What’s up with my hamster?

QAMy daughter’s hamster, who is two, has recently lost hair, with darkened skin, and seems to be thirsty all the time, although he is still eating.

Our vet did skin scrapings and has diagnosed overactive adrenal glands but advised that there is no recommended treatment. What do you think? These signs are typical of Cushing’s disease (hyperadrenocorticism), as suggested by your vet. It is said to be the most common hormonal problem for old hamsters.

The diagnosis, as with your daughter’s hamster, is usually made on clinical grounds and elimination of other diseases that look similar. Important differentials include demodicosis caused by demodex mites and a skin lymphoma tumour.

Your vet has ruled out demodicosis and the tumour is usually very obvious with nodules. Typical signs of hyperadrenocorticism are increased thirst and associated increased urination, loss of hair, increased skin pigmentation and increased appetite.

Blood samples have been found to be of little use in hamsters as it’s hard to get an adequate sample. In some cases, ultrasound of the adrenal glands may show enlargement of one or both glands, although this is quite specialised and does not alter treatment options.

An article back in 1984 detailed successful treatment of one lone hamster.

However, since then it has not been repeated and I’m afraid there is currently no treatment available for the condition.

That said, the lifespan of a hamster is two to three years, so, if treatment were possible, it would unfortunately be very short-term.

QMy 13-year-old male neutered cat spends a lot of his time sleeping. This has crept up as he got older. I have been told old cats get arthritis. Are there any signs to look out for?

A

When it comes to animal illnesses, it is often said that “cats are not small dogs” and this is very true when talking about arthritis.

Dogs show signs very similar to people, particularly limping, and other signs of pain. Arthritis is found in up to 90 per cent of elderly cats according to various studies. However they show few signs clinically and, as they resent being handled in general, it’s not always easy for a vet to pinpoint the problem by simply manipulating specific joints, unlike dogs.

Recent research has concentrated on subtle signs of arthritis discomfort and, increasingly, the importance of educating cat owners in what to look out for.

This will vary according to the joints affected – mostly the neck, spine, elbows, shoulder and hips. With neck and spinal arthritis the cat will find grooming difficult and the coat will tend to mat and look unkempt.

These cats can be quite grumpy and resent being picked up.

Shoulder and elbow arthritis may manifest as reluctance to jump down from a height, or a slower pace when coming down stairs.

Cats with hip problems will have difficulty jumping up and may use the front legs to help. When going upstairs they may also ‘bunny hop’.

Sleeping is hard to measure as old cats enjoy snoozing much of the time in their favourite places!

David Grant MBE has been a vet for more than 50 years. Email questions to him at pamperedpets@peopleco.uk