panicking because something is wrong with your hamster, it is easy to forget or get mixed up with numbers. You should write down your regular vets phone number and an emergency vet number just in case.
Here are some optional things you may also want in your first aid kit…
1ML Syringes (without needle)
Syringes can have many different uses. The most obvious reason being for giving your hamster medication (never give human meds to hamsters). Syringes can also be used to force-feed your hamster any liquid foods or rehydration solution if they are dehydrated. When syringe feeding a hamster, don’t feed your hamster from the front because they can actually choke if you do. Instead, feed them from the side
HOW TO TEST FOR DEHYDRATION:
You can easily test if your hamster is dehydrated by gently pinching and pulling up your hamsters skin and letting go. If the skin immediately retracts back into your hamsters body, your hamster is hydrated. If the skin stays at a peak and goes down slowly, then your hamster is more on the dehydrated side.
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Pedialyte Electrolyte Unflavoured
This solution will help your hamster if they are dehydrated. It comes in a fairly big container so it will last a long time.
Cotton Pads/Q-Tips
They are useful for cleaning up any wounds or applying oitments/treatments.
Wash Cloth
Wash cloths are really helpful for giving your hamster medications because of how squirmy they are. All you’d need to do is wrap them up to cover their arms so that you can give it to them.
Heating Pad/Hot Water Bottle & Cooling Pad
Heating pads are really helpful for if your hamster happens to get sick because a sick hamster isn’t going to have a lot of energy to keep its regular body temperature. If you have an electric heating pad, you might want to have something extra such as a hand warmer or hot water bottle in case the power goes out. Cooling pads are a good thing to have in case you happen to have a heatwave and your power runs out.
Digital/Kitchen Scale
This can actually be a quite helpful and important piece of equipment to have. It is used for weighing your hamster and can help you see if your hamster is suddenly loosing a lot of weight or gaining a lot of weight. If they are, then it could indicate that something is wrong with them and you should go see a vet.
Ben Bac Prebiotics
This is a prebiotic that you would give to your hamster before giving them antibiotics. It can help with your hamsters gut because antibiotics can be harsh on the gut. If you can’t get a hold of this a good replacement would be plain yogurt.
- A concentrated live culture of seven fat encapsulated microorganisms found in the intestinal tract of small mammals.
- Guaranteed 20 million colony forming units (CFU) of viable bacteria per gram.
- Help for pets under adverse conditions such as: - showing - grooming - breeding - weaning - traveling - boarding - birth - surgery - worming - antibiotic therapy
Critical Care
Critical care is a high quality supplement. There are a couple different ways this can help. It can help a hamster recover from a surgery or illness and is helpful for anyone who has an under weight hamster.
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Helpful Foods
Baby Food
Baby food can help you if your hamster is getting old or has lost some of their teeth and are having trouble eating. It can also be helpful if you have an underweight hamster. Try to pick something that is more on the healthier side. Also make sure that it has pretty minimal ingredients and does not contain too much sugar.
Fresh Thyme
You can steep this herb into tea. Afterwards it will work as a disinfectant for any wounds and/0r help with a respiratory infection. This is a good solution for if you are not able to go to the vet immediately. Keep in mind that like all of the other things this does NOT replace vet care, it is only to help in the meantime.
Black Tea (Bags)
Black tea can be used to slow bleeding. Steep about 5 bags in a bowl for 2-3 minutes. Then saturate a cloth and hold the cloth against the wound.
Feel free to add hamster-safe things to your own first aid kit. Just remember that none of these things are a substitute for vet care. If you find your hamster in an unstable or weak state, a first aid kit can be really helpful in the moment to keep your hamster alive until you actually get to the vet.
