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 deworm canaries? - Internally and externally

The canary is a bird that has been bred in captivity for more of 500 years and is especially appreciated for its pleasant and sweet melodies.It is also a sweet and harmonious bird that enjoys the company of its relatives in a large cage. However, on the sidelines of their diet, one of the main cares that we must offer our canaries is grooming, since otherwise they contract parasites that can be very dangerous for their health. Do you want to know how to deworm canaries? In this article we tell you different methods! What parasites affect the canaries? The parasites are one of the most common diseases in the Canaries, which contract them mainly due to the lack of hygiene in the space where they live.If you have canaries it is of vital importance that you maintain a correct cleaning of their cages and utensils, since certain parasites can even cause them death. The most common parasites that affect these birds are: Mites in the canaries : they can stay in the body of the a...

Caring for rainbow fish

The Melanotaenia boesemani , known as a rainbow fish, it is a small fish of lively color from the lakes of Indonesia and New Guinea, but currently distributed throughout the world in captivity.The bright colors of this species, which mix the blue, violet, yellow, red and white, have made it a favorite for home aquariums, where they stand out for their beauty and fast movements when swimming. If you are thinking of adopting one or more of these specimens, you need to know everything related to the comforts that you must offer them, so ExpertAnimal presents this article about the care of rainbow fish . Rainbow Fish Feeding The rainbow is omnivorous and quite gluttonous, so finding food for it will not be a problem.It is recommended to vary dry food with live prey small size.In this way you can offer everything from flakes and granulated food, to larvae and live artemias.Of course, if you do not find live food you can replace it with one that is frozen. These fish do not...

Differences between donkey and donkey

Taxonomy or classification of animals can, in many cases, give rise to numerous doubts, since sometimes we are not able to identify if two different nomenclatures refer to the same animal or if instead it is a species and subspecies, for example. Some Animals are known by similar names but are part of different species, others can instead be called by several clearly different names and still be the same species, therefore, there are multiple cases that can confuse us and need to be clarified./p> Surely on some occasion you have wondered what are the differences between donkey and donkey , and in this article of Animals and Pets Online we answer your questions. What differentiates an ass from a donkey? When we talk about donkeys we can all evoke the image of an animal with characteristic long ears and tail endowed with great fur, which has traditionally been expanded as a pack animal.Well, when we talk about donkeys, although we may not know this fact, we are talking about...

Pneumonia in dogs - Contagion, care and treatment

Surely you've ever heard of pneumonia, a disease that our dogs may also suffer.In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will review their symptomatology so that you can recognize it and thus transfer your dog to the veterinarian, who, as always, will be responsible for confirming the diagnosis and establishing guidelines for proper care and treatment . Keep reading this article from Animals and Pets Online to learn more about pneumonia in dogs, infection, symptoms and treatment You can't miss it! What is pneumonia? Basically, pneumonia is a inflammation of the lungs , caused by a variety of causes ranging from infectious agents, such as bacteria, to parasites, foreign bodies or allergens.classified according to the area of the lung that affect, according to the predominant cell class, the cause and the type of reaction they cause in the lung.It is the veterinarian in charge of refining the diagnosis to be able to apply the most appropriate treatment. The ...

National Law of Dangerous Dogs in Argentina

The Argentine Republic does not have a specific law that regulates the possession of potentially dangerous dogs, not at least one legislation that affects the entire important territory of this country. If there is a regulation specifies that it affects the province of Buenos Aires and that it was initially approved in January 2010 through law number 14,107, which contemplated the obligation to register the dog, security measures and containment within the home itself and certain obligations to comply when the dog was taken abroad. Despite the imposition of this law, during 2012 the Luis Pasteur Zoonoses Institute received 6,500 complaints of attacks by dogs produced in the province of Buenos Aires, mainly those attacks occurred in public spaces and the largest number of people attacked were children between 5 and 9 years of age. These data led to reflect on the law in force until that time.momen to, and finally in 2012, law number 4.078 was passed, currently in force, with ...

Bach flowers for cats

In the last few years we hear frequent talk of Bach flowers, also applied to our Companion animals.There are more and more numerous cases treated with this therapy, as well as veterinary professionals who are trained in this discipline.In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will focus on cats to discover what Bach flowers are, which These are the benefits and uses they can have for our cats.If you've ever heard of these Bach flowers for cats , you're interested in reading! What are Bach flowers? The 38 extracts of flowers and plants discovered by the English doctor Edward Bach in the early twentieth century are called.This doctor chose plants that acted on different conditions that could experience the human beings, such as fear, sadness, anger or hyperactivity.Prepared these plants in the form of dilutions that conserved with alcohol in a dropper to facilitate their use.Various drops were administered directly several times a day or put in the water or even in t...

Mandarin duck reproduction

The mandarin duck ( Aix galericulata ) is a native bird of the Asian continent , extended especially in China and Japan, which can currently be found in certain regions of England and the United States, either at liberty or as wildlife in ornamental gardens.It is estimated that there are about 66,000 copies. This stationary species weighs almost half a kilo and is recognized for its beautiful colors, although very few people know that only males hold them.Would you like to know why? Then read this article on the reproduction of the mandarin duck . How to distinguish between male and female? Most of the year the female and the mandarin duck machol share a similar coloration , between ocher brown and brownish quite uniform, with some white areas, however, during the mating season the plumage of the male is dressed in bright colors, with the intention of attracting the female. Thus, the colors of the male become bright dark green and red in the area of the head, and in the...

Types of canaries and their names

How many races of canaries are there? At present, more than 30 types of canaries are known , this being the most abundant species of domestic bird in the world with parakeets, although there are many classifications possible, the canary breeds are usually divided into three large groups: Singing canaries : here, we find the most coveted breeds in canariculture, thanks to their incredible ability to learn and play melodies complex and a great variety of sounds.In the next sections we will see the main races of singing canaries. Canaries by color : this, perhaps, is the most basic classification of canaries, based on the color of their feathers.It is divided into subgroups according to the predominant pigments in its plumage, the lipochromic canaries (shades of dominant and recessive white, yellow and red) and the melancholic canaries (colors black, agate, green, bromine, isabela, brown and tona corrugated qualities). The position or position canaries : also called a design or...

Should parrots' wings be cut?

Having parrots at home is very common.They are small pets , colorful and very funny to see in their day to day.However, with the popularity they gain as companions of human homes, the number of people who choose to cut their wings to prevent them from escaping also increases. This practice that may seem common, has its detractors when it comes to thinking about the most beneficial for the bird.Do you want to know if the wings of the parrots should be cut ? Keep reading This article from Animal Expert! How are parrot wings cut? Before telling you whether or not it is advisable to cut the wings of your parrot, it is necessary to explain a little about how the process is carried out and the modifications that it implies in these limbs of the birds. When we talk about cutting the wings, there are two main procedures and some levels in each.The first of these processes is the alectomy , which consists in removing the distal phalanges of the wing and removing the primary feathers ,...

Animals with exoskeleton - Names and examples

The body of the largest vertebrate animals is not a mystery to most of people: it is known that it has a skeleton, internal vital organs (heart, brain, etc.), a dermis of variable and organ characteristics through which the five senses are manifested, among other characteristics. However, have you wondered what the invertebrate morphology is like? Then you need to know all about the animals with exoskeleton, names and examples. Don't miss this Animals and Pets Online article! What is the exoskeleton? The exoskeleton is an external structure that covers the body of various animals, including arthropods.It is characterized by being resistant but flexible .This structure It consists of different substances depending on the subfile to which the animal belongs: chitin for insects and fungi, calcium in mollusks and corals or silica in diatoms among other components. In turn, the exoskeleton is formed by three structures : Cuticle : non-cellular layer secreted by the hyp...

Animals and Pets Online

Search This Blog