A Secret Garden
By Chris Logsdail
Believe it or not this has to be the most bizzare story I've ever come across. A localish couple (and in Wales a local is someone who lives within a 50 mile radius) asked me to get them some Winter Whites which I did. They already had Campbell's.
I had a phonecall this week saying that one of the Campbell's had what they thought was a peice of wood stuck in a pouch. Now I can just about cope with teeth and toenails but I have never been able to cope with mouth or pouch problems.
My advice was to seek a vet who would "sedate" the hamster and remove the offending bit of wood from the pouch. The first vet approached was reluctant to try being unsure of how much anaesthetic to use. They then asked at a local Garden Centre about vets in the area that are good with small animals. They were directed to a vet who had three Syrian hamsters of his own.
This vet said he would try it first without an anaesthetic using a blunt pair forceps to explore the pouch. Apart from one small nip (to the owner who was holding the Campbell) the removal went ahead. The offending piece of "wood" turned out to be a PEANUT, which had SPROUTED (root and shoot) in the lovely moist conditions of the pouch. Behind this root was also lodged a sunflower seed.
Permision Given by Chris Logsdail.
Taken from 'Editors Postbag' December 2003 SHC Journal
Pamela Milward writes - I thought members might find the following interesting. It came from 'The Independant', (a UK Newspaper) which gave a list of 50 useful things for pet owners. This was for bird owners but I felt could also apply to hamsters as they live indoors:-
"This may sound odd, but it's actually a very important tip for bird owners. Do not do any cooking in non-stick pans near a bird's cage. The hot pans can release fumes that are extremely toxic to avians and can result in serious illness, depression and even death".
Pamela Milward continues - I'd also like to remind hamster owners that many sprays advertised for use in the house can be very dangerous to hamsters. So I would advise owners never to use them in a room where hamsters may be.
