Anorexia Weight Loss
Anorexia in humans is mental health disorder where the sick individual chooses not to eat in order to lose weight or maintain their thin appearance. It’s caused by several things such as an emotional need to fit in, or believing what the media tells them.
Anorexia in a hamsters is not due to choice or any emotional factors but rather they are suffering from some sort of hamster illness that doesn’t allow them to eat.
Signs and Symptoms
If your hamster is eating little to no food or water, your hamster may be anorexic. If the anorexia stems from a tooth, mouth or cheek pouch problem, the affected hamster will likely have excessive saliva running down its mouth or dribbling down its chin. The overall appearance of a the sick hamster will be thinner than usual and in severe cases, emaciated to the point that bones are visible through the skin.
Causes of It
The causes of anorexia in a hamster is often due to a problem with the mouth or teeth. A hamster that has overgrown teeth that don’t meet up (see malocclusion) or impacted cheek pouches might become anorexic if they can not continue to eat. Other causes can included obstructions in the mouth or airway, an impacted digestive tract, a general illness or even kidney failure. (see the hamster illness directory for more causes)
Treating Your Hamster
This one will likely need a trip to the vet to find out what is wrong with your hamster. Once your vet has diagnosed the problem, the proper hamster treatments can be administered. You can check to see if the cheek pouch is impacted or if the teeth overgrown and follow the treatment methods for that. If the sick hamster has not done it’s business in some time, you can treat the hamster for constipation.
Reviewed By: Tim Winter
Tim Winter has a strong affection for pets and wildlife. His years of experience caring for various types of pets has led him to share his knowledge with others on the best practices in pet care. Tim holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communications.
My dwarf hamster is about 4 and a half months old .. he has been quite chubby up untill now he’s lost abit of weight and seems so of shrunk if that’s possible and he’s not eating at much but he’s drinking quite the fair bit , he seems quite active and doesn’t slum around … any advise please ??
My robo hamster was called Sophie she was so friendly. I’ll never forget you. Anyways she got skinny and I noticed fur loss too. I regret never doing something. All I know is that when she died my father saw her whole bone and we think her sister probably tried to wake her up like this. May she and her sister rest in peace. Btw I know what her sister (Jo Jo) died of. <3
My make Syrian hamster is almost a year old. He used to be super active and energetic but since around Christmas he has become lethargic and lost quite a bit of weight. He seemed to be eating and drinking fine up until recently he has started eating less. He is still going to the bathroom though and has no signs of wet tail to my knowledge. We have also given him plenty of things to try and chew on so I’m reluctant to think it’s an over grown tooth. Any ideas?
My male Syrian hamster is about 6 months old, we took him on a road trip and he was fine, on the way home he was showing signs of distress, when we got home and he got back in his normal cage he started to return to his old self, BUT he was very active managing to escape from every obstacle in his way to get out, my husband used aluminum tape to secure the top so he can still use his wheel but now that we have got hit with Irma he has lost extreme weight, dull eyes, dull fur, and swollen bottom and tail, anyone have any ideas?
My Syrian hamster is eight months old she developed wet tale and was treated with antibiotics. This was three weeks ago but she is rapidly losing weight on a daily basis so far she has lost about 40g and only weighs 67g. I am syringe feeding her with baby food and fluid but she is now only interested in sleeping. Has anyone any experience of this can give me advice as I am begining to think it would be kinder to put her to sleep as I can see no sign of her getting better.
Hi i have a winter white hamster. She seems healthy and eats normally. But she is really little. I don’t know.what is wrong with her
Winter Whites are just that size, don’t worry. As long as she’s eating normally, she should be okay. If you’re really worried, then you can take her to an exotic animal veterinarian.
My dwarf hamster is getting skinny and honestly I dont know what’s wrong. She is acting normal and I dont see anything visibly wrong . I’ve checked her teeth , nose , butt, and eyes . Her fur looks pretty good to me too….. she even manages to run on her wheel and keep me up at night like always . Do you guys have any idea what could be wrong ?
My winter white dwarf hamster does not want to eat. She is very skinny and she is not usually like that ever since I got her she was always a good size but this morning she woke up with crust on one of her eyes. I got back from school and checked up on her it wasn’t there anymore but she doesn’t want to eat and I’ve tried softening the food but she just doesn’t want to eat at all. Someone help
I bought a new fancy cage for my boyfriends Hampster a few weeks ago all was great until last week I noticed she pulled all the bedding up top and then was going to bathroom where she was sleeping.. I had been away a few days and now she is very thin, wobbly, not eating or drinking. No visable signs of anything abnormal. I have been syringing juiced veggies n fruit and water, she will eat a tiny bit of lettuce or spinach or carrot but just sleeps in her corner. I moved her back to old cage in case that was problem but 6 days now no real improvement. I’m told she is old… But no one knows actual age.
Mine is skinney don’t k. Ow how old but I’m worryed
Try feeding your hamster tiny bits of fruit and if that doesn’t help call a vet
good luck
My daughter hamster is a year old and she noticed that it’s get smaller and she can barely see out of her eyes. They are swollen around the eyes also. Can you help me and tell me what she might have or what to do??
Mines the exact same, sounds as though she may have an eye infection. This may lead her to not be able to eat as the infection makes them ill and a loss of appetite, in some cases diarrhoea and anorexia. I’m not a specialist but I’d definitely get her checked at the vets.
With her eye but not too cool or too hot water on them and start feeding eat every hour and if she doesn’t want to eat try it the next hour and leave the bowl there in her cage
Try getting a new type of food too
hi one of my hamsters doesn’t seem to be growing any bigger. she’s about 6 months old and she does eat and drink. so how do i get her to gain more weight?
My girl friends hamster has a bad front right leg and is limping bad is there any remedy I can do from home can I give him pain killers he also won’t eat so I put the food dish by his nest but he has no food in his cheeks and he keeps getting thinner
My white male syrain hamster is already dead. My hamster, only finished 1 whole bowl of food in the 11 days I had him, he only drunk one container of the water. My hamster would have dark poop stains somehow. What could’ve I done to keep him alive longer?
It could have just been genetics or a birth defect. Sure it could have been the diet and water consumption but it sounds like he was eating and drinking. Hamsters do need to stay hydrated but if he had no issues drinking out of the water bottle, I don’t think that was the issue. Other environmental factors could have caused his death like the type of bedding you use or the ventilation in the cage. Cedar for instance is toxic and a cage that isn’t ventilated well can lead to ammonia build up. It also could have been any other number of reasons.
same but mine is not dead. 🙁
what do i do? and he is biting me ow and hes never bit me!
My daughter’s hamster suddenly seems thinner and a bit listless. His fur looks a little ruffled. His bottom looks ok. The only think I see on his face is a little crustiness on his upper lip that may be from a runny nose?
It sounds like a possible cold. You can follow the instructions on this post to help treat a general illness. Also make sure the hamster continues to drink water to avoid dehydration. If the hamster gets worse, consider consulting a vet.
I have a Syrian hamster , he is 5 month old . I feed him all the time . . But he is really thin , I can feel his bones . I’m worried about him . He must eat though because he poops ! I’m just really worried that he doesn’t put weight on . Can they die if they get too thin ? :'( thank you
If he is eating and pooping, that is good. It’s hard to say if him being thin is an issue. If you are concerned you can feed him some treats he might like more. See the post on food and treats for hamsters.
My hamster died yesterday, With her eyes closed and no signs of illness, she was only 9 months old. How did she die?
Sorry to hear that. I would have no idea what was the cause. It could have been a birth or genetic defect I suppose.
mine died the same way he was only 1 year old he was acting really weird. he asnt eating either. i so sorry to hear that though sorry wolfie huggins