My hamster is wobbly and not moving much. Is it a stroke or ear issue?

Based on why you are describing I am concerned that Chewie may have suffered some sort of head trauma (perphaps by falling or hitting his head). I would recommend watching him closely over the next 24 hours. If he continues to eat and drink he will likely be ok. If he seems lethargic, doesn’t want to eat, and is not moving around, I would recommend taking him to your vet to be examined. He may need some pain medication to help the swelling in his head. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

I am so sorry to hear that tour Syrian hamster is not well. It sounds like he is possibly in pain and may have an infection. Unfortunately with prey animal species like hamsters, they do not tend to show signs of being unwell until they are actually very sick. They tend to hide signs their body is not well longer, then other species. For this reason I would advise taking your hamster to your veterinarian. It is very likely they will be able to provide medication, such as antibiotics to try to help him recover. The vet will also be able to provide medication for pain relief and healing. Best of luck to you both and please feel free to ask as many questions as you may have here on the forum. We want to support you through this time.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This is a quite generic but concerning presentation. Differentials are many, from gastrointestinal diseases (infection/inflammations often dietary related) to any disease that can spread systemically (causing lethargy for example) like infection, and anything that can cause pain/discomfort. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is immediately essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

She could be suffering from an eye infection although many hamster in generally bad health condition can also appear to have an eye problem when it is in fact a generalized disease (such as cancer). i would recommend taking her to the vet ASAP in order to have her checked and treated.

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.

Poor Bubbles! The signs you are describing can be due to low blood sugar, seizures, or a severe infection. I recommend making sure that Bubbles has access to plenty of food and water, you can also try moistening some of her pellets with water to make them easier to consume. If this continues, I recommend having Bubbles seen by a veterinarian for supportive care.

She may be painful and dehydrated and undernourished. An immediate check up at your local vet is required to have a better clinical picture and treat appropriately. Pain relief meds and eventually antibiotics (if there is any sign of infection) are possibly required. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.