Care of a pregnant hamster

Hamsters are among the children's favorite pets, but many adults also joined admirers of these lovely rodents.If you have chosen to adopt a couple of hamsters, your female may eventually become pregnant and it will be essential to offer her the optimal conditions for the development of her pregnancy and the growth of her young.

In this article of Animals and Pets Online, we tell you the main care of a pregnant hamster to help you maintain the good health of your pet during the entire period of pregnancy and lactation.some tips to ensure that the offspring are born and grow up in a safe environment where they can develop strong and healthy.

Symptoms of pregnancy in a hamster

The gestation period of a hamster will depend fundamentally on its breed, but it can also vary according to the organism of each female.Usually, they are very short pregnancies that can last between 15 and 25 days.

This means that, in order to provide adequate care for your hamster during pregnancy, the symptoms of pregnancy must be recognized early.The number of offspring For each pregnancy it will also depend on the type of hamster: while a Russian hamster usually gives birth to 4 to 8 offspring, a golden hamster can give birth to 20 offspring.

Do you wonder how to know if you Hamster is pregnant? Of course, you will not be able to orient yourself just by abdominal dilatation , since females only develop this sign in the last 5 days of gestation.However, you can be aware of the following symptoms listed below:

Increased appetite: you should be aware if your hamster begins to consume a lot of water or if his appetite increases suddenly.In addition to a possible symptom of pregnancy, appetite disturbances may indicate some common diseases in hamsters or reveal that your female feels anxious, nervous or that she is being exposed to elevated levels of stress.
Sudden weight gain: if your female consumes more food than Normally, it is logical that you gain weight quickly.In addition, the weight gain is part of a pregnancy, as the young grow rapidly inside the womb.
Puffy nipples : if by observing the abdomen of your hamster, you observe that your nipples are swollen or look outside , this is a symptom that your body is preparing for breastfeeding.
Specific behaviors: if your female is pregnant, she will start build a nest inside the cage and store food inside for the time of delivery.During the first days of pregnancy, females tend to be more aggressive , mainly in relationship to males.But when the time of delivery is approaching, his temper will be more serene and your hamster will need long hours of sleep next to his nest.

Care of a pregnant hamster: veterinary follow-up

If you suspect that your hamster is pregnant or observed any of the symptoms mentioned, we recommend you consult a specialized veterinarian.In the clinic, the professional can not only confirm the pregnancy, but also verify the Female's health status and guide you about her specific requirements during pregnancy and lactation.

You can also take the opportunity to clarify your doubts about how many babies your hamster can give birth and when you should return to make a general examination to the young.In addition, we must not forget that periodic visits to the specialized veterinarian are part of the essential care for your hamster .

Feeding a pregnant hamster

While hamsters should receive complete and balanced nutrition throughout their lives, pregnant females will need special attention for their feeding.During pregnancy, your hamster will require a diet with high Energetic contribution , to prepare your body for breastfeeding and allow the correct development of their offspring.

Ideally, increase your daily consumption of protein and fat good.To do this, in addition to your usual diet, we will try to add natural sources of these nutrients , such as boiled egg, lean cheese, boiled chicken or turkey, cooked ham cut into small pieces, cereals and nuts (nuts, almonds, hazelnuts, chestnuts and pipes).You can also offer mealworms or other small insects, which are marketed in some veterinarians and pet stores.

Fruits and vegetables recommended for hamsters will also help strengthen the immune system of the pregnant female, as they provide a large amount of vitamins, fibers and minerals.Remember to prefer food of organic origin (grown without agrotoxics) and remove the bones of the fruits before offering them to your rodent.And logically, we will always avoid the prohibited foods for hamsters..

During the emb scratch, we will apply the system "ad libitum" to feed the female.That is: we will leave food and fresh water at your disposal throughout the day.The females will look for food not only when they are hungry, but also to store food for the time of delivery.

Preparing the cage and the environment for your hamster and its young

As we mentioned, pregnant hamsters tend to become more aggressive because they feel vulnerable and defend their territory to ensure their offspring are born in a safe environment, so we must separate the pregnant female from the other hamsters , preparing a cage exclusively for her and her future babies.

In this cage, your hamster must find fresh water and food at his disposal, as well as materials to make his nest, such as straw, wood and twigs.During the entire pregnancy, it will be essential to keep your hamster's cage clean , daily removing the remains of food and feces.But if the female has already begun to build her nest, you must be careful not to undo it.

Gestation is a very delicate period for the female, who undergoes numerous physiological, hormonal and behavioral changes.Therefore, beyond preparing her cage, it will also be essential to provide a ambie Be calm and positive , where your hamster can live a safe and peaceful gestation.To avoid exposing her to high stress contexts, you should not touch her or approach the cage very often.It is important to transmit love and give dear to your pregnant hamster, you will also need to respect their territory.

Baby care

If you notice that your hamster has been a mother, you should give her privacy during breastfeeding and respect your adaptation time to her new reality, so you just have to approach the cage to replenish its water and food, temporarily suspending sanitation. You should not touch the mother or her offspring newborns under any circumstances.This can be interpreted as a sign of weakness and the hamster may eat to their young because they are considered fragile and unable to survive.

In addition, to prevent your hamster from eating its young, you can follow some preventive measures, such as providing a balanced diet of optimal quality, caring for your environment It gives you peace of mind and confidence, and keep them separate from other hamsters during pregnancy and lactation.

After 20 days of delivery, you can return to the cage normally and resume your daily cleaning .Both the ma Ma as their young will be prepared to play with you and receive all your affection.It will also be time to "introduce" the new members of the family to the other hamsters.In addition, it will be an excellent occasion to take the offspring to the veterinarian and control its growth, weight gain and health status.

It is also from this third week of life that baby hamsters are ready to be weaned, so you should be aware for the feeding and care of the offspring.In addition, as of their fifth week, small rodents tend to mature sexually.Therefore, you should seriously consider separating males and females to avoid fights and new unplanned litters.

Image: ultimatepethub.com

Attention to the reproductive control of your hamsters

When joining your hamsters again, you should keep in mind that these rodents reach their sexual maturity very quickly .Starting from their first or second month of life (depending on the breed of hamster), your new companions can already mate and generate new litters.In addition, the females can already get pregnant again about 24 hours after giving birth to their young.

Therefore, you should be aware of the Reproductive control of your hamsters and think very well before putting the males and females together in the same cage.As these rodents usually have many babies for each pregnancy, you can also consider finding responsible and caring people who want to adopt a hamster as a pet.

If you want to read more articles similar to Caring for a pregnant hamster , we recommend that you enter our Gestacion section.

Comments

How to know what size a mongrel dog will be?

When we talk about a mixed breed dog or mixed breed dog , generally we refer to a dog whose ancestry is unknown and that has typical characteristics of two or more breeds.This is usually the result of a non-selective breeding, but generally fortunate, since a mongrel dog can be exactly as good companion as a dog of a certain breed. Due to numerous factors, although here it is worth highlighting the great genetic variability, there are many advantages of having a mongrel dog and it is important to emphasize this point since unfortunately it is usually grant a lower value to a dog of these characteristics.If you are thinking of adopting a mixed breed dog, you are surely gathering all the necessary information, if you are wondering how to know what size a mongrel dog will be I didn't leave It is to read this article of Animals and Pets Online. Is it possible to know the size of a mongrel dog? Of course, estimating the exact size of a mongrel dog is not an easy task, although ...

Reiki for dogs with anxiety

I think that everyone who once had contact with animals can recognize that they are smiling beings and very spiritual.They have emotional energy, a body and an instinct that can not be taken care of when they need it.Those who have an animal in charge of them, take care of their physical needs, such as food, hygiene and veterinary care, but sometimes it is necessary, attend it holistically. From Animals and Pets Online we will see how to help with reiki for dogs with anxiety .We not only have anxiety as a deviation in the health of our dog but, we can notice that we are going The path to disease and reiki will be a very useful tool when restoring harmony. What is anxiety? Anxiety goes beyond dogs, we humans also suffer from it, and it is a emotional state that acts against well-being .Animals have an emotional memory, so many who have gone through situations of abandonment or abuse have recorded wounds inside. These memories will not be easily overcome for some more sensitive...

Ear infection in dogs

Do you notice that your dog frequently shakes its head and emits a strong body odor? These symptoms can be due to numerous disorders, however, they are typical of an ear infection, a disorder that usually has a good prognosis but must be treated in time to prevent damage to the tympanum or condition of the deepest parts of the ear./p> We should also know that this treatment can be performed naturally, using resources that are effective to restore the health of our pet and that are also safe and less aggressive than a pharmacological treatment. Are you interested in knowing more about this option? In this Animals and Pets Online article we talk about home remedies for ear infection in dogs. Ear infection in dogs First of all we must understand exactly what is ear infection in dogs, since initially it is possible that we believe that it is the same as otitis, however, they are two different terms. Otitis is an inflammation of the ear and can have numerous causes such as al...

Can dogs eat bread?

There is a widespread belief that "bread is bad for dogs "Will it be true? Being made with flour and water, plus the addition of yeast, the bread becomes a preparation high in carbohydrates, and although the bread is not among the prohibited foods for dogs, we must point out that Excessive carbohydrate intake can be detrimental to the health of our furry. Do you wonder if dogs can eat bread? Well, you went to the right page! In this article of Animals and Pets Online, we tell you the recommendations and care to take into account before offering bread to our furry, to provide them with a balanced diet that addresses their nutritional needs. Is it bad to give dogs bread? Dogs are omnivorous animals that can maintain a varied diet to benefit from the properties of different types of food.However, their nutritional requirements are based on the consumption of protein from high quality, good fats, vitamins and minerals.The other components (such as carbohydrates) may be...

The best cat breeds for allergy sufferers

Approximately about 30% of the population suffers cat allergy and dogs, the first option being much more common than the second one.However, being allergic to one or more animals does not mean that the body of the affected person reacts as a result of the presence of the feline, can, etc., but for the proteins found in the urine, dandruff or saliva of animals, called allergens. 80% of cat allergies are a the Fel D1 protein , produced in the saliva, skin and some organs of the animal.In this way, and despite the erroneous belief of many, it is not the hair of the feline that causes the allergy, although It can accumulate in the allergen after self-treatment.Also, if you are part of the aforementioned 30% but you love these furry companions and you would love to be able to Vir with one, you should know that there is a series of cat breeds for allergies that produce a smaller amount of the allergen, as well as a series of very effective techniques to avoid allergic reactions.Read ...

4 symptoms of stress in parrots

Stereotypes in animals are abnormal, repetitive, invariable and seemingly unrelated behaviors that are often performed by captive and domesticated animals that live in poorly enriched environments.This type of behavior does not usually occur in nature and they are not frequent in large and environmentally enriched enclosures. These behaviors usually occur in parrots that do not have enough sensory stimuli , that do not have the opportunity to interact with different objects or the lack of control over their own environment.The biggest problem is that most people who have adopted one or more parrots are unable to recognize these behaviors due to lack of experience or training. In addition , parrots only perform these behaviors when they are alone and therefore humans never see their parrots perform these behaviors.A good idea to recognize Symptoms of stress in parrots is to record them while we are not present. In this video we show you a parrot with a possible stereotype: ...

Differences between kangaroo and wallaby

Wallaby and kangaroo are Australian marsupials: after a short period of pregnancy within the womb their offspring end their development in their mother's abdominal bag, held in mammary glands for about 9 months until they can venture out of the bag, then the little ones only return to the breast bag. Both Wallaby like the kangaroo belong to the macropodidae family: they have oversized feet that allow them to jump, their only way of moving, since they live in the same continent and belong to the same marsupial infraclase and the same family of macropodidos are very similar, but still there are important differences between them. In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will explain what are the differences between wallaby and kangaroo. The size Kangaroos are much larger than wallabytes : the red kangaroo is the largest marsupial species in the world, the largest are always male and can measure more than 250 cm from the tip of the tail to the head and weigh about 90 ki...

The best hours to walk a dog

For starters it is important to note that dog walks should always be done at the same times, that is, you should follow a very regular schedule that allows them to anticipate that they will go out Although a priori does not seem relevant, the truth is that dogs are animals of customs, so being able to anticipate will help them to be more balanced . In addition to following a schedule marked, the frequency of the walks can vary from one dog to another: some breeds, such as the border collie, will need between two and four daily walks, but others such as the pug or, for example, a very old dog, will have enough with two It is not always easy to know how many times to take a dog for a walk, but some factors such as age or energy level that we observe can help us. Now that you know these Previous details, we will explain what is the best time to walk a dog and what is more convenient to do in each of the schedules: 1.Tomorrow During the morning the dog should be able to enjoy...

Flea bite allergy in dogs

In this Animals and Pets Online article we discuss a common problem: the allergy to flea bites in dogs .We say usual because fleas are parasites of wide worldwide distribution that, due to the conditions provided in our homes, can survive throughout the year, being able to bite dogs, cats, any other warm-blooded animal and even humans. Not all dogs develop allergies, but it is worth knowing this pathology because it is very common and the symptoms are very annoying, so read on to find out how to know if your dog is allergic to flea bites . Flea life cycle Fleas are parasitic insects observable to the naked eye.They have a flattened body to move better between the fur and are characterized by their high-altitude jumps.The adults get on the dog and bite to extract her blood , from which they feed.The female deposits eggs in the environment, between carpets or slits.These develop in several phases until they become adults and get on another animal, restarting the cycle.their way...

Differences between a Persian cat and an angora

Although both breeds are known and popular, for some lovers of cats the differences between a Persian cat and an angora are not entirely clear, perhaps because they both have a spectacular long coat, but the differences between both races are remarkable and, if we want to adopt any of these cats, it is important that we have them in order for our new cat to adapt as well as possible to our home. This is why in this article of Animals and Pets Online we will expose the differences between a Persian cat and an angora .If you intend to adopt any of these cats, this article of Persian cat vs Angora is essential! Physical differences between Persian and Angora cats We begin this review of the differences between a Persian cat and an angora for the most obvious, that is, those that refer to physical aspects.These are going to be the following: The nose: it is, perhaps, the most important and significant, in addition, at first glance it will allow us to differentiate a Persian cat a...

Animals and Pets Online

Search This Blog