My hamster is suddenly lethargic and won't get up. Is it serious?

She may not be dying, but she looks and is behaving as if she is seriously ill. You'll need to have Latte physically examined by your veterinarian to diagnose illness or injury though. In the tank, clean and sanitize her cage, bowls, toys and hides. Discard anything that cannot be sanitized. Keep her warm and as stress free as possible until she sees the vet. Offer small amounts of water or unflavored PediaLyte and moisten pelleted food to make eating easier.

Thanks for reaching out about Lucy and including photos. If she is lethargic and bloated she probably still needs to see a veterinarian to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Gas distention, abdominal fluid due liver or kidney problems need to be considered. Hopefully is not something serious and expensive. Continue to monitor food intake and defecation. Good luck.

Diarrhea in hamsters is an extremely severe condition, most hamsters will not recover from it, you need to take him to the vet urgently if you want to try and save him, he will need fluid therapy as well as antibiotics.

Stormz needs to see a veterinarian immediately. This appears to potentially be a problem with his cheek pouch and I'm concerned that it's turning black because the tissue is dead. Please have him seen quickly.

Hello, I'm sorry to hear this about Stark. I worry that his laying without moving could be a sign of extreme weakness. The knot near his genitals could be a tumor or sign of infection. I'd recommend taking Stark to his veterinarian as soon as possible for an assessment. They will be able to guide you best after a physical exam. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I'm sorry she isn't feeling well! A good first step would be to make sure the environment she is is warm enough as hamsters can go into hibernation if their environment is too cold. Making sure she has plenty of access to fresh clean water and food, and fresh bedding may also help. If she still doesn't perk up after these changes, a vet visit to rule out any health issues is best.

Those symptoms tend to happen in very sick hamsters, usually due to severe dehydration. most hamsters do not recover from turning that ill but if you want to give her a chance to survive you will have to take her urgently to a vet in order to attempt supportive treatment.