My hamster had wet tail, now bloated with a lump. What's wrong?

Question

Hi, my hamster seemed to have wet tail..so I changed her diet to dry stuff. Now, after a week, the wet tail looks much better, it's more active, eats more, drinks more, EXCEPT for the fact that now she has a very bloated tummy.. I pressed a little to see maybe it s gas and I felt a hard lump on the right lower side.. I think it's her kidney... She lost weight but tummy is still big. This is going on for 2 days already. What is this?? How can I help ? She has almost 2 years. Syrian female. Pet's info: Small Animal | Hamster | Female | unspayed

Andrea M. Brodie, DVM · Accepted Answer

Wet tail, or Proliferative Ileitis, is an extremely serious gastrointestinal disease and Hamsters can die from it very quickly. it is caused by a bacterium called Lawsonia intracellularis and hamsters get infected when contaminated feces get on their food and they then ingest the fecally contaminated food. If the hamster is stressed it exacerbates the condition. Since this is normally an emergency you will need to have your hamster seen by a vet. Treatment usually consists of antibiotics, anti-diarrheal medications and subcutaneous and oral fluids to combat dehydration. Especially since your hamster appears bloated now and seems to have a lump in his abdomen, a vet visit is in order. The lump could be a kidney, or a tumor or an abscess or large cyst. In addition to that you need to thoroughly sanitize his cage to prevent re-infection and make sure your hamster is kept clean and warm.

My hamster had wet tail, now bloated with a lump. What's wrong?

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