Hamster of Doom

[MilkmanWes]

Man killed by pet hamster!

Makes all of our hamsters somehow seem cooler!

 

[pitbulllady]

I too, am allergic to rodent saliva, though hopefully not to THIS extent! I've had to go to the ER following a mouse bite, due to the mouse's teeth severing a lymph node in my finger and to the reaction to the saliva. My hand and forearm swelled up just as badly as it did from a Copperhead bite I'd received as a child, and hurt even worse! It only took a few seconds from the bite for me to know something was seriously wrong. Given the severity of this reaction, it gives me caution not to get bitten again, since as with bee stings, etc. the reaction could get worse with each exposure.

pitbulllady

 

[Socrates]

Wow - that sound scary, and Pitbulllady, what happened to you is equally scary.

Do you keep any meds in the house in case you ever do get bit?

---
Wendy
---

 

[pitbulllady]

I have to take Benadryl just from being in the same room with a live rodent, especially mice. Their odor really triggers some pretty bad sinus congestion and asthma. I keep a vial of Epinephrine in my refrigerator at all times, not just for myself, but for dogs as well. I never know when a puppy might have an acute reaction to a vaccine or some other medication. It really sucks being allergic to rodents and keeping and breeding snakes! I just cannot give up my snakes, having kept snakes all of my life, so I guess I need to inquire about allergy shots to build up immunity to rats and mice.

pitbulllady

 

[edesign]

i'd kinda be embarrased to be killed by a friggin hamster lol...i was unaware that anyone could have such a severe reaction to their saliva. I've heard of some people getting sick and dying after being around LOTS of rodent excrement (attics and such doing insulation work) that had dried up and become dusty. But not hamster saliva...

 

[MyNameHere]

As in "...so embarrased I could die!!!" Um, if he wasn't already dead, right, eDesign?

yeah, I can't help but think it's kind of lame for a 40 yr old man to have a hamster anyway, but to be killed but one? Is there a special Darwin Award for him?

 

[WYSIWYG]

i'd kinda be embarrased to be killed by a friggin hamster lol...i was unaware that anyone could have such a severe reaction to their saliva. I've heard of some people getting sick and dying after being around LOTS of rodent excrement (attics and such doing insulation work) that had dried up and become dusty. But not hamster saliva...

If you got killed by a hamster bite, I don't think you'd have time to
be embarrassed about it.

Wysi

 

[JeffG]

About 2 years ago when i was teching at a vet clinic in central florida, we got in a hairless guinea pig from petco. Im not a rodent person, but i assisted the vet anyway. Im not sure what went down, but about 10 minutes later my eyes went blood red and became very dry and painful. My lips then started to go numb as hives started to appear on my hands. 50mg of diphenhydramine and a trip to the ER to make sure i wasnt going to croak and i was fine...after the benadryl wore off lol.

I sort of have a history of anaphylaxis...red ant bite about 6 years ago did much worse to me...severe hives...intense feeling of burning in my body, and being unable to breathe whatsoever. I didnt know what was going on and was scared shitless...got to the er and was put on oxygen along with epi IV and overnight monitoring.

 

[Mojo Jojo]

From what I understand, lots of grown men, including Richard Gere, enjoy the company of a nice hamster...

 

[MyNameHere]

Urban Legends aside, you're talking about the wrong rodent anyway....

 

[JeffG]

wasnt it a gerbil?

 

[MilkmanWes]

I am in my 30s and we keep hamsters. My gf and I have about 7 of them at the moment. They are much better pets than you might think.

All animal saliva is a potential allergin I suppose. I have known people allergic to dog and cow saliva before.

 

[MyNameHere]

wasnt it a gerbil?

Yes, the Urban Legend usually involves a gerbil, or some other rodent with a tail, but Snopes has yet to actually verifiy it, so it's officially just a dumb joke jocks tell each-other. ;P

It would be easy enough to verify, too. I mean, if you just call any major emergency room I'm sure someone there would be more than glad to regale you w/the tale, IF it were true!

@MilkManWes: Yes, I actually had my first hamster when I was in my 20's. I know they actually can make decent pets, it's just some insipid prejudice hardwired in my brain somehow. Maybe it's all those years of selling hampsters to the elementary school set at the pet store.

 

[Mojo Jojo]

Yes, the Urban Legend usually involves a gerbil, or some other rodent with a tail, but Snopes has yet to actually verifiy it, so it's officially just a dumb joke jocks tell each-other. ;P

It would be easy enough to verify, too. I mean, if you just call any major emergency room I'm sure someone there would be more than glad to regale you w/the tale, IF it were true!

Had a professor in college - teaching sexuality education - who was, at one point in his career an emergency room doctor - told our class many different emergency room visits of gay men losing strange object such as tea cups up themselves..."changing the lightbulb naked and falling on the teacup..."

so I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised about gerbils...

 

[Malkavian]

I'm not a huge hampster fan, even though I kept them alot when i was younger (before i graduated to things that EAT rodents. bwahah) --I realize they can make very sweet pets and whatnot but working at a petstore I didn't have time to tame each and every one we got in, so I got nipped alot during feeding and dipping them out for the kids to pick one.

That and of all the bites I've sustained (dog, cat, various snakes, rodents) the hampster bite was without a doubt the worst, pain-wise