Oliver
Oliver this morning
Poor Oliver is having another trip to see the vet this afternoon. The little mite was last there in September when he had an operation to push his exerted pouch back in and I hoped we wouldn't have to take him again, but over the past fortnight or so he's lost almost half his body weight (down from 56 grams to 29 grams - we weigh all our hamsters regularly).
Over the past few days we have noticed his bum and tail matted with poo, and although we haven't seen much in the way of diahorrea, he is damp as he keeps peeing on himself, and last night he had blood on his tummy and around his man bits. His bum is looking sore and swollen, and has either pus or sticky poo coming out of it. :( This morning his man bits look swollen. We've cleaned him up but his hands and fur keep getting dirty. He's washing himself regularly, eating soft foods and drinking, walking normally, but he has lost a lot of weight. He can't seem to manage anything like seeds or nuts, so we've fed him milk-soaked cereal, and soft vegetables like cucumber, which he eats from our fingers.
My poor little boy. I've never had a hamster weigh less than 30 grams before. He feels like a feather. I wonder what the vet will say. :(