Wet tail - Proliferative Ileitis

 

This is one of the most serious intestinal diseases that can affect hamsters and sadly is is quiet common. The name comes from the wet, dirty tails that accompany the disease. More commonly wet tail effects hamsters around three to six week old, but can affect hamsters of any age. All species of hamsters are susceptible.

 

 

Cause 

 

Wet tail is caused by oral contact with the bacteria Lawsonia intracellularis. The disease is spread when the hamster comes into contact with food or water contaminated with faeces that carry the bacteria.

Contributing factors to the disease include stress from a variety of sources, including weaning, recent transport, overcrowded cage conditions, surgery, and rapid dietary changes.

 

 

 

Symptoms

 

In addition to the soiled, wet area around the anus and tail that gives the disease its common name; there are a variety of other symptoms that you may see.

• Lethargy

• Loss of appetite

• Failure to groom

• Excessively watery diarrhoea

• Dehydration

• Dull, sunken eyes

• Irritability

• Hunched posture while sitting or walking

• Abdominal discomfort

• Protruding rectum from constant straining

• Blood in the stool or around the anus in very serious cases

 

 

 

Treatment

If you suspect that your hamster has wet tail, you must seek vet care immediately - wet tail qualifies the use of emergency vet care meaning a vet must see the hamster even out of normal open hours. The disease can kill a hamster very quickly often as quickly as 48 hours from the first signs. Taking immediate action may increase your hamster's chances of survival though unfortunately survival rates are very low.

 

Treatment consists of:

• Antibiotics

• Anti-diarrhoea medications

• Subcutaneous and oral fluids to combat dehydration

 

In addition to the above treatments prescribed or performed by your veterinarian, you should also keep your hamster warm and clean, isolate him from any other hamsters and animals, and thoroughly sanitise his cage to prevent re-infection or spread of the disease.

 

 

 

Prevention

 

Though it is impossible to 100% protect a hamster from Wet Tail there are a few things you can do to help reduce the chances of you hamster developing the disease.

 

• Keep your hamster's cage and environment clean by removing soiled bedding from the cage daily and disinfecting the cage weekly.

• Litter train your hamster to make daily faeces removal easier.

• Don't stress your new hamster during the period that he is adjusting to his new environment. Limit contact and handling, and keep him on the same food he was eating until he is comfortable in his new home.

• Ask about wet tail before purchasing your hamster from a store or breeder. Be sure that there have been no recent cases of the disease in any of their hamsters in the last 2 weeks. 

• Closely observe the behaviour of all the hamsters before picking one out.

• If it appears that one of the hamsters in the cage has wet tail, avoid purchasing another hamster in the same cage.

• Make several trips to the pet store before picking out a hamster to observe cage conditions. If the cage isn't cleaned regularly or if it is overcrowded, your chances of bringing home a sick hamster increase.

• Quarantine new hamsters for 2 weeks away from other animals to make sure they are disease free.