In less than 2 weeks our hamster has gone bony, thin hair, doddery. Does this normally happen so quickly?
Also he hasn’t eaten anything since Saturday but is still managing to drink a bit. He is very slow and isn’t really opening his eyes. Ive been checking him several times a day expecting the worst but he’s still hanging in there. He was sleeping in his tube thing round the outside of his cage which is totally abnormal behaviour but shifted himself back into his house when I talked to him.
Meanwhile, he has some black mush on his belly. It’s not wet tail as there’s no diahorrea round his cage. We think it’s some carrot that’s gone mouldy and stuck to his fur. Obviously it’s hindering his mobility. We tried to get it off him but it’s really matted in his fur. We don’t handle him very much so I don’t want to stress him out by picking him up so much and I think pulling this goop off will hurt him and he doesn’t need that. We can’t afford to get him to the vet.
I just feel so bad for the little soul. He is roughly 2 years old, Syrian, so I think that’s close to the expected life span (shop bought) but is it normal for them to go from normal active to like this so quickly?
What we think is carrot, it’s blacky/orange and sticky.
Any help much appreciated. I feel very sad.