hamster's smell like poop

[no name]

my daughter has two delightful hamsters but she is reluctant to get them out
and hold them because they smell like poop and make her hands smell like
poop. yes, she is changing the cage regularly but they are nesting in the
corner where they go to the restroom. ideas?

mdr

[sig...@ptd.net]

"no name" wrote in message ...

I've had both Syrian and Russian dwarf hamsters for a few years now and have
never noticed any odor to their poops. Their urine on the other hand
....YUCK :(

signman

[no name]

actually their pellets don't smell -- their FUR smells! please help!

mark
<sig...@ptd.net> wrote in message
news:FmSD9.6552$R5.39...@nnrp1.ptd.net...

[Citizen]

On Sat, 23 Nov 2002 19:25:44 GMT, "no name" <now...@nowhere.com>
wrote:

Might you be a Troll ?

[no name]

no, I'm not a troll. it's a real question. Butterscotch and Oreo are the
names of these two hams and they do smell. can someone help with this?

mdr

"Citizen" <citizen...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:an24uu0q1see14nj5...@4ax.com...

[TheHamsterLog]

hi,

maybe you have satin dwarfs? i notice that my satin dwarf ham has a slightly
stronger, "muskier" smell than my other dwarf hamsters. and it's probably not
poop you are smelling, but rather urine, or scent marking "stuff". i THINK
this can be rather pronounced at times, especially in males. (anybody know
anything about this?)

on the index page of the hamster log there is a picture of my satin dwarf
hamster UGGY. look to see if yours have this unruly, longish, and almost "oily"
looking fur of the satin variety:

http://members.aol.com/thehamsterlog/index.html

aside of regular cage cleanings (no more than once a week as they need to
establish their "smell zones") and tidying up any obvious urine corners more
frequently, i don't think you can change the way they smell. try to provide
several nesting boxes, if possible. with different hiding places they may not
sleep in the pee corners as you described.

whatever you do, don't use a chlorophyll (green) bedding or cedar chips to mask
the smell. use aspen or carefresh or good dry white pine shavings. shred up
some plain white unscented toilet paper for nesting material. don't perfume the
animals, that would be very upsetting to the hams. and do not bathe the
hamsters -- i say this because children often express an interest in giving
their hamsters baths. you can provide them with chinchilla sand baths, and this
will work to clean the fur of a hamster.

good luck! i hope their smell isn't too big a deal. perhaps your daughter is
just sensitive to the normal smell of a hamster. if the hamsters are dwarf hams
and paired in the same cage, they may not need much interaction from your
daughter, as they have each other.

hope this helps.

jimmy ^_^

http://members.aol.com/thehamsterlog/index.html

[p alberta]

You might want to buy some odor absorrbing pellets, you can find them at
pet smart, or any other big pet store. the S.A.M. company makes them,
they're made out of some new mineral that is completely harmless to any
animal if ingested, it helped me a lot, now Prince Albert's cage doesn't
smell that bad, you should try them.
P_alberta <theham...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20021125095504...@mb-fg.aol.com...

[Frits Dumortier]

Hi,

A just add-on to the many comments already made:
- a female hamster in heat can smell asa well
- a hamster smelling like poop can be a sign of illness: plse check the poop
itself: is it normal? no signs of diarrhea with the hamster him-hersself. If
diarrhea: Consult a vet ASAP and no veggies, just dry food and put some
hay/stray in the cage as well.

Hope alle goes well,

Frits

[no name]

think the odor absorbing pellets is a good idea. my wife says they don't
smell so much like poop as urine -- they pee in the corner then nap there.
can you bathe a ham?

mdr

"Frits Dumortier" <Frits.D...@pandora.be> wrote in message
news:3DE5BE18...@pandora.be...

[Jane Landis]

mdr:

> can you bathe a ham?

Hamsters are pretty delicate little guys, and water baths can
dangerously lower their body temperatures as well as strip the natural
oils that keep their fur and skin healthy. It's not a good idea to bathe
a hamster unless specifically directed by your vet for a medical reason.

Hams will ingest some of what they groom off. If your ham has gotten
into something he shouldn't, scruffle him up in a very warm, damp
washcloth. Dry him the same way in a warmed towel. Keep him in cozy and
out of drafts till he dries completely.

If your hamsters are having problems grooming and keeping clean, you can
give them a chinchilla sand bath or brush them regularly with a soft
toothbrush or kitten's or baby's hairbrush.

Chinchilla *sand* or sanitized, soft children's play sand, is safe in a
container in the cage full-time, and makes a great toy, bath and potty
all in one.

Chinchilla *dust* is safe for chinchillas, because they have nasal flaps
that close and protect their respiratory systems, much like camels nasal
flaps protect them from sandstorms. Hamsters don't have these.
Chinchilla dust may be used a pinch at a time outside the home. I save
it for when a ham needs specific cleaning from something he shouldn't
have gotten into. It's too tough on the lungs to use routinely or to
leave in a cage. The fine silica dust it releases is a respiratory
irritant and a carcinogen.

Jane