Wet-Tail

Hamsters are not the only small animal that can get "wet-tail," but even small animals like Chinchillas, rabbits, gerbils, rats, and mice, can all get wet-tail, as it is caused by stress. For the most part wet-tail is nothing more than an extreme diarrhea. Without treatment, your pet can die within 24-48 hours, all depending on how soon you catch it. Once your hamster has had wet-tail and has been treated, he cannot get the illness again.

What Causes Wet-tail

As I mentioned above, wet-tail is stress related.

• Too much handling
• Change in environment
• Change in diet
• Inadequate cage cleaning
• Being away from mother and/or siblings
• Death of a tank mate

Baby hamsters are more prone to wet-tail than juvenile and adult hamsters.

Symptoms of Wet-tail

The symptoms may not appear for a few days or so, but once they set in, you can see various symptoms.

• Wet bottom end
• Smell/ foul odor
• Diarrhea
• Lethargy
• Lack of appetite
• Excess sleeping
• Not grooming itself
• Walking with a hunched back

The most obvious symptom will be the wet bottom, tail area.

Wet-tail Treatment

Well, luckily there are several products out today that can help cure wet-tail. You can take a trip to most of your local petstores to include Petsmart and Petland to grab a bottle of 'Dri-Tail' or 'Wet-tail Drops.' Or, you can go to a vet that sees hamsters, and he can put the hamster on Baytril or Sulfatrim.
Personally, I have had better luck with 'Dri-Tail' than with the vet prescribed medicines.

Prevent Wet-tail

For a new hamster, you can prevent wet-tail by (1) have your hamster cage completely prepared and keep it clean as much as possible before moving the hamster in his home, (2) set the hamster up in his cage and leave him alone for a MINIMUM of 1-2 days allowing him time to adjust to his new surroundings, and (3) set up the cage in a quiet place with less traffic.
If you already have a hamster that you're worried about, (1) watch how much you handle the hamster, (2) watch the duration he is out of his tank, (3) try not to change his food or surroundings drastically, and (4) do not add any new hamsters in with him.