Ask a Vet Archive

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  • My hamster is almost three years old and is getting really fat. He has gotten so bad that you can barely see his tail! He's hardly ever awake, and wakes only once in a while to get a drink of water and some food. What do you think is the problem?

    Similar to us, when our pets get too obese to walk comfortably, they walk as little as possible – and the problem (as well as the pet) continues to get bigger and bigger. This could be a simply problem of over feeding or feeding too high a calorie diet.

    Less commonly, but possibly, it could indicate other problems. Hamsters can get tumors that may grow in such a way as to look simply like they are overweight – they can also have other issues that simply make it less comfortable for them to move around.

    I recommend bringing him in to have a veterinarian check him out.
     

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