Poorly hamster

[NatalieNatalie88]

We have a poorly hamster today.. He's making a strange clicking noise and his body looks to be slightly pulsating while doing it.. His fur has come away from his nose and he isn't walking. He was fine yesterday. Unable to get to the vets as I have to wait for the pdsa application to go through. Has anyone experienced anything like this with their hamster? He is almost 2 years old.

Poor hammy. There might not be much you can do, keep it warm and comfortable.
Life expectancy for a hamster is about 2 years so it may just be that their time is up. Syrians can sometimes live bit longer but 2 years is a good span.
Rodents don't tend to behave differently as they get old, they don't noticeably age, but at the end of life can decline very quickly.
One tell tale sign I have noticed over the years is when they stop sleeping in their usual spots they often pass away soon after.

Thank you for you're reply

Our hammy was very quiet one day, seemed to be breathing quite hard and when I took him out he lay very still in my lap. I cuddled him for about an hour (completely unheard of for him) and he was a bit brighter when I put him back in, but the next morning he had gone. He was just over 2, they tend to just go. Give him lots of cuddles.

Aaaw I'm sorry to hear that.. He's been very quiet too and has been sat on my knee most of the morning (which is unusual). Doesn't want to eat or drink either :(

So sorry OP

Yes usually around 2 years, its really upsetting

I remember going to the vet with them as a child and they always seemed to suffer from wet tail

Keep him warm and cuddle him

We made a warm hot water bottle and wrapped it in a towel and used it as a bed fit our poorly hamster, Nobby

I will do, thank you

Sorry to say hams don’t really recover from illness. But yes to holding him and keeping him warm.

In my experience when the become unusually cuddly it means the end is near 😭 I've just been through this with my little ham who passed away. The clicking could be respiratory infection though, it is a difficult call whether or not to go to the vets. To be honest, given the hamsters age I personally wouldn't as they stress might kill them anyway and it's nicer for them to pass at home.

Lots of cuddles, warmth, offer some soft food if they fancy it (a bit of oatmeal mixed with water, banana)

How is he today OP?

The clicking sound is normally a sign of contentment however seem as he's quite obviously unwell I doubt this is the case. He could be on his way out, we've always has dwarf hamsters and they don't live very long