# Rabies in my hamster!??!



## Brendan (Jan 28, 2008)

Does my hamster have rabies?

It seems VERY aggressive and vicious. Although it looks healthy and it eats ALOT, for some reason it is highly sensitive to touch and bites a lot. 

I got it from some person who was giving it away for free.


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## arachnocat (Jan 28, 2008)

That sounds pretty normal for a hamster that maybe wasn't handled much. Do you know what kind of hamster it is? I know those little siberian hamsters are pretty bitey. They're cute, they just don't like to be handled. 
Maybe you should take it to a vet and get it checked out just in case.


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## Brendan (Jan 28, 2008)

I'm not sure what type of hamster he is. He's either a Syrian hamster or a Teddy Bear Hamster. He's big and fat.

Here are some pics:


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## Mushroom Spore (Jan 28, 2008)

I'm not sure you actually know what rabies is.



> The period between infection and the first flu-like symptoms is normally two to twelve weeks, but can be as long as two years. Soon after, the symptoms expand to slight or partial paralysis, cerebral dysfunction, anxiety, insomnia, confusion, agitation, abnormal behavior, paranoia, hallucinations, progressing to delirium. The production of large quantities of saliva and tears coupled with an inability to speak or swallow are typical during the later stages of the disease; this can result in "hydrophobia", where the victim has difficulty swallowing, shows panic when presented with liquids to drink, and cannot quench his or her thirst...Death almost invariably results two to ten days after the first symptoms


You just have an angry hamster, dude. Besides, how the heck is it going to get rabies? Someone would have to put a rabid animal in the cage with it.


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## Brendan (Jan 28, 2008)

I read that symptons with rabies in animals includes aggressiveness, viciousness, ferociousness, highly sensitive to touch.

Read this article.

http://www.healthscout.com/ency/68/738/main.html

And don't jump to conclusions so fast.


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## ~Abyss~ (Jan 28, 2008)

Brendan it seems like you jumped into conclusion too fast. Try comparing the symptoms of an angry hamster to one infected with the Rabies virus. Usually you will get some sweling, foaming of the mouth or druel, uncontrolable behavior such as twitching or striking at nothing, and i think you might be able to notice a change in pupil coloration or something like that can't seem to remember. Seems to me like just an angry rodent. Typical for this kind of animal. TRUST ME I KNOW ALL TO WELL LOL!!!
Eddy


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## Brendan (Jan 28, 2008)

Well you should've seen him this morning.

When I quietly entered my room (yes, quietly entered), I saw him running and flicking all over the cage like a madman going through a seizure, but on fire.


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## DITB (Jan 28, 2008)

your hamster is probably just naturaly evil!


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## Mushroom Spore (Jan 28, 2008)

Brendan said:


> I read that symptons with rabies in animals includes aggressiveness, viciousness, ferociousness, highly sensitive to touch.


INCLUDES. There will also be other, very obvious symptoms. An animal that's just mean does not have rabies.


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## ~Abyss~ (Jan 29, 2008)

ya....they do that. Also there's a big difference from us being quiet to them it isn't actually all that quiet.
Eddy


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## Ewok (Jan 29, 2008)

either way, I wouldn't trust a hamster.


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## pitbulllady (Jan 29, 2008)

EVERY single hamster I've ever encountered personally has been just like you described! I'd be worried if I saw one that WASN'T mean and bitey, since that would be the one that's probably sick!  That's why I cannot in any way, shape or form recommend a hamster as a pet, unless you are happy with a no-touch pet.  Hamsters are the _Pterinocilis murinus_ of the rodent world, minus the venom.

Rabies MUST be contracted through direct physical contact with a rabid animal, through the transfer of saliva, since the virus is concentrated in the salivary glands.  That's why the usual route of transmission is through a bite, though saliva entering the body through any open cut or mucous membrane can also result in infection. The only exception to that means of infection is the rare exposure from high concentrations of the virus in heavily-populated bat caves, and tissue transplants from humans who were incubating the disease, or who died from it and it was not accurately diagnosed.  Both means are rare, though. Rabies causes an animal to be unable to swallow, which is why some(NOT all)infected animals drool and why they are unable to drink, leading to the disease at one time being called "hydrophobia"-fear of water.  If your hamster had rabies, it would NOT be able to eat or drink, plus, as others have pointed out, it would have to have been bitten by other animal, and the chances of that are considerably less than the chances you'll be hit by a 1959 Cadillac convertible falling from outer space and piloted by Elvis.

You got a hamster that acts like a hamster.  Maybe next time, you'll consider a rat for a rodent pet.  They aren't nearly as vicious.


pitbulllady


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## RoachGirlRen (Jan 29, 2008)

I agree with everyone else's sentiments; there is basically no chance that your hamster would have been infected with rabies (and even if it had, rodents die notoriously quickly from it). It sounds like your typical neglected hamster - is this the one that was being kept in the 15" x 10" x 8.5" cage? The thing was probably never handled and on top of it had a crappy little environment that basically made it's life boring and miserable. Really a shame how people treat these guys; they are not a good children's pet because they require extensive handling to stay even remotely hand-tame, so most wind up shoved off in some little cage ignored until they die. Good luck placing him; are there any rodent rescues around you that would take him?


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## halfwaynowhere (Jan 29, 2008)

that sounds like a typical hamster who hasn't been socialized. I took one in a few months ago that was like that- she even made this strange hissing/screaming sound. After a few weeks I was able to hold her, although she was still shy. I ended up rehoming her to someone who could spend more time with her than I could. Hamsters can be perfectly sweet and loving, but it takes time and work, especially if you are dealing with a particularly evil one.


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## OldHag (Jan 29, 2008)

Doesnt hamster mean "Spawn of Satan"?  or is that Gerbil...


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## Mister Internet (Jan 29, 2008)

OldHag said:


> Doesnt hamster mean "Spawn of Satan"?  or is that Gerbil...


I think "Guinea Pig" is what you're thinking of... when I think of Satan, I picture a giant, talking Guinea Pig.  With horns.


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## cacoseraph (Jan 29, 2008)

really? i liked our guinea pig. it was a tiny bit bitey, but i think it was when it was getting frisky.

(((meep wooop wooop woop wooooooop wooop)))

of course, maybe the fact it lived in my sis' room made me like it more hehehehee


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## loxoscelesfear (Jan 30, 2008)

rabies is rare in rodents. opossums rarely contract it.  Sick canids, cats. skunks, coons are animals to be leary of.


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## Thrasher (Jan 30, 2008)

sounds pretty normal to me for a hamster, but I had a hamster it was nice, not bity at all, a total sweetheart, because he was DEAD!! Fancy rats are the way to go.


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## Ewok (Jan 30, 2008)

Hamsters are freaky anyways, if you try to hold them, their eyes almost pop out lol. 

Duprasi are the only rodent for me lol, they make great pets. Also known as the African fat tail gerbil. I had a pair of them once, and bred with one baby.Which unfortunately died .




Thrasher said:


> but I had a hamster it was nice, not bity at all, a total sweetheart, because he was DEAD!! .


LOL that was great!


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## Bigboy (Jan 30, 2008)

loxoscelesfear said:


> rabies is rare in rodents. opossums rarely contract it.  Sick canids, cats. skunks, coons are animals to be leary of.


Like he said, extremely rare in rodents.


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## skinheaddave (Jan 30, 2008)

OldHag said:


> Doesnt hamster mean "Spawn of Satan"?  or is that Gerbil...





Mister Internet said:


> I think "Guinea Pig" is what you're thinking of... when I think of Satan, I picture a giant, talking Guinea Pig.  With horns.


Really?  I've never had a guinea pig try to bite me ... and I've been in contact with a lot.  Same goes for gerbils.  The former are squirmy and the latter are like ADD kids on meth ... but I would (and do) recommend either as pets over hamsters.

Hamsters can be decent if you get them young and work with them ... but I fail to see why you would put in that effort when you can basically take any adult gerbil in any pet store, reach in and pick them up without any harm.  Rats are way smarter and trainable but do require a larger environment and produce more waste.

Cheers,
Dave


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## Tleilaxu (Jan 31, 2008)

I had a Siberian dwarf hamster that was relatively tame (meaning it rarely bit) I could also hand feed it and pet it occasionally. It did NOT apprciate being handled though and would try to squirm away. I also agree with what everyone else has said, your hamster is just being a hamster.


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## Only Exotics (Jan 31, 2008)

I can use some snake food if you want to donate it to good home


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## Choobaine (Jan 31, 2008)

I handled some hamsters at a friends house, one nipped occasionally the other fell asleep on me. That's remarkably rare going by what you folks are saying. 

I haven't held hamsters much though, they all belong to someone else and they look too tasty and honestly I keep resisting the urge to go and cook them. I wouldn't keep mice, hamsters, small birds and guinea pigs for that reason. I can't keep what looks like tasty food!


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