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

Malt for cats - Different uses and how often to offer it

Cats are especially clean animals that spend hours grooming.lick ingest a lot of hair.If you live with a cat, you've sure seen it seen coughing and even vomiting hairballs. That's when some people turn to cat malt , a very useful product of natural origin that improves digestion and intestinal transit of our cat. Discover in Animals and Pets Online everything related to malt for cats, including the necessary doses, at what age It should be offered or information about vomiting.All the benefits of this product below: What is malt? Cat malt is a paste of color similar to honey and denser texture .It consists of vegetable oils and fats, malt extract, fiber, dairy products and yeast mainly.It also often contains dyes, preservatives and vitamins. There are numerous brands in the market with different formats.The most frequent is in the form of a tube of toothpaste.The composition varies slightly according to the brand but the basis is malt extract.Some cats show a prefe...

Why do black cats are associated with bad luck?

Cats are animals that have experienced a boom tremendous in terms of entering homes as a pet, more and more people are decided by this friendly feline that is gradually gaining our trust based on being an animal that needs little care and in return provide us with great times fun and even fascination. However, in the street things change, especially with black cats, who suffer from the historical stigma of being considered a symbol or augury that is accompanied by bad luck in case of to cross with him.For some time now the origin of this popular belief that in Animal Expert we will try to shed some light on the cause associated with this belief of because black cats are associated with bad luck and also for you to understand that it's just a mit or. Origins of the myth of bad luck caused by black cats It is necessary to go back enough to find the first town that began to put firewood to ignite the myth. In the Iberian Peninsula were the Celts the first that associated the ...

Common blackbird feeding - Care of pigeons and rescued adults

The Blackbirds ( Turdus merula ) are intelligent and affectionate animals that must always live in freedom, in their natural habitat.But, sometimes, we must keep them in captivity.It would be the case of the offspring that we can find outside their nest and that They do not know how to assert themselves because they cannot yet feed themselves, but they may also need help from adults who have an injury or illness. In this Animals and Pets Online article we are going to focus on The common blackbird feeding as a fundamental part of its recovery before releasing it.Do you have a blackbird in captivity rescued? Don't you know which food is most suitable for blackbirds? Then this article interests you, keep reading! Characteristics of the common blackbird The blackbird is a common bird in Europe.It presents sexual dimorphism , which means that the female and the male are different with the naked eye.Yes, the male is totally black and yellow-orange beak and eye ring, while t...

Bichon Maltes dog: features

The Bichon Maltes is a breed of toy size, emerged from the Mediterranean, being Italy who took the sponsorship of the race.The origins are associated with Italy, Malta and the island of Mljet (Croatia) even so, its origin is somewhat uncertain.It was the Phoenicians who brought from Egypt to The ancentros of this breed more than 2000 years ago.In the tomb of Ramses II, stone statues can be seen in the shape of the current Maltese.The race was genetically selected to achieve smaller and smaller individuals and thus reach a miniature size. Physical appearance It is a very small dog that usually ranges between 3 and even 4 kilograms, nor will it measure more than 25 cm in height.By its size, it adapts perfectly to apartments reduced.It highlights the single-layer white mantle of Maltes that is smooth, long and silky.The organizations only admit the color white although we can find it with golden spots.It has dark eyes, has long ears, a thick tail and legs short. Character In ...

Frugivoros Animals - Characteristics and +20 Examples

Frugivorous animals are those that base their diet on the consumption of fruits , or much of what they consume is made up of this type of food.In the animal kingdom, many species are frugivorous, from insects to large mammals. The plants that produce fruits are the angiosperms .In this group, the flowers of the female plants or the female parts of a hermaphrodite plant have an ovary with several ovules that, when fertilized by a sperm, thickens and changes color, acquiring very attractive nutritional qualities for animals. 20% of the known species of Mammals are frugivorous animals, so this type of diet is very significant and important among animals. At first glance, frugivorous animals do not seem to possess distinctive features of animals not frugivoros, even less if they are omnivorous animals that, although they can be feed on many products, its main food is fruit. The main qualities appear along the digestive tract , starting with the mouth or beak.In mammals or o...

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...

Prague mouse dog: features

The Prague mouse is also known as buzzard from Prague or Pražský krysařik and is originally from the Czech Republic.It is a toy dog or mini dog and it is that in its adult stage it does not usually exceed 3.5 kilograms in weight.It is really small.In this tab Race of Animal Expert we will share with you all the information related to the Prague mouse either about its origin, the characteristics, the character it has or the care it needs. We will also talk about their education, something very important if there are children at home, but also essential to prevent them from barking a lot or behaving in a negative way inside the home.If you are thinking of adopting a Prague mouse do not hesitate to continue reading to discover the history that precedes it and curiosities about it. Origin of the Prague mouse The Prague mouse begins its history in the Middle Ages, in the royal palaces of central Europe, more specifically in Bohemia (Czech Republic) where it was a highly prized ...

EVERYTHING about PETERBALD CAT

Peterbald cats are part of the so-called hairless cats , because they do not have fur, unlike most feline breeds.Specifically it is an "oriental version" of the famous sphynx cats, obtained from crossing with other feline breeds.In addition to their appearance, these cats stand out for their affectionate and affectionate character, so if you are a person with enough time, peterbald can be your best companion. Do you want to know everything about peterbald cats and their recent origin? From ExpertAnimal we will tell you all about these curious felines without hair, we will talk about the characteristics of peterbal, care and much more. Origin of the peterbald cat Peterbald cats are originating in Russia , where in the 90s eastern shorthair cats with Siamese cats and a certain variety of sphynx cats were crossed, as the intentions of the breeder who made these crosses was to obtain a cat like the sphynx but in an oriental style. It was not long until in 1994 the cr...

Side effects of corticosteroids in dogs

The corticosteroid is a synthetic or natural chemical compound that acts in the same way as the hormones produced by the adrenal gland and whose main function is that of anti-inflammatory .the most potent medicine that a conventional veterinarian uses, since it is a strong and fast palliative for allergies, autoimmune diseases and any type of inflammation that our animal suffers. While we are aware that these substances do not They have the ability to cure, but if relieve symptoms while circulating in the body, my veterinary opinion is that we should stop using them if what we pursue as professionals is to cure the animal and not dull the manifestations of a disease so that they do not disturb the patient or the family that surrounds them. Cortisone is the most widely used remedy in the allopathic clinic for skin allergies mainly, when there is a lot of itching and the animals get serious injuries.During its effect the animal will stop scratching or licking itself to reliev...

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 ...

Animals and Pets Online

Search This Blog