Yes, hamsters can survive a stroke. Some people believe that their resilience is related to the species’ high amount of fat tissue. The fat tissue reduces the amount of blood reaching the damaged part of the heart and causes it to fail more slowly, thus allowing them to continue living after a stroke.
Many hamsters can survive a stroke, but because most of them have it when they are older, it is difficult for them to recover fully.
Some stay with no weakening symptoms, while others develop incoordination, which affects their movement; therefore, it is critical to consider putting the hamster to sleep to avoid further accidents and injuries.
This article will look at what causes hamsters to have strokes, the symptoms of hamster strokes, whether hamsters can survive a stroke, and how to help a hamster recover from a stroke.
Causes Of Stroke in Hamsters
The causes of stroke in hamsters include:
- Air sac environment: Hamsters can have a stroke because they experience an obstruction in the air sac environment associated with atrial fibrillation. The hamster may then have a change in blood pressure or heart rate that leads to a stroke.
- High-fat diet; high-fat content in the hamster’s food, either as a solid or as an oil, has been shown to cause brain damage and strokes in the hamsters after they are fed this diet.
- Congenital disabilities in the blood clotting system: The only way to deal with any “congenital disability” – for instance, a blood clot – is through prevention.
- Aging of the brain: as the hamster’s brain ages, it becomes susceptible to stroke attacks.
- Genetic predisposition to arteriosclerosis and vascular disease: cardiovascular diseases predispose the hamster to stoke attack.
- Diabetes mellitus, renal failure, and endocrine disorders.
- Alterations in the plasma levels of corticosterone, cholesterol, glucose, and urea.
Is It Common for Hamsters to Have Strokes?
Stroke is more common in older hamsters than in younger ones, but it can happen at any age in a hamster’s life. Furthermore, healthy hamsters might have a stroke without premonition.
As a result, hamster owners should conduct regular physical examinations to ensure that their pets are safe and healthy.
Factors Influencing Stroke in Hamsters
The factors influencing stroke in hamsters include:
Stoutness: Hamsters with excess weight develop cardiac difficulties, which raises their blood pressure; this may cause clotting in the blood arteries, thus increasing the risk of a stroke. Always watch your hamster and ensure they’re getting enough exercise to avoid gaining weight.
High blood pressure causes the arteries supplying blood to the brain to burst, increasing the risk of hamsters suffering a stroke.
Malnutrition; hamsters’ blood pressure may rise due to a bad diet, resulting in a buildup of fatty layers in blood vessels, making it difficult for blood to flow, raising the risk of stroke.
Coronary artery disease: plaque builds up in the arteries, limiting blood flow to the brain and raising the chance of a stroke attack.
Cancers: Although tumors and strokes affect hamsters differently, cancer can make them walk in circles or tilt their heads, signaling that a stroke might attack them.
Stroke Symptoms in Hamsters
The hamsters show weariness before a stroke and pass out after engaging in activities; following a stroke, symptoms manifest.
Permanent head tilts: The hamster’s head tilts permanently due to a neurological imbalance. The head does not return to its normal position even after recovery, resulting in persistent facial deformities.
Because this symptom is marked by nervousness and worry, understanding these indications can help the hamster live a less stressful existence.
Regression: the hamsters begin to throw tantrums and have difficulties sleeping and eating.
Paralysis: Generalized or partial paralysis occurs in the hamsters, resulting in a permanent loss of muscle action and numbness.
Stumbling and uneven walking: The hamsters experience unsteady walking due to brain injury. As a result, the hamsters are more prone to suffer injuries or perish.
Breathing problems: The hamsters may have respiratory infections, leading to pneumonia. The hamster may also endure ocular discharge and labored respiration.
Seizures: brain injury causes the hamster to convulse and fall flat on its back; therefore, it could signify a stroke if you notice this symptom in your hamsters.
How To Assist Hamsters in Surviving a Stroke?
Remove hamster running wheels in the cage
The running wheel in the cage may provide a greater risk to hamsters; therefore, it’s good to consider removing it to avoid accidents. Remove any attachments from the cell to keep the hamsters from moving around.
You can give your hamsters safe playthings, including sand baths, treat toys, hideaways, and chewable items if you don’t want them to get bored. After a few weeks, you can consider reinstating the running wheel and attachments you removed during the recuperation procedure.
Maintain a flat cage
Remove any climbing toys in the cage. Because hamsters enjoy climbing, hamsters suffering from a stroke may struggle to rise in the elevated region, resulting in more damage and maybe death; thus, consider flattening the cage by eliminating all climbing toys or raised portions.
Supply warmth
Hamsters cannot withstand high temperatures, particularly prolonged cold; thus, keep the cage warm. The hamsters go into a short-term sleep due to the cold, which is problematic because they seldom survive this condition.
Warmth is provided by providing bedding six inches deep; this bedding allows your hamsters to burrow into it and keep themselves warm. Also, maintaining a 65 to 70 degrees temperature within the cage will keep your hamsters warm.
Feed the hamster
Some strokes are so severe that the hamster becomes immobile. You may have to hand feed them at this stage.
You can also use a hypodermic syringe to deliver water to avoid dehydration. As a result, you’ll have to keep giving them water and food until they’re strong enough to swallow on their own.
Place the cage in a secure location.
Consider moving the pen to a quieter location. The rehabilitation process necessitates silence both within and outside the cage.
The hamsters require repose with minimal interference at this phase. Consider keeping the cell dark to guarantee that the hamsters spend most of their time sleeping, which will aid their rehabilitation.
Hamster Stroke FAQs
What can be done to prevent a stroke in hamsters?
You can perform the following to prevent future stoke attacks in hamsters:
- Always ensure that blood pressure is low
- Check hamsters’ heartbeats; an irregular heartbeat could be a sign of a possible stroke attack
What are the warning signs before stroke attacks hamsters?
The primary signs include:
- excessive exhaustion
- Collapsing after a few activities
- Hamsters become still
- Hamsters become insensitive to their surroundings
Can hamsters die from a stroke?
On rare occasions, will your hamster die from a single stroke? Most deaths are a result of multiple strokes attacks that the hamster suffers,
Final Thoughts
Although hamsters can survive a stroke, injuries have a significant likelihood of causing weakening side effects. Because strokes are so severe, you should consider putting your hamster to sleep and providing enough care so that they can enjoy a long and healthy life.
Hopefully, you found this helpful article. If you follow the advice I gave above, your hamsters can survive strokes.